Dubai allows breastfeeding women to get COVID-19 vaccine

DUBAI - The Dubai Health Authority said on Saturday it was allowing women who are breastfeeding and those planning on conceiving to take the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Dubai Media Office.

In a Twitter post, the media office said this was in line with the latest international studies and guidelines on coronavirus vaccines.

It also said the DHA was cutting the time frame of vaccine eligibility for those who have previously contracted COVID-19 to 10 days from three months, provided the case was mild or asymptomatic.

(Reporting by Yousef Saba Editing by Mark Heinrich)

-reuters-

Philippines, Brazil, Mexico among those due to get Pfizer shots from COVAX in Q2

GENEVA - Some 14.1 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to 47 countries and economies for delivery in the second quarter of this year, the Gavi Vaccine Alliance said on Monday.

Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, and Ukraine are set to be among the main recipients of the Pfizer vaccine between April and June, according to Gavi, which co-leads the COVAX facility with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners.

The COVAX program offers a lifeline to low-income countries in particular, allowing them to inoculate health workers and others at high risk, even if their governments have not managed to secure vaccines from the manufacturers.

Australia, Britain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates are due to receive their first shots via COVAX with the Pfizer doses, which is "based on current knowledge of COVID-19 vaccine supply availability", Gavi said in a statement.

The program delivered nearly 38.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 102 countries across six continents, six weeks after it began to roll out supplies, Gavi said last Thursday.

Deliveries of the AstraZeneca vaccine to 142 participants under a previously announced round were underway, "with some delays" that may extend deliveries past May, Gavi said on Monday.

Reduced availability delayed some deliveries in March and April, and much of the output of the Serum Institute of India, which makes the AstraZeneca vaccine, is being kept in India, where the number of daily infections is spiraling.

The chief executive of Gavi, Seth Berkley, said last Friday that COVAX aimed to deliver one third of a billion COVID-19 doses by mid-year, on the way to more than 2 billion in 2021.

-reuters-

UAE, China launch project to produce Sinopharm vaccine

DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates and China on Sunday announced a venture to produce the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine in the Gulf nation, state media reported.

The UAE's Group 42 and China's CNBG "have launched a joint project... to initiate the first Covid-19 vaccine production line in the UAE", said official Emirati news agency Wam.

It did not specify when commercial production will begin. 

The UAE's foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, said the project adds "value to the international efforts being made in the face of the Covid-19 crisis, which has been taking a toll on everyday lives across the world."

The UAE, made up of seven emirates including the capital Abu Dhabi and freewheeling Dubai, began mass inoculations in December after approving vaccines made by Chinese firm Sinopharm and US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. 

Since then, the UAE -- which has a population of nearly 10 million people -- has also approved Astrazeneca, with one of the best vaccination rates per capita in the world, second to Israel.

The UAE has so far recorded more than 388,000 cases and 1,481 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began.

Two vaccines have undergone third-phase trials in the UAE: Sinopharm and Russia's Sputnik-V, named after the Soviet-era satellite.

Agence France-Presse

Dubai announces alliance to speed COVID vaccine delivery

DUBAI - Key transport hub Dubai on Sunday announced an initiative to accelerate the delivery of coronavirus vaccines, particularly to developing nations, after the WHO warned against abandoning the world's poor.

The Vaccine Logistics Alliance, which includes Dubai-based Emirates airline and global logistics giant DP World, is designed to "speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world through the emirate".

The alliance will "support" the World Health Organization's Covax initiative to distribute two billion vaccine doses, the Dubai Media Office said in a statement, without specifying how many doses it would deliver.

"The distribution will particularly focus on emerging markets, where populations have been hard-hit by the pandemic, and pharmaceutical transport and logistics are challenging," it said.

The United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai and six other emirates, has administered vaccines to more than a quarter of its population, second only to Israel in the global race.

The WHO has urged wealthy countries to avoid repeating past mistakes of hoarding medicines and vaccines, saying such behavior would only drag out the pandemic.

"We are all too aware of the challenges facing us globally in this pandemic and necessity to work together," the UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said in a tweet.

"Vaccine nationalism should not be tolerated in our common battle to defeat COVID," he said.

Covax, the globally-pooled vaccine procurement and distribution effort, has struck agreements with manufacturers for two billion vaccine doses, and secured options on a billion more.

Dubai said the alliance will work with pharmaceutical manufacturers, forwarders, and government agencies to transport vaccines, some of which have to be kept at very cold temperatures.

"Together, we are able to store a large volume of vaccine doses at a time and bring in and distribute vaccines to any point around the world within 48 hours," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airline.

The UAE itself has suffered a spike in cases after the holiday period, after aggressively opening up to tourism.

