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Saudi: New Shoura proposal for gratuity welcomed

April 1, 2013
shouracouncil
Riyadh, Apr 1: Saudis across the Kingdom have welcomed the new Shoura Council proposal to increase end of service benefits (ESB) of civil servants, saying it would encourage public servants to work hard and improve the living conditions of retirees.

A Shoura meeting, chaired by Vice President Muhammad Al-Jafri, approved the proposal made by a former member Ehsan Abdul Jawad and instructed the Human Resources Committee to study the matter further.

“The majority of Shoura members supported the proposal to amend Article 53 of the Civil Service Law that deals with rights and benefits of civil servants,” said Fahad Al-Hamad, assistant to the president.

Under the new amendment, retirees would get a gratuity of half month’s salary for the first five years of service and one month's salary for every subsequent year. At present, public servants are getting only six months’ salaries following retirement.

Al-Hamad said the new proposal would help retirees live comfortably with their families and would help them settle their financial commitments.

“It will also help balance the difference between the salary they received before retirement and the pension,” he said, adding that public servants who have worked for several years deserved such compensation at the end of service.

Abdulelah Saaty, dean of the College of Business in Rabigh, lauded the proposal, saying it is big a motivation for civil servants across the country. “Public servants deserve such a scheme,” he told Arab News. He hoped the Shoura and the Cabinet would endorse the amended law.

“The newly proposed gratuity is already there in the Labor Law,” Saaty said, adding that expats have been receiving it for the past several years.

He said the proposal would benefit the country’s 1.2 million civil servants. Some public employees, such as those working for the education sector, already benefit from the scheme.

Saaty did not agree with the view of some Shoura members that the new scheme would encourage public servants to apply for early retirements in order to create jobs for young Saudis.

“People may stay long in service to get more money,” he said. “Life expectancy among Saudis has increased to 74 and the new scheme will help them lead a decent life.”

The number of Saudi retirees reached 571,367 by the end of 2012.

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Agencies
June 5,2020

Expatriate workers who fail to abide by the coronavirus protocols in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may face deportation, according to media reports.

“Individuals who fail to abide by preventive measures, including wearing medical or cloth face masks, failing to observe social distancing and refusing to have their temperatures taken, will be fined SR1,000. The fine will be doubled if the violation is repeated. Residents will be deported after paying the fines,” Okaz newspaper said.

Authorities called on people to report offenders by dialling the toll free number 999, except for the holy city of Makka, where the toll free number is 911.

As per the newly-revised Saudi protocols, social gatherings such as mourning or celebration events that take place inside homes, rest houses or farms, are allowed, but attendants should not exceed 50 persons.

The private sector is also required to adhere to precautionary measures: providing their staff with disinfectants and sanitisers, taking the temperatures of both staff and customers at the entrances of shopping malls.

Other measures include sterilising shopping trolleys and baskets after each use, sanitising facilities and surfaces, closing children’s play areas and fitting rooms in shopping malls and ready-wear outlets.

Authorities highlighted the need for all individuals and entities to abide by health safety rules, social-distancing protocol and the new guidelines set for social gatherings.

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News Network
July 28,2020

Dubai, Jul 28: A heart-broken father who lost his 19-year-old son in a tragic car accident during Christmas last year has sponsored the repatriation costs of 61 Indians stranded in the UAE.

 The special flydubai repatriation flight, chartered by the All Kerala Colleges Alumni Federation (Akcaf) volunteer group, of which he is a member of, departed from Dubai to Kochi on July 25 carrying 199 passengers.

 On this particular flight, I sponsored 55 air tickets," said TN Krishnakumar, a sales and marketing director. He had lost his son Rohit Krishnakumar in a car accident, which also claimed the life of the teen's friend, Sharat Kumar (21).

"All passengers who were registered with the Indian missions were also asked to register on the Akcaf volunteer group website. Each passenger was further vetted, after which we made home visits to ensure that all the applicants were genuinely in need of financial support and repatriation," he said.

Commenting on what inspired him to dedicate himself to community work, Krishankumar said: "When a situation like this comes up, you realise there is no meaning in money. I invested everything I made into my son, and that had crashed in front of my eyes. He was a third-year medical student at the University of Manchester in the UK and had returned home for a vacation when the accident took place. Since then, I have been involved in a lot of social activities. If I do not do this, there is no meaning to my existence."

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Krishnakumar said the group has supported thousands of individuals in need of help. "We supported unemployed people with several hundred bags of grocery kits and other necessary items. We also supported Covid-19 patients by transferring them to the medical facility in Warsan, etc.," he said.

"I come from a very middle-class family. I got a scholarship to study in college, and I studied with the help of taxpayers' money. I have always wanted to give back to society. I have grown immensely in life and now is my time to give back.," he added.

Krishnakumar also sponsors the education of over 1,000 academically gifted school children in Kerala's government-aided schools. He is a life trustee at the College of Engineering Trivandrum Alumni Galaxy Charitable Trust and an active participant towards various educational causes.

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KT
June 15,2020

Dubai, Jul 15: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the launch of a 'New Media Academy in Dubai on Monday - a new institution that will train people on the science of digital media.

Taking to Twitter, Sheikh Mohammed said that new media is a new science that has its own set of special tools and secrets, and that the future cadres of UAE must be at the forefront of it.

"The academy will prepare new experts and managers in the field of communication in government and private institutions, as well as training professional social media influencers", Sheikh Mohammed tweeted, adding that the new media is providing new job opportunities and careers today, and will always be a main supporter in the journey of development.

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