Passengers at Dubai’s Terminal 3 will soon be able to travel without a physical passport through biometrics and face recognition.
By November or December of this year, Emirates airline hopes to implement this technology, enabling travellers to check in using their biometric information for identification verification.
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs’ (GDRFA’s) Deputy Director General, Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, announced the rollout of this new system, which would replace electronic gates with smart gates for frictionless movement.
Officials emphasise the need of data exchange between airports to speed up passenger movements, and the technology promises to make travelling easier and faster.
The future of travel is predicted to involve the deployment of biometrics and face recognition, which will increase security and effectiveness.
A Filipina expatriate in the UAE has secured a substantial AED25,000 per month for the next 25 years after emerging as the second grand prize winner in the Emirates Draw’s FAST5 competition.
In accordance with UAE regulations, Emirates Draw will ensure the monthly disbursement of this prize for the next 25 years.
The expat, Freilyn Angob, expressed her immense joy upon receiving the congratulatory email, as this win brings an end to financial worries and provides her with long-term financial security. Freilyn, who has been living and working in the UAE for the past decade, moved to the country in pursuit of better job opportunities to support her family after her father’s cancer diagnosis during her school years.
She participated in the FAST5 game using her chosen numbers and had won AED5 in the EASY6 draw the day before clinching the grand prize. The FAST5 game, held weekly, offers participants the chance to win significant prizes, including a grand prize of AED25,000 every month for 25 years.
The initial grand prize winner was Indian expat Mohammed Adil Khan, who secured the prize in July.
Atlantis The Royal in Dubai has secured the 44th spot in the World’s 50 Best Hotels list, featuring properties from 35 locations across six continents.
The list was celebrated at a ceremony in London’s historic Guildhall, where Passalacqua, a luxury boutique hotel on Lake Como in Italy, claimed the top spot. The rankings also include Rosewood Hong Kong, Four Seasons Bangkok, the Upper House in Hong Kong, and Aman Tokyo in the top five.
Within the MENA region, La Mamounia in Marrakesh ranked sixth, and the Royal Mansour secured the 23rd position. The list comprises 21 European hotels, with London hosting four: Claridge’s, The Connaught, NoMad London, and The Savoy. Other UK winners include Gleneagles in Scotland and The Newt in Somerset.
The awards also recognized individuals and hotels for excellence in various categories, such as the Best Beach Hotel Award for Soneva Fushi in the Maldives and the SevenRooms Icon Award for Sonu Shivdasani, co-founder and CEO of Soneva.
Capella Bangkok won the Nikka Best New Hotel Award, and Singita Lodges in South Africa received the Flor de Cana Eco Hotel Award. The list is curated by The World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy, a group of over 580 independent leaders in the hotel industry.
The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023
1 – Passalacqua, Moltrasio
2 – Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong
3 – Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok
4 – The Upper House, Hong Kong
5 – Aman Tokyo, Tokyo
6 – La Mamounia, Marrakesh
7 – Soneva Fushi, Maldives
8 – One&Only Mandarina, Puerto Vallarta
9 – Four Seasons Firenze, Florence
10 – Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok
11 – Capella Bangkok, Bangkok
12 – The Calile, Brisbane
13 – Chable Yucatan, Chochola
14 – Aman Venice, Venice
15 – Singita Lodges – Kruger National Park, Kruger National Park
Flydubai, a Dubai-based airline, had a strong summer season, flying over four million passengers from June to mid-September 2023.
WAM
This is a 30% increase over the same period in 2022. The airline flew about 32,000 flights per year to 120 destinations in 52 countries. New seasonal lines to Corfu, Greece, and Olbia, Sardinia, provide more travel possibilities for vacationers.
Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith emphasised the company’s commitment to increasing access to new markets. He also highlighted an increase in passenger numbers to places like as Trabzon and Bodrum.
However, aircraft delivery delays reduced their capacity. Flydubai has planned to lease four Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft to address this issue, allowing for enhanced capacity across their network.
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), emphasised that the UAE’s participation in continental sporting events, such as the Asian Games, has been the result of the tireless efforts and dedication of successive generations of athletes for over fifty years.
wam
He complimented Emirati players for their everlasting dedication, collaboration, and strong patriotism. Sheikh Ahmed emphasised their ongoing determination to outperform prior successes, which is motivated by a love for the UAE and allegiance to its leadership.
“Emirati athletes are true torchbearers for commitment and team effort, always displaying an unshakeable sense of belonging and pride in their country. This is amply evident when they represent the country in various sporting events. They always strive to improve upon prior records, driven by the desire to see their country’s name at the top or among the medals. Participation in such events also represents, for some athletes, unforgettable and profound experiences that further enhance their determination to represent the country. Every one of these athletes is inspired above all by their love for the UAE and loyalty to its leadership.”