But it reported 2,948 new virus cases on Sunday, the lowest number since January 11.

Agence France-Presse

Dubai turns world's tallest building into coronavirus charity box

DUBAI - The world's tallest building, Dubai's 828-meter Burj Khalifa, has become a glowing charity donation box, raising money for food for United Arab Emirates residents suffering the economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic.

Each of the tower's 1.2 million external lights was "sold" for 10 dirhams ($2.70), enough to buy 1 meal. As donations came in, the tower "filled up," and people could also bid to claim the light at the very top.

As the region's tourism and business hub with the world's busiest international airport, Dubai's economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people have lost jobs or had incomes reduced. Tens of thousands of migrant workers, who often live in crowded shared accommodation where the virus spreads more easily, have registered to be repatriated.

"Hope you have a good solid meal. We take things for granted but life has a way of teaching us how to wake up," said donor Shereen Harris in a public comment on the campaign's website.

The UAE has recorded 19,661 cases of infection with COVID-19 and 203 deaths, the second highest death toll after Saudi Arabia of the 6 Gulf states.

The donation box has raised funds for more than 1.2 million meals so far, organizing body The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) said.

The fundraising drive is part of a campaign to fund 10 million meals for low-income families during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan by MBRGI, patronized by Dubai's ruler and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

-reuters-

World's tallest tower to light up with coronavirus donations

DUBAI -- One pixel at a time, Dubai will light up the facade of the world's tallest building to represent each donation made to relieve coronavirus-hit communities across the United Arab Emirates.

The Burj Khalifa, which stands 828 meters (2,717 feet) high, will be transformed into the "world's tallest donation box" as part of a campaign to provide 10 million meals to low-income people.

The appeal comes during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a time of self-reflection, prayer and charity for the faithful.

For each 10-dirham ($2.7) donation, one of the building's 1.2 million LED lights will be illuminated -- each representing a meal. 

On Sunday, less than 24 hours since the launch of the appeal, a live count on the website indicated that more than 176,000 meals had been donated. 

The skyscraper regularly features displays of solidarity with crisis-stricken countries -- for Australia when bushfires ravaged parts of the country, and for China and Italy when they were hit hard by the COVID-19 respiratory disease.

"Representing donations as lights beaming on Burj Khalifa reflects the hope that small acts of kindness will bring to less fortunate communities as the country continues its battle against the pandemic," Dubai's media office said in a statement.

"They will see the impact of their contributions on the facade of the world's tallest building."



Last week, the UAE eased lockdown restrictions that were put in place to curb the spread of the disease.

Dubai, one of the seven sheikhdoms that make up the UAE, had imposed a total curfew.

The emirate depends heavily on trade, retail, tourism and real estate, and the restrictions have hit businesses hard. It is also home to millions of foreign workers, some of whom have found themselves out of work or unpaid as the economy crumbles.

The UAE has so far reported more than 14,000 infections, including 126 deaths. 

It has the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia, which has recorded more than 25,000 infections and 176 deaths.

Agence France-Presse

Following Dubai, more UAE malls, restaurants reopen

DUBAI - Malls in the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi began reopening to a restricted number of customers this weekend as the UAE eases lockdown measures imposed more than a month ago to combat the novel coronavirus.

Three Abu Dhabi malls reopened on Saturday at 30 percent customer capacity after adopting safety measures, including installing thermal inspection devices, the government media office tweeted and Sharjah emirate said it would reopen malls on Sunday.

Malls, dine-in restaurants and cafes in Dubai, the UAE's business and tourism hub, had earlier resumed operations with limited capacity. Shoppers must wear face masks and gloves and keep their distance.

Sharjah emirate's media office said malls, salons and dine-in restaurants could resume operations on Sunday.

Other public venues such as schools, mosques and cinemas remain closed in the UAE, which has so far reported nearly 13,600 infections and 119 deaths from the virus. It does not give a breakdown for each of its seven emirates.

The UAE had also relaxed a nationwide curfew, first announced on March 26, with the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on April 24.

-reuters-

Saudi Arabia extends coronavirus curfew, UAE warns on worker repatriation

RIYADH/DUBAI - Saudi Arabia indefinitely extended a curfew due to the coronavirus on Sunday amid a surge of new infections, and the United Arab Emirates warned of possible action against countries refusing to allow migrant workers to be repatriated.

Since placing the capital Riyadh and other big cities under 24-hour curfew on Monday, Saudi Arabia has reported more than 300 new cases per day. The nationwide curfew, initially set for 3 weeks, runs from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m everywhere else. For both this and the 24-hour curfew, residents may go out only for essential needs.

The interior ministry announced new permits for vital personnel to move around. Violators face fines and jail time.

