#News

Sheikh Mohammed on Mars mission: ‘We’ve already made history’

The mission will enter its most critical phase – the Mars Orbit insertion – on Tuesday

Oman Covid-19

Oman says ‘alarming’ surge in Covid-19 cases, extends land border closure indefinitely

Omani citizens will however be allowed to reenter via the land borders, provided they abide by a 7-day institutional health quarantine directive

DP World reports 7.6% gross volume growth in Q4 2020

Jebel Ali in Dubai handled 3.4 million TEU in Q4 2020, up 0.3 percent year-on-year

Kuwaiti MPs urge the government to relax Covid-19 restrictions or compensate businesses

Health clubs, salons and barbershops have been closed for a month, while malls and shops need to stay shut from 8pm until 5am

Dubai yacht party

Video: Dubai Police issues Dhs50,000 fines for yacht party flouting Covid-19 rules

Dubai Police has received around 1,000 reports from the public on different Covid-19 violations across the emirate from January 31- February 6

Saudi forces destroy four armed drones launched from Yemen targeting ‘civilians’

The four ‘bomb laden’ UAVs were launched towards the southern region of the kingdom on Sunday

Abu Dhabi Covid-19 restrictions

Covid-19: Abu Dhabi issues new restrictions for tourism, commercial and economic activities

All parties and gatherings are now banned indefinitely

Saudi police nab man who stole SAR25,5000 from a bank using ‘fake’ gun

The perpetrator allegedly stole the amount after threatening a bank employee that he would harm a customer with a gun

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange slashes trading fees by 22%

The value of securities traded on the exchange increased 28 per cent to Dhs72.8bn in 2020 from Dhs56.8bn in 2019

Denmark UAE flights

Denmark lifts ban on flights from UAE

All passengers must present a negative Covid-test no older than 24 hours before boarding a flight to Denmark

Kuwait suspends entry of foreigners for two weeks, imposes restrictions on malls, shops

Officials have also banned all types of gatherings, including for national holiday celebrations later this month

Scat Airlines Kazakhstan Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah inks agreement with Scat Airlines for direct flights to eight cities in Kazakhstan

The airline will commence direct flights from March between Ras Al Khaimah and Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Aktobe, Aktau, Atyrau, Uralsk, Karaganda and Shymkent

UAE public schools to resume onsite education from February 14

Abu Dhabi will allow all schools in the emirate to resume in-clasroom teaching from February 14, with the option of e-learning available until the end of this academic year

Taking the Covid-19 vaccine is every person’s ‘ethical duty’ – UAE official

As of Tuesday, February 2, the total number of vaccination shots given in the UAE has crossed 3.5 million

Jeff Bezos to step down as CEO of Amazon

He will hand day-to-day control to Andy Jassy, his longtime head of Amazon Web Services

Saudi Arabia

Covid-19: Saudi Arabia bans entry from 20 countries including UAE, UK and India

The temporary entry ban will go into effect from Wednesday, February 3, at 9pm

Central Bank of UAE

UAE’s Central Bank appoints Khaled Al Tameemi as Vice Governor

Al Tameemi has over 30 years of experience in various entities including being a board member in the Central Bank

BMW EGA CelestiAL aluminium

BMW Group becomes first customer for UAE’s solar-powered CelestiAL aluminium

Using this aluminium from EGA will reduce BMW Group’s emissions by 222,000 tonnes of CO2 per year

Eitan Na’eh, head of mission at the newly established Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi

Israel wants to build land corridor with UAE for movement of goods

Israel is looking into the potential of trailers and lorries carrying goods from the UAE reaching Israel in three days, and vice versa

Dubai Financial market

Private utilities company Utico plans Dhs3bn listing on Dubai market in 2021

Utico is the UAE’s only private water and power company

Emirates to operate flights from UK to Dubai for stranded UAE citizens and residents

The UK banned all direct passenger flights to and from the UAE starting January 29

Oman extends closure of international land borders until February 8

As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, Oman’s land borders will remain closed until 6pm on February 8

Dubai Police

Dubai Police urges public to report violations of Covid-19 protocols

The public can establish contact either via its call centre at 901 or by using the Police Eye service

Covid-19

Dubai announces two dedicated Covid-19 treatment facilities

Al Khawaneej and Al Badaa health centres will be set aside exclusively for the treatment of Covid-19 patients

Dubai Vaccines Logistics Alliance

Dubai launches logistics alliance to distribute 2 billion Covid-19 vaccine shots in 2021

Members of the alliance include Emirates airline, DP World, Dubai Airports, and the International Humanitarian City, which will partner on the World Health Organisation’s COVAX initiative

Kuwait Oxford-AstraZeneca

Kuwait authorises emergency use of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

The first batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are expected to arrive in the country within the next few days

SAUDI-HEALTH-VIRUS-TRAVEL

Saudi extends border closures, travel ban for citizens until May

The extension from the scheduled date of March 31 is due to vaccine delivery delays, officials said

Abu Dhabi UAE

Covid-19: Abu Dhabi updates testing rules for entry from within the UAE

A DPI test can no longer be used on two consecutive occasions to enter Abu Dhabi

Covid-19: Dubai’s DHA to commence administering Sinopharm vaccine

The vaccinations will be administered, starting January 31, 2021

UAE Dubai UK

Covid-19: UK indefinitely bans all passenger flights from UAE starting January 29

All non-British or Irish passengers, excluding third-country nationals who have residence rights in the UK, who have been in or transited through the UAE, Burundi and Rwanda in the last 10 days will no longer be granted entry to the UK