He urged the UAE delegation to continue expressing the country’s spirit of excellence and contributing to its worldwide image at the forthcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
wam
Sheikh Ahmed also emphasised the wise leadership’s unwavering support and attention to the sports sector, which has repeatedly resulted in exceptional results by UAE athletes on the world stage.
The UAE contingent will feature across multiple disciplines at the Hangzhou Games from 23rd September to 8th October. More than 12,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries will compete in 40 sports and 61 disciplines, with 481 competitions being held across 54 sports facilities. Some 50,000 volunteers and 12,000 media professionals will be active across various venues.
The 42nd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) registration period is officially open, according to a statement from the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and the Sharjah Volunteer Centre (SVC).
The renowned occasion is the largest book fair in the world in terms of copyright transactions, and it is set to occur at the Sharjah Expo Centre from November 1 through November 12, 2023.
It presents interested people with priceless chances to directly contribute to the success of the event, interact with participants, and pick up new skills through volunteering.
The event is available to volunteers with a variety of skill sets that enable them to coordinate events and activities, assist attendees, help publishers, and work well with several teams, including technical support and finance.
In order to avoid an AED400 punishment, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) has advised eligible residents and citizens to sign up for the Unemployment Insurance Scheme by October 1st.
Employers may choose to register their employees, however enrollment is the employee’s duty and incurs no additional charges for the firm.
All employees in the commercial and public sectors are covered by the programme, with the exception of select groups such business owners, domestic workers, and pensioners with pensions who have switched employers.
The Involuntary Loss of Employment (ILOE) Insurance Pool website, smartphone application, kiosks, business service centres, exchange businesses, and bank mobile applications are just a few of the ways to register.
The programme offers two salary-based groups with different premiums and compensation caps. After 12 consecutive months of subscription, compensation may be requested; however, if the insured changes jobs, leaves the country, or cancels residency during the processing time, the compensation is forfeited.
If the employee was not terminated for disciplinary grounds or did not voluntarily quit, the compensation is computed at 60% of the average basic wage for the past six months prior to unemployment, up to a maximum of three months. The concept intends to strengthen the labour market, provide social safety for employees while they look for new jobs, and draw top talent to the nation.
Following the recovery from the Covid-19 virus, another virus is now spreading in one of the world’s most populous nations, India, particularly in the Kerala region. The Nipah virus has caused an epidemic in the region that led to five cases and two fatalities. The region is currently under strict watch, and businesses and schools are closed. Kerala has seen four outbreaks of the Nipah virus, with the most recent killing 17 people out of 23 confirmed cases in 2018.
First discovered in Malaysia in 1978, the Nipah virus is an RNA virus belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family. It has been responsible for a sizable number of cases and fatalities. Annual outbreaks take place, mostly in Bangladesh but also in India, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. With symptoms such as fever, a very bad headache, confusion, and chest infections, the virus frequently causes encephalitis.
The Nipah virus is currently not curable, and medical treatment focuses on symptom relief. Despite showing promise in animal research, experimental therapies like monoclonal antibodies have not yet been shown successful in people.
Even though the Nipah virus is fatal, its low transmission rate (R value of roughly 0.33) indicates that it has not spread much outside of locations where people have had direct contact with sick bats or other animals. However, habitat degradation brought on by human encroachment may result in more human-animal interaction, raising the risk of transmission.
The dates for the official holidays in honour of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday have been set by the Sharjah administration. Starting on Thursday, September 28, employees in the public sector will get a paid day off.
Due to the fact that Sharjah government workers currently enjoy a three-day weekend (from Friday to Sunday), this holiday will provide them one additional day off. The second of October will see the return to regular business hours.
On Friday, September 29, employees of the federal government and the business sector throughout the remainder of the UAE will be off. As the National Day holidays are set for December 2 and 3, which occur on Saturday and Sunday, this is the last long weekend in the UAE.
The newest version of Apple’s iPhone operating system, iOS 17, focuses on a more individualised and intuitive user experience.
It will debut on September 18. A sharing mechanism called NameDrop, real-time transcription for voicemails, and customisable “Contact Posters” for callers are a few important features.
A new Journal app promises to assist users in practising reflection and thankfulness, while Autocorrect has been updated with better word prediction.
Up to five individuals can now share information through AirTag, and a StandBy function enables a full-screen view. Extended activity history viewing and enhanced categorization have been added to the Home app.
A new “Check In” function also enables users to inform others of their safe arrival at a location. Later releases of some features, such the Journal app, are planned.