Saudi Arabia has recorded 4,462 infections with 59 deaths, the highest among the 6-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, where the total neared 14,100 with 96 deaths.

It expects it could reach 200,000 cases in coming weeks. It has halted international passenger flights, suspended the year-round umrah pilgrimage, and closed most public places.

Other Gulf Arab states have taken similar precautions and have seen the virus spread among low-wage foreign workers, many living in overcrowded accommodation. Millions of migrant laborers, mainly from Asian countries, including Nepal, India and the Philippines, are among the region’s large expatriate population.

Bahrain said 45 of 47 new cases reported on Sunday were foreign workers.

The United Arab Emirates, the region's tourism and business hub, has the second highest regional load at 3,736 cases and 20 deaths.

FOREIGN WORKERS

The UAE warned it would review labor ties with countries refusing to take back citizens, including those who lost their jobs or were put on leave, and said it was considering strict quotas for work visas issued to nationals of those states.

"Several countries have not been responsive about allowing back their citizens who have applied to return home under the current circumstances," the Human Resources and Emiratisation Ministry said, without specifying which countries.

India's ambassador to the UAE said on Saturday the country cannot repatriate large numbers of nationals while trying to combat the virus at home.

"Once the lockdown in India is lifted, we will certainly help them get back to their hometowns and their families," Pavan Kapoor told the Gulf News daily.

Pakistan's ambassador said the embassy was waiting for permission from Islamabad for repatriation flights and was hoping for "positive news soon".

"We are very keen to bring Pakistanis back but we need to finalize our treatment and quarantine facilities," Ghulam Dastgir told Reuters.

Aiming to contain the spread among foreign workers, Qatar has locked down a large section of an industrial area, Dubai sealed off two commercial districts and Oman closed off its Muscat governorate, which includes the capital.

Kuwait said late on Saturday airlines could operate outbound flights to repatriate foreigners.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority approved conducting internationally refereed clinical trials at 5 hospitals to determine the effectiveness of treating the coronavirus with antivirals including those used for malaria and HIV. 

-reuters-

UAE opens drive-through coronavirus testing site

DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates said it has launched a drive-through coronavirus testing facility as part of the Gulf state's efforts to fight the disease.

The facility, inaugurated by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, will provide screenings within 5 minutes, using state-of-the-art equipment and a medical team, the Abu Dhabi government's media office said. 

"A new drive-through testing facility for COVID-19 has launched ... to offer safe testing procedures," the office said Saturday on Twitter.

According to official state news agency WAM, the facility can serve 600 people a day, with priority given to senior citizens, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses.

The media office said people should book an appointment in advance.

Tests "for the wider community for reassurance only" would cost 370 dirhams, according to government advice on Twitter.

The UAE, which on Sunday had 570 officially declared COVID-19 cases, including three deaths, has imposed restrictions on night movements and taken steps to sanitize outdoor areas and public transport.

The Gulf state has halted passenger flights, closed its borders to foreigners and asked people to go outdoors only if necessary.

UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi has issued a list of fines ranging from $272 to $13,600 for those violating regulations imposed to contain the virus.

Agence France-Presse

Oil subdued after heavy falls on price war

SINGAPORE — Oil prices were subdued in early Asian trade Thursday following sharp falls overnight, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE escalated a price war by vowing to pump millions more barrels of crude.

Both main contracts fluctuated between small gains and losses. West Texas Intermediate was trading at around $33 a barrel while Brent crude was at about $36 a barrel. 

Crude markets suffered their biggest 1-day drop in a generation on Monday after top exporter Riyadh began a price war following a refusal by Moscow to reduce output to combat the coronavirus impact.

Prices have swung wildly since and fell heavily again Wednesday, mirroring falls on global stock markets, after Saudi Arabia and Gulf partner UAE said they would open the oil taps further.

They said they will together boost production by at least 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd), to 16.3 million bpd, from April.

Investors were also waiting for an address by US President Donald Trump, who is set to explain his plan for tackling the virus outbreak -- which has now been declared a pandemic by global health officials -- and economic assistance. 

The collapse of oil prices came after OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia had led a push to reduce output further to shore up prices amid slumping demand.

But the move was blocked by Moscow, the world's second-biggest oil producer, prompting Riyadh to slash prices.

Analysts see no end in sight to the turmoil.

"We suspect that Russia and Saudi Arabia may not be interested in a de-escalation for the time being," said investment firm DWS in a note.

Agence France-Presse 

Emirates airline asks staff to take one month unpaid leave over coronavirus

DUBAI -- Major international airline Emirates is asking staff to take unpaid leave for up to a month at a time due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus that has led to flight cancellations around the world.

