First rain hits Dubai, unstable weather ahead

November 18, 2013

First_rain

Dubai, Nov 18: Foggy conditions, low visibility caused by dust storms, and mild showers resulted in disruption of road traffic across the Emirates on Sunday, with incidences of mild to heavy showers in Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Kalba, and neighbouring areas.

The UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology Seismology (NCMS) has confirmed that rains will continue on Monday, in Fujairah, Sharjah and Ajman, but rubbished rumours of a hurricane likely to hit.

An NCMS spokesperson said the weather would be unstable in the coming day or two, with flash floods likely.

Fujairah and Al Hamra also experienced thunderstorms and relatively heavy showers on Sunday. The waters of the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be rough due to the storms over the coming days, and fishermen are advised to take precautions while out at sea.

The official Twitter account of NCMS tweeted: “It is expected that the rain clouds will affect different parts of the state in the coming hours, may be accompanied by floods in mountainous regions.”

Residents also reported dust storms from Dubai and Sharjah on Sunday afternoon, which caused low visibility and disruption to road traffic and motorists have been advised to exercise caution on the roads as the disruptive weather continues.

“It is expected to be partly cloudy at times over some of the northeasterly areas by noon. Slight to moderate winds in general and relative humidity will increase during night and early morning,” the spokesperson added.

Hurricanes or floods unlikely

However, NCMS has confirmed that a hurricane or major floods are unlikely to hit the UAE, but said the country should expect rains, with many areas remaining overcast.

The NCMS rebuffed rumours attributed to the US Navy about the existence of hurricanes and floods across the country, saying they were