King Salman’s team takes charge in Saudi Arabia

February 2, 2015

Jeddah, Feb 2: Saudi Arabia is all set for a new era under Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman as the newly appointed ministers and regional governors took oath of office in front of the king at Al-Yamamah Palace on Sunday.

team

King Salman urged the new governors and ministers to give top priority for the welfare and prosperity of citizens. “May Allah help us all to serve our religion, nation and people,” the king said in a brief speech.

He expressed his confidence in the new governors and ministers who took oath of office on Sunday, describing them as “the roots of this country founded by King Abdul Aziz.”

He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s position as the heart of the Muslim world and the cradle of Islam.

King Salman called upon Saudis to strengthen their unity and solidarity to bolster the Kingdom’s security and stability. He noted the great contributions made by previous kings.

“King Abdullah always advised me to give top priority for our citizens and our religion,” the king said.

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, State Minister Prince Mansour bin Miteb, National Guard Minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, Defense Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh, Education Minister Azzam Al-Dakhil and Culture and Information Minister Adel Al-Toraifi were sworn in during the ceremony. They swore separately: “In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, I swear by Allah Almighty to be loyal to my religion, king and country, and not to divulge the state secrets, to maintain its interests and regulations, and to perform my duties sincerely, honestly and faithfully.”

Other ministers who took oath were: Justice Minister Walid Al-Samaani, State Minister Matlab Al-Nafeesa, State Minister Musaed Al-Aiban, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen and Labor Minister Adel Fakeih.

Housing Minister Shuwaish Al-Dhuwaihi; Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar; Economy and Planning Minister Mohammed Al-Jasser, Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Minister of State for Shoura Affairs Mohammed Abusaq, Minister of State Essam bin Saeed; Minister of Transport Abdullah Al-Muqbil, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel; Minister of Social Affairs Majed Al-Qassabi, Minister of State Saad Al-Jabri, Minister of State Mohammed Al-Asheikh; Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Abdul Latif Al-Asheikh; Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Khateeb; Minister of Civil Service Khaled Al-Araj, Minister of Agriculture Abdul Rahman Al-Fadli, and Assistant Shoura President Yahya Al-Samaan.

In a statement after taking oath, Al-Toraifi thanked King Salman for the appointment. “I thank the king for the trust bestowed on me. I value this trust and I am proud of it. I hope that I will live up to the expectations.”

Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, president of the Council of Saudi Chambers, said he expected a new era of cooperation between the public and private sectors during King Salman’s era.

“There has been high optimism in business circles after King Salman ascended the throne,” he said.

Al-Zamil commended King Salman’s open-door policy that gave an opportunity for citizens to present their complaints to government departments. “We know King Salman for the last 50 years as governor of Riyadh,” he said while praising his efforts to make Riyadh a world-class city.

Samira Al-Suwayegh, chairperson of the Executive Council for Businesswomen at Asharqia Chamber, said the new decisions issued by the king would help achieve sustainable development. “It will also open new horizons of progress in the economic sector and open the door for women to participate in economic and investment ventures inside and outside the Kingdom,” she said.

Rima Al-Shahrani, a businesswoman, said King Salman’s programs would have a positive impact on the national economy and create more job opportunities for Saudi men and women. “It will also improve the living condition of citizens across the country,” she added.

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MURUGAN RAMASAMY
 - 
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2016

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News Network
April 16,2020

Dubai, Apr 16: Most of the patients who have fully recovered from Covid-19 in the UAE followed healthy behaviours that helped strengthen their immune systems, said Dr Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector.

Dr Al Hosani made the remarks during the UAE Government's regular briefing on the latest developments related to the spread of coronavirus in the country, which was held on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

During the briefing, Dr Al Hosani spoke about the precautionary measures that aimed to prevent the spread of the virus.

Ammar Al Muaini, Official Spokesperson of the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, also explained the outcomes of the National Mental Health Programme.