Emirates has cancelled flights to Iran, Bahrain and to most of China because of the virus, and countries around the world have placed strict restrictions on entry of foreigners.

The airline has more resources than it needs as a result of cutting frequencies or cancelling flights to some destinations, said Chief Operating Officer Adel al-Redha in a statement on Tuesday.

"Considering the availability of additional resources and the fact that many employees want to utilize their leave, we have provided our employees the option to avail leave or apply for voluntary unpaid leave for up to one month at a time," he said.


Emirates Group, the state-owned holding company that counts the airline among its assets, has asked staff to consider taking paid and unpaid leave as it seeks to manage a "measurable slowdown" in its business, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing an internal company email.

The group had more than 100,000 employees, including more than 21,000 cabin crew and 4,000 pilots, at the end of March 2019, the end of its last financial year.

Major concerts and events in the United Arab Emirates, an air transit center that includes tourism and business hub Dubai, have been cancelled or postponed as the coronavirus spreads in the Gulf.

The airline industry's largest global body IATA on Monday urged Middle Eastern governments to provide support to airlines as they try to manage the impact of the outbreak.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

In the deserts of Dubai, salmon farming thrives

DUBAI -- From a control room in the middle of Dubai's desert, Norway's sunrises and sunsets and the cool currents of the Atlantic are recreated for the benefit of thousands of salmon raised in tanks despite searing conditions outside.

Dubai is no stranger to ambitious projects, with a no-limits approach that has seen a palm-shaped island built off its coast, and a full-scale ski slope created inside a shopping mall.

But the farming of salmon in the desert is "something that no one could have imagined", said Bader bin Mubarak, chief executive of Fish Farm. "This is exactly what we're doing in Dubai."

Inside the facility, waters flow and temperatures fluctuate to create the most desirable conditions for the salmon living in four vast tanks.

"We provide for them a sunrise, sunset, tide, a strong current or a simple river current -- and we have deep waters and shallow waters," Mubarak told AFP.

Even for a country known for its extravagant ventures, building Fish Farm, located along the southern border of the emirate, was a challenging endeavor.

Salmon usually live in cold waters such as those in and off Iceland, Norway, Scotland and Alaska -- which is why the farming of Atlantic salmon in a country where temperatures can reach up to 45C (113 degrees F) is a stretch to say the least.

"Creating the (right) environment for the salmon was the hardest thing we faced," Mubarak told AFP.

"But we came up with the idea of dark water that resembles deep water, a strong current like the ocean with the same salinity and temperature of the Atlantic."

'GREATEST PRODUCTION'

Fish Farm bought some 40,000 fingerlings -- or juvenile fish -- from a hatchery in Scotland and thousands more eggs from Iceland to raise in open tanks in Dubai's southern district of Jebel Ali.

Salmon are born in freshwater but live in salt water for much of their lives before returning to freshwater to spawn.

At their home in the United Arab Emirates, the tanks are filled with sea water that is cleaned and filtered.

Fish Farm produces 10,000 to 15,000 kilos of salmon every month.

It was established in 2013 with the support of Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, to farm salmon and other fish including Japanese amberjack, which is used to prepare sushi.

Mubarak said that because of the technical challenge, salmon-raising remains the "greatest production" of the farm, which supplies to Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates, where the population includes millions of expatriates.

"The UAE imports around 92 percent of its fish from abroad, and the goal today is to be able to fulfill (that demand) for imports internally, so that we have food security," Mubarak said.

"In case there is an interruption, cyclone or floods, the UAE will be able to supply itself. This is the main objective."

PROS AND CONS

Another goal is to be environmentally friendly and, in a move also motivated by the high cost of electricity, Fish Farm has plans to go solar-powered.

The ecological pros and cons of farming fish on land, compared to raising them in rivers and seas, are hotly debated, as is the alternative of harvesting wild fish.

"There are animal welfare concerns about keeping fish whose natural behavior is to swim freely in seas and rivers in closed tanks," said Jessica Sinclair Taylor, from Feedback Global, a London-based environmental group.

"There are also concerns about the energy requirements and therefore carbon emissions."

But she said that on the plus side, land-based farming prevents water pollution in lakes or seas where salmon farms are sometimes sited, and where waste and run-off can damage marine ecosystems.

According to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the UAE imported 2.3 billion dirhams ($630 million, 570 million euros) of fish products, crustaceans and mollusks in 2017 and exported 280 million dirhams' worth.

Fish Farm, the UAE's only fish farm, hopes to meet at least 50 percent of the country's needs within two years, said Mubarak.

In April, Fish Farm began selling its products in supermarkets. Despite its decidedly unnatural origins, the salmon is marked "100 percent organic" because of the fish feed and the absence of antibiotics in a closed environment.

