Heavy rain floods Qatar roads

November 25, 2015

Doha, Nov 25: Many motorists in Qatar have spent the morning literally wading through traffic as continuous rainfall has led to heavy flooding on the roads. And then many parents ended up returning to schools to pick up their children after widespread flooding and leakages were reported.

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In addition to school closures, the precipitation has caused flight delays and also permeated hotel and malls.

Traffic notwithstanding, some residents have taken advantage of the unusual weather and are having some fun.

Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar has also closed for the day, telling its community that the current forecast is calling for “significant rainfall between 1-3pm.”

Criticism about how authorities have been handling the rain is already being raised.

Speaking to Doha News, Al Sharq journalist Ahmed Al Mohannadi, said that the capital has turned into a “lake,” adding that heavy rain shouldn’t paralyze the country.

He said although Qatar has new buildings and the MET can predict weather changes beforehand, it still continues to make the same mistakes with regards to construction and its drainage systems, and not having enough equipped emergency squads to deal with the heavy rain.

He added that no one was being held accountable for this problem. “We don’t learn from our previous mistakes,” he said. He also called on SEC to suspend schools tomorrow as well, to prevent any surprises.

The rain is starting to taper off in many parts of Doha, but traffic gridlock remains, in part because parents are attempting to pick up their children up from school.

The Ministry of Interior is advising anyone who needs emergency assistance to call 999 for help.

Hyatt Plaza is closed due to flooding. A receptionist told Doha News that it may reopen later in the day.

Several nurseries will be closing early today, including Starfish Lanes.

The Supreme Education Council has closed independent schools early, in phases based on the grades of the students.

The International School of London is closing at 11am. In Education City, at least one school is also shutting due to the weather,

Compass International School, Madinat Khalifa has also closed early, citing in an email to parents “issues with flooding, electricity supply issues and there is still the concern of continual heavy rain at pick up time.”

Hamad Hospital is operating normally, but is canceling all appointments at its Bone and Joint Center “due to operational issues related to the inclement weather.

All patients affected will be contacted by our patient contact center and their appointments rescheduled at a clinically appropriate time,” HMC told Doha News in a statement.

The US Embassy in Doha has closed due to “inclement weather.

Speaking to Doha News, the manager of Dar Al Salam mall also said it would be closing temporarily this morning, as water from the road has flowed into the basement and flooded the mall.

According to residents on social media, flooding was widespread across Doha, including in Mesaieed, Al Wabb, on the Corniche, near Civil Defense roundabout and Bin Omran, as well as several parts of West Bay.

The rainfall has also caused several school closures, including Doha College – Al Waab (which was flooded) and West Bay campus, Doha English Speaking School (DESS) and the American School of Doha (ASD) “due to unsafe weather conditions.”

Flights
Flights at Hamad International Airport also appear to be delayed, but it is unclear if that is due to flooding or the lightning.

According to FlightRadar, several planes appeared to be circling HIA, unable to land. A few had delayed departures, but planes could be seen taking off by 8am this morning.

Meanwhile, residents are also reporting flooding and leaks in their homes and at hotels.

Forecast
According to the Qatar Meteorology Department (MET), the country will see heavy rain and thunderstorms today, weather that will likely continue tomorrow.

Motorists should also keep in mind that hazard lights are not to be used during rainy weather, unless the vehicle is actually stopped for an emergency.

For its part, the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning has been working to pump out extra water from flood roads, and reminds people to call these numbers for help.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 24,2020

Abu Dhabi: A senior Hindi teacher at Sunrise School in Abu Dhabi has died of coronavirus, it has been confirmed. Anil Kumar, 50, passed away on Sunday morning, May 24.

The sad and shocking demise of Mr Kumar, a senior Hindi teacher of Sunrise School on May 24, has left the entire Sunrise family in a pall of gloom, read a statement.

“The management, administrators, other faculty members, students and the school as a whole is struck with intense sorrow and is speechless.

“The bond that he had developed over the years, just as how we have with each faculty, makes the loss unbearable. The entire SEPS family is shaken and finds it hard to come to terms with this most saddening news.

“Anil Kumar was a very inspiring teacher. He always brought a creative aspect to the classes he handled and would make it an enjoyable class to attend to. Mr. Anil Kumar had a great way of motivating his students to do their best, and pushed them to be the best they could be. He was a great strength and support to the Department of Hindi, always willing to scaffold and mentor students and teachers. He was a very approachable man, warm and friendly at heart and that is something I will truly miss about Mr. Anil.

“Mr Anil Kumar has left behind his wife and two children. Mrs. Rajini, his wife is also a member of the school family. She is a faculty of the maths department. Our prayers and sincere condolences to each and every one of the family. May God give the strength to endure and face this most challenging phase of their life.”

It is learnt Mr Kumar fell ill with COVID-19 and had been in hospital since May 7.

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News Network
July 9,2020

Dubai, Jul 9: The Government of India has announced an additional 104 special repatriation flights from the UAE to India as part of the Vande Bharat Mission, Phase 4 from July 15 - 31.

According to a flight schedule listed on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) website, national carriers Air India and Air India Express flights have been scheduled to various cities in 10 Indian states. Each flight has a capacity of 177 passengers.

Vande Bharat Phase 4 officially began on July 3, and in an earlier press briefing Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson of India's Ministry of External Affairs had said 'Phase 4 will focus on repatriation of Gulf-based Indians.

The new additional flights have been organised to cities in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, according to the MEA schedule. To the joy of expats from Maharashtra, at least seven flights have been planned to Mumbai, which has been a less serviced state since the start of the Vande Bharat Mission.

Consul Press, Information, and Culture, Consulate General of India in Dubai Neeraj Agarwal said, "Approximately 100 repatriation flights are planned for the next 23 days, including 50 from Dubai and Sharjah each. If all flights are full, we are looking to evacuate anything between 17,000 to 18,000 passengers in the coming days."

Booking for the newly announced flights will open soon, said Agarwal. "Some of them are already open, and others will be open in the next few days. However, a few flights are subject to slot approvals," he explained.

Commenting on the possibility of flights from India to the UAE, Agarwal said, "We express hope that this too will happen soon."  The flight schedule can be seen here: https://www.mea.gov.in/phase-4.htm

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News Network
April 23,2020

Riyadh, Apr 22: In an extraordinary initiative, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to facilitate the travel of expatriates who have an exit and reentry visa or final exit visa to return to their countries.

This is in line with the order of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

According to the initiative, called “Auda” (return), expatriates can apply seeking permission for travel to their countries through the Absher portal of the ministry.

Announcing this, Saudi's Ministry of Interior said that the initiative will be implemented in cooperation with a number of relevant government agencies.

Requests for travel from expatriates will be received and approved in coordination with the relevant authorities to complete their travel procedures on board international flights.

As per the initiative, a text message will be sent to the beneficiary stating the travel date, ticket number and reservation details, and by which the beneficiary can obtain his travel ticket and complete the travel procedures.

Clarifying the procedures for the travel, the ministry said that the applicant shall select the icon (Auda) after visiting the Absher portal and fill the following fields: iqama (residency permit) number, date of birth, mobile number, departure city and airport of arrival.

It is not mandatory for the expatriate to have his own Absher account for availing of the service, the ministry said, adding that this facility is to enable expatriates to benefit from this initiative.

The departure will be through the following airports: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

Those expatriates who are outside these cities can benefit from the service through entering airport of departure after completion of their travel procedures in sufficient period of time.

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