During the briefing, Dr Al Hosani affirmed that recorded cases in the country, especially recoveries, were related to key factors and reasons.

"In most cases of recoveries, we noticed that they have followed several daily health behaviours, such as doing exercise, eating a healthy diet, strengthening the immune system, and maintaining an ideal weight, as well as abstaining from bad habits, such as smoking and unhealthy eating. The psychological aspect is also important, and it is necessary to support the mental health of individuals, along with their physical health," she said.

"These practices, which we always emphasise and promote, will help raise a person's immunity and resistance to diseases, in addition to medicines, and can speed up the process of recovering from disease," she added.

Dr Al Hosani also talked about the importance of not being complacent if one's temperature rises. "We highlight the importance of periodic temperature checks for family members at home. This step is one of the health measures that we are encouraging.

"Everyone who has a high temperature must contact the nearest health centre or hospital or go to a drive-through testing centre because personal health is linked to the health of those around us and we are responsible for it. There is no room for hesitation in protecting our families," she stressed.

Dr Al Hosani highlighted the importance of covering the nose and mouth, whether by wearing surgical, paper or cloth masks, or any other covering or clothing.

"This procedure is important for everyone leaving home to avoiding the transmission of any infection and preserving the safety of everyone, along with leaving a safe physical distance between people in public places, markets and workplaces, and following the precautions," she explained.

Regarding high temperatures and their relationship to the coronavirus, Dr. Al Hosani said: "All studies that attempt to understand the relationship between the virus and climate have not been able to confirm that higher temperatures will help kill the virus. We are continuing to monitor the results of these studies."

Al Muaini explained the details and developments of the national campaign, titled, 'Don't Worry,' which aims to support the mental health of community members.

"The UAE Government, represented by the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, has launched, under the current circumstances, the national campaign, titled, 'Don't Worry,' that aims to provide psychological support to members of society facing the repercussions of the novel coronavirus, in line with relevant national efforts," Al Muaini said.

"The campaign reflects the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, affirming that quality of life is a high priority, and health is the most important pillar of quality of human and society," Al Muaini added.

Al Muaini stated that the phrase, 'Don't Worry,' is profound in its meaning, according to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and reassures everyone that everything will be fine. "Today, the concept of health is not limited to physical health, but it also includes mental health. During this period, and due to the social, professional, and educational changes that directly affect our lives, we need to support and enhance our mental health to overcome these challenges," he  added.

Al Muaini said that over 50 specialists, psychologists and social workers are voluntarily participating in the national campaign to serve the country, which includes three main components focusing on providing psychological support to all members of society, especially as this type of support is one of the necessary community needs during the current circumstances.

The first component, 'Let's Support Together,' aims to answer enquiries regarding psychological challenges, provide educational advice, and support individuals in facing challenges, through daily live broadcasts on the social media networks of the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, @HappyUAE. Two events are broadcast every day, with the first being at 17:30 in English and the second at 20:30 in Arabic to benefit all segments of society.

Al Muaini explained that the number of live broadcasts on the programme's social media accounts has reached 30 and covers various topics, including psychological care for senior citizens, psychological care for children, psychological support for working mothers, and how to address anxiety and psychological concerns.

According to scientific studies, fear and anxiety are among the strongest influences that weaken human immunity, and, therefore, it is necessary to learn about how to deal with them. The duration of each broadcast is one hour, attracting some 250,000 views each.

Al Muaini explained that the second component of the campaign is the hosting of closed virtual sessions, entitled, 'Let's Talk Together,' which aim to provide psychosocial support to specific groups of society, to enable them to talk to each other in a safe environment to discuss the psychological challenges they are facing.

The programme has organised over eight closed psychological support sessions to maintain the privacy of participants, under the supervision of certified physicians and psychologists. Some 300 people have participated and some sessions were held for those under quarantine, including working mothers, school and university students, and doctors working in the first line of defence.