"It is (more expensive), but I also think about the quality -- I've tried different salmon before and this is less greasy and my family prefers this one," said Katja, a German residing in Dubai.

She said that UAE is "making really great efforts to produce not only fish but vegetables and other foods locally, and I think I should really support that".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World's oldest pearl found in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI - An 8,000-year-old pearl that archaeologists say is the world's oldest will be displayed in Abu Dhabi, according to authorities who said Sunday it is proof the objects have been traded since Neolithic times.

The natural pearl was found in the floor of a room discovered during excavations at Marawah Island, off the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which revealed the earliest architecture found in the country.

"The layers from which the pearl came have been carbon dated to 5800-5600 BC, during the Neolithic period," Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism said.

"The discovery of the oldest pearl in the world in Abu Dhabi makes it clear that so much of our recent economic and cultural history has deep roots that stretch back to the dawn of prehistory," said its chairman Mohamed Al-Muabarak.

The excavation of the Marawah site, which is made up of numerous collapsed Neolithic stone structures, has also yielded ceramics, beads made from shell and stone, and flint arrowheads.

The "Abu Dhabi Pearl" will be shown for the first time in the exhibition "10,000 years of Luxury" which is opening on October 30 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi -- the outpost of the famous Paris museum.

Emirati experts believe that the pearls were traded with Mesopotamia -- ancient Iraq -- in exchange for ceramics and other goods. They were also likely worn as jewelry. 

"The Venetian jewel merchant Gasparo Balbi, who traveled through the region, mentions the islands off the coast of Abu Dhabi as a source of pearls in the 16th century," the culture department said.

The pearl industry once underpinned the economy of the United Arab Emirates, but the trade collapsed in the 1930s with the advent of Japanese cultured pearls, and as conflicts rocked global economies. 

Instead, the Gulf nations turned to the oil industry which dominates their economies to this day.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

High hopes as Dubai marks one-year countdown to Expo 2020

DUBAI -- Fireworks exploded over Dubai's skyline on Sunday to mark the one-year countdown to Expo 2020, a big-budget global trade fair the glitzy emirate's rulers hope will restore its flagging fortunes.

Megastar Mariah Carey headlined at a concert underneath the illuminated Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, where thousands gathered for the centrepiece of festivities across the United Arab Emirates.

At exactly 20:20 local time, the skyscraper was lit up with "1 year to go" and "the world's greatest show" in both English and Arabic.

"These spectacular nationwide celebrations will usher in the final leg of a historic journey," said Reem Al-Hashimy, a government minister and also director general of Expo 2020. 

"The next 12 months will see us put the finishing touches to ensure an exceptional World Expo." 

Dubai hopes to attract 15 million visitors to the sprawling site taking shape on sand dunes south of the city's gleaming downtown, being built at the staggering cost of 30 billion dirhams (8.2 billion dollars).

With the city in the grips of a downturn in its vital property sector, officials are pinning high hopes on the event, the logo of which is emblazed on everything from business cards to airliners.

Some 200 countries will take part in the fair, which runs from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021. 

Attractions will include the UAE pavilion in the shape of a falcon in flight and a dome crafted from 800 tonnes of steel which will be the world's largest 360-degree projection surface.

Organizers say the Expo is much more than a six-month trade show.

But although experts believe the much-anticipated event will give the economy a boost, there are concerns it will be only a temporary one and that finances will slump again as soon as the show is over.

ECONOMIC HANGOVER

Since the first "World Expo" was held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1851, world fairs have been used to showcase new ideas and technology as well as serving as nation-branding exercises.

But not all have had the desired impact, with some marred by disappointing visitor figures and leaving a legacy of debt and abandoned infrastructure. 

Raed Safadi, chief adviser to Dubai Economy which is charged with guiding the emirate's financial fortunes, said Expo will add some $34.6 billion to the economy between 2013 -- when it won the bid to host the event -- and 2030. 

"It will be gross value added, directly, indirectly and induced. You come to Expo, you stay at a hotel, you go shopping, etc.," he told AFP. 

London-based Capital Economics agreed the event would provide a boost -- but said it was likely to burn out soon afterwards.

"As preparations for the Expo come to an end, activity in the construction sector is likely to weaken," it said.

Already there are concerns of huge oversupply in the property sector, driven by predictions that the trade fair will deliver some 300,000 new jobs which saw hundreds of major projects unveiled in recent years. 

Also in the spotlight is the government's goal of attracting 20 million tourists in 2020, an increase of around 20 percent from this year. 

The all-important arrivals figure has been stagnant at 16 million in recent years, and there are doubts that Expo will singlehandedly bridge that gap.

Standard and Poor's ratings agency said in September that it expected Dubai's economy to pick up with 2.4 percent growth this year, from 1.9 percent in 2018, largely due to the completion of projects related to the Expo.

But after the event packs up, growth will drop to a modest 2.0 percent through 2022, it said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Emirati becomes first Arab to reach International Space Station

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan – An Emirati has made history as the first Arab to reach the International Space Station, after blasting off from Kazakhstan.

The Russian spacecraft carrying Hazzaa al-Mansoori of the United Arab Emirates, who was accompanied by Russia's Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, docked Wednesday after a six-hour trip.

The three "entered the orbiting lab and joined six of their station crewmates for a joyful crew greeting ceremony today," NASA tweeted.

A video shows the new arrivals entering head first through a hatch to join their grinning colleagues, who welcomed them with floating hugs.

Mansoori, 35, received support from around the world ahead of what he described as his "dream" mission.

In Dubai, a crowd gathered at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to watch the launch, erupting in cheers and dubbing Mansoori a national hero. Some carried UAE flags.

Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, lit up the moment of blast-off.

'GLORY AND AWE'

Mansoori will spend eight days on the ISS and will be the first Emirati and the first Arab on the orbiting laboratory, but not the first Muslim.

Writing on Twitter before the launch at Baikonur space centre, the former pilot in the UAE armed forces said he was "filled with this indescribable feeling of glory and awe".

"Today I carry the dreams and ambition of my country to a whole new dimension. May Allah grant me success in this mission," he said.

The day before the launch, he said he would record his prayer routine on the ISS and broadcast it to people on Earth.

"As a fighter pilot I already prayed in my aircraft," he said, explaining that he had experience of prayers at high speed.

Mansoori plans to conduct experiments and said he would take Emirati food with him to share with the crew, who for a brief of time will number nine at the ISS.

At a pre-flight conference, Meir, 42, said the crew communicated by using "Runglish" - a mixture of Russian and English.

"We still need to work on our Arabic," she joked.

Russian Orthodox priests blessed the spacecraft ahead of the launch, in a traditional prayer service often held before Russian rocket launches.

The spacecraft was the last to blast off from the launch pad where Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went off into space onboard the Vostok 1, becoming the first man in space in 1961.

Mansoori is set to return to Earth with NASA's Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin on October 3. Skripochka and Meir are set to remain on the ISS until the spring of 2020.

The first Arab in outer space was Saudi Arabia's Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud, who flew on a US shuttle mission in 1985.

Two years later, Syrian air force pilot Muhammed Faris spent a week aboard the Soviet Union's Mir space station.

As part of its space plans, the UAE has also announced its aim to become the first Arab country to send an unmanned probe to orbit Mars by 2021, naming it "Hope".

The International Space Station -- a rare example of cooperation between Russia and the West -- has been orbiting Earth at about 28,000 kilometers (17,000 miles) per hour since 1998.

Russia is resolved to keep its position as a leader of the space industry, particularly for manned space flights.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Oil majors to mull fresh cuts as trade war hits prices

DUBAI - Top oil producers will consider fresh output cuts at a meeting this week, but analysts are doubtful they will succeed in bolstering crude prices dented by the US-China trade war.

The OPEC petroleum exporters' cartel and key non-OPEC members want to halt a slide in prices that has continued despite previous production cuts and US sanctions that have squeezed supply from Iran and Venezuela.

Analysts say the OPEC+ group's Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which monitors a supply cut deal reached last year, has limited options when it meets in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

UAE Energy Minister Suheil al-Mazrouei said Sunday the group would do "whatever necessary" to rebalance the crude market, but admitted that the issue was not entirely in the hands of the world's top producers.

Speaking at a press conference in Abu Dhabi ahead of the World Energy Congress, to start Monday, he said the oil market is no longer governed by supply and demand but is being influenced more by US-China trade tensions and geopolitical factors. 

The minister said that although further cuts will be considered at Thursday's meeting, they may not be the best way to boost declining prices.

"Anything that the group sees that will balance the market, we are committed to discuss it and hopefully go and do whatever necessary," he said.

"But I wouldn't suggest to jump to cuts every time that we have an issue on trade tensions."

While cuts could help prices, they could also mean producers lose further market share, analysts say.

"OPEC has traditionally resorted to production cuts in order to shore up the prices," said M. R. Raghu, head of research at Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz). 

"However, this has come at the cost of reduction in OPEC's global crude market share from a peak of 35 percent in 2012 to 30 percent as of July 2019," he told AFP.

The 24-nation OPEC+ group, dominated by the cartel's kingpin Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC production giant Russia, agreed to reduce output in December 2018.

That came as a faltering global economy and a boom in US shale oil threatened to create a global glut in supply.

Previous supply cuts have mostly succeeded in bolstering prices. 

But this time, the market has continued to slide -- even after OPEC+ agreed in June to extend by nine months an earlier deal slashing output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd).

The new factor is the trade dispute between the world's two biggest economies, whose tit-for-tat tariffs have created fears of a global recession that will undermine demand for oil. 

Saudi economist Fadhl al-Bouenain said the oil market has become "highly sensitive to the US-China trade war".

"What is happening to oil prices is outside the control of OPEC and certainly stronger than its capability," Bouenain told AFP.

"Accordingly, I think OPEC+ will not resort to new production cuts" because that would further blunt the group's already shrunken market share, he said.

European benchmark Brent was selling at $61.54 per barrel Friday, in contrast with more than $75 this time last year but up from around $50 at the end of December 2018. 

The deliberations also coincide with stymied production from Iran and Venezuela and slower growth in US output, meaning that supplies are not excessively high.

"US shale output growth does not have the same momentum as in previous cycles, and OPEC production is at a 15-year low, having fallen by 2.7 million barrels per day over the past nine months," Standard Chartered said in a commentary last month.

"We think that the oil policy options for key producers are limited, for the moment," the investment bank said. 

No decisions will be taken at Thursday's meeting, but it should produce recommendations ahead of an OPEC+ ministerial meeting in Vienna in December.

Rapidan Energy Group said the alliance might need to cut output by an additional one million bpd to stabilize the market.

But the problem will be deciding which member countries will shoulder the burden of any new cuts.

Saudi Arabia, which is the de facto leader of OPEC and pumps about a third of the cartel's oil, took on more than its fair share last time around.

It has also undergone a major shake-up in its oil sector, announcing the replacement of energy minister Khalid al-Falih with Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman in the early hours of Sunday morning ahead of a much-anticipated stock listing of state oil giant Aramco.

Bouenain said he believes that Riyadh is likely to resist taking on further cuts, given the impact on the kingdom's revenues.

Raghu said that "without a favorable resolution to the dispute, OPEC's production cuts will not result in a sizeable uptick of oil prices."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dubai in push to rebalance bloated property market

The committee charged with rebalancing the industry will be headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum's son and deputy, Maktoum bin Mohammed, and include representatives of top property developers in Dubai.

"Today, we formed in Dubai a higher committee for real estate planning... with the aim to achieve a balance between supply and demand," Sheikh Mohammed, who is also prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, said on Twitter.

Dubai's property market has been in a downturn since mid-2014, with sale prices and rents shedding around a third of their value.

Economic outlooks indicate that the sector, which contributes some seven percent to Dubai's gross domestic product, will slump further due to the extent of oversupply and an economic slowdown caused by low oil prices.

In an emirate where glitzy apartments line the coastline,and gated communities stretch back into the desert, Sheikh Mohammed called on the committee to ensure that property projects add value to the economy and do not duplicate each other.

He also said the panel should guarantee that giant semi-state real estate companies do not compete with private sector developers, and to draw up a 10-year strategic plan for the sector.

Standard and Poor's ratings agency said earlier this year that property prices in Dubai, where full foreign ownership is allowed, have slumped to levels close to those seen in the 2009-2010 crash.

It said prices will continue to fall until they stabiliZe either next year or in 2021.

Property prices in Dubai plummeted in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis which hit the emirate’s economy hard, triggering a 2.6 percent contraction the following year.

The main drive behind the current glut of new housing projects in the market is excitement over Dubai's hosting of the global trade fair Expo 2020, which experts project will generate some 300,000 new jobs and attract over 20 million visitors.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

UAE airstrikes raise tensions with Yemen gov't

DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates has confirmed it launched airstrikes on Yemen's interim capital Aden, after furious accusations from the internationally recognized government which has lost control of the city to UAE-backed separatists.

In the face of charges it targeted Yemeni government troops, Abu Dhabi said it acted in self-defense against "terrorist militias" threatening the Saudi-led military coalition against Huthi rebels in which the UAE is a key partner.

The UAE's foreign ministry issued a statement late Thursday, hours after the separatists regained control of Aden, forcing government troops who had entered the southern port city a day earlier to withdraw.

Airstrikes on Wednesday and Thursday that reportedly left dozens dead hit "armed groups affiliated with terrorist organizations", Abu Dhabi said, in a reference to Islamists it believes makeup part of Yemeni government forces.

The operation "was based on confirmed field intelligence that the militias prepared to target the coalition forces -- a development which required a preemptive operation to avert any military threat", it added.

The accusations risk straining an already complex conflict in Yemen, which is being fought on two main fronts -- a battle for control of Aden and the south, and the Saudi-led coalition's campaign against the Huthis in the north.

In further violence in the port city on Friday, a suicide bombing killed three separatist fighters, while a separatist military chief survived a roadside bomb that killed five of his guards, security sources said.

Blaming the attacks on Al-Qaeda, the security sources said separatist forces made several arrests, adding that they aimed to dismantle jihadist "sleeper cells".

But residents have reported arrests of soldiers loyal to the internationally recognized government. 

On August 1, separate attacks in Aden by jihadists and Huthi rebels killed 49 people, mostly separatist fighters from the Southern Transitional Council.

The STC accused the government of complicity in the attacks, sparking a showdown between the two sides.

The intensifying conflict between Abu Dhabi and the government undermines the coalition and poses a headache for regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, which is focused on fighting the Huthis who are aligned with Riyadh's arch-foe Iran.

The airstrikes came in a see-sawing battle between the government and southern separatists who have tussled for control of Aden and the neighboring provinces Abyan and Shabwa over the past three weeks.

Saudis as peacemakers?

Yemen's government on Thursday accused the UAE of mounting the airstrikes in support of the separatists, in an assault it said killed 40 combatants and wounded 70 civilians. 

The UAE, which has a zero-tolerance policy towards Islamists, believes that part of Yemen's army is made up of militants from Al-Islah, a party considered close to the Islamic Brotherhood.

The allegation was backed by its Yemeni ally, the head of the STC, Aidarus al-Zubaidi, who aims to regain independence for South Yemen, which was forcibly unified with the north in 1990. 

At a press conference in Aden on Thursday, he said that among fighters captured during the retaking of the city were "internationally wanted terrorists".

However, Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi redoubled his allegations against the UAE, accusing it late Thursday of having planned, financed and coordinated attacks on state institutions and military positions in Aden.

The Yemeni head of state, who is in exile in the Saudi capital, called on Riyadh to "intervene to halt the blatant interference of the United Arab Emirates, in support of the militias, and air raids against the armed forces of Yemen".

The UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, on Friday urged all sides to go back to the negotiating table under a Saudi proposal for talks in Jeddah.

Yemen's government has said the STC must first withdraw from its positions.

"The Saudi initiative is the way out of this crisis," Gargash said on Twitter.

The coalition intervened in Yemen's war in 2015 in support of the government after the Huthis swept south from their northern stronghold to seize the capital Sanaa and much of Yemen -- the Arab world's poorest nation.

The strategic port city of Aden has since then served as the government's interim capital. 

Fighting over the past four years has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and sparked what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

"The situation is very fragile. Families are again trapped in their homes by fighting, unable to secure food and reach medical care," the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Lise Grande, said of the recent battle for the south.

The UN Security Council on Thursday voiced concern over the clashes, including what it called a "violent attempt to take over state institutions".

It urged all parties to "show restraint and to preserve Yemen's territorial integrity".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Teacher from remote Kenya village is world's best, wins $1 mn

DUBAI - A maths and physics teacher from a secondary school in a remote village in Kenya's Rift Valley has won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize for 2019, organizers have said.

Peter Tabichi, who organizers say gives away 80 percent of his monthly income to the poor, received the prize at a ceremony Saturday in Dubai hosted by Hollywood star Hugh Jackman.

"Every day in Africa we turn a new page and a new chapter... This prize does not recognize me but recognizes this great continent's young people. I am only here because of what my students have achieved," Tabichi said.

"This prize gives them a chance. It tells the world that they can do anything," he added after beating nine finalists from around the world to claim the award.

The Dubai-based Varkey Foundation, which organizes the event and handed out the prize for the fifth time, praised Tabichi's "dedication, hard work and passionate belief in his students' talent".

All this combined, it said in a statement, "has led his poorly-resource school in remote rural Kenya to emerge victorious after taking on the country's best schools in national science competitions".

Tabichi, 36, teaches at the Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Pwani village, in a remote, semi-arid part of Kenya's Rift Valley, where drought and famine are frequent.

Around 95 percent of the school's pupils "hail from poor families, almost a third are orphans or have only one parent, and many go without food at home," the statement added.

"Drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, dropping out early from school, young marriages and suicide are common."

To get to school, some students have to walk 7 kilometers (4 miles) along roads that become impassable during the rainy season.

The school, with a student-teacher ration of 58 to 1, has only one desktop computer for the pupils and poor internet, but despite that Tabichi "uses ICT in 80 percent of his lessons to engage students", the foundation said.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta congratulated Tabichi in a video message, saying "your story is the story of Africa, a young continent bursting with talent".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

A kiss for peace

Pope Francis and Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb kiss each other after signing a document on fighting extremism, during an inter-religious meeting at the Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Monday. The Pope is on a three-day historic visit to the gulf state, the first by a pontiff.

source: news.abs-cbn.com