Some 300,000 people watched "Let's Reassure Each Other" programme Al Muaini noted that the third component of the campaign, titled, "Let's Reassure Each Other," focuses on raising awareness of the importance of psychological resilience and promoting its importance to society. The programme has so far posted more than 21 video clips containing messages of support and reassurance to the community.

The number of people who watched the programme reached some 300,000 viewers.

Al Muaini stressed that the campaign is an effective interactive platform available on a daily basis, to provide psychological support to all segments of society at a time when people require reassurance and psychological support to overcome the current crisis. The campaign hosted doctors working in the first line of defence and their enquiries were answered directly. A group of people under quarantine was also involved in the closed support sessions, which were also popular with participating doctors.

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Agencies
May 7,2020

Dubai, May 7: Indians in the UAE have voiced scepticism about a "massive" operation announced by New Delhi to bring home some of the hundreds of thousands of nationals stranded by coronavirus restrictions.

"It is just propaganda," said Ishan, an Indian expatriate in Dubai, one of seven emirates in the UAE and long a magnet for foreign workers.

He was reacting to his government's announcement this week that it would deploy passenger jets and naval ships to bring home citizens stuck in a host of countries.

India's consulate in Dubai said it received about 200,000 requests from nationals seeking repatriation -- mostly workers who have lost their jobs in the pandemic.

One vessel was heading to the UAE, India's government said, while two flights were scheduled to depart the UAE for India on Thursday.

But the plans drew scorn from Ishan, who was a manager at a luxury services company before he was made redundant last month.

"It's like throwing a dog a bone," the 35-year-old complained on Wednesday, dismissing the Indian government's efforts as a drop in the ocean.

"Let's say they repatriate 400 people on the first day, and about 5,000 people in 10 days, what difference has it made?"

India banned all incoming commercial flights in late March as it imposed one of the world's strictest lockdowns to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

The UAE is home to a 3.3-million-strong Indian community, who make up around 30 per cent of the Gulf state's population.

To the anger of some Indian expatriates, the evacuees will have to pay for their passage home and spend two weeks in quarantine on arrival.

"We are upset over the failure of our government," Ishan said. "What about the people with no money? How are you helping them?"

The Indian consulate could not be reached for comment.

Ibrahim Khalil, head of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Center in Dubai, said the consulate had asked him to select 100 Indian nationals for repatriation.

"We are planning to pay for the tickets of those who cannot afford it," he said, adding that the elderly, pregnant and those suffering from illnesses were a priority.

But one Indian woman, eight months pregnant in the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah, was not one of the lucky ones chosen to go back home in one of Thursday's planned departures.

"We called them but nobody would pick up," the 26-year-old, who requested anonymity, told AFP.

She arrived in the UAE a few months ago to visit her husband, who lives in a shared apartment with another family to save money.

"We have no insurance here and the medical expenses are too costly," said the woman, who was anxious to leave to give birth at home.

"I just hope that I am chosen to go back to India. I don't know why I haven't been considered."

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News Network
March 5,2020

Dubai, Mar 5: A 16-year-old Indian girl here has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infection cases in the UAE to 28, according to media reports.

Health officials here confirmed on Wednesday that a new coronavirus case was detected in the girl who attended an Indian school in Dubai, Al-Arabiya website reported.

The girl tested positive for the COVID-19 after she contracted the infection from her father who travelled overseas, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) was quoted as saying by the report.

The Indian High School in Dubai will be closed from Thursday as a precautionary measure, the Gulf News reported.

"As a precautionary measure, Indian High School Group of schools is closed from Thursday, March 5. Detailed circular about exams will be mailed. Your well-being is important. Take care," the report said.

The father developed symptoms of the virus five days after returning to Dubai. Both the student and family members have been quarantined in hospital and are stable and recovering well. All other family members have also been quarantined, the Khaleej Times reported.

"Within the framework of comprehensive preventive measures against the spread of coronavirus, the DHA is conducting tests and monitoring the students, staff and workers of the school that may have interacted with the coronavirus patient," the DHA was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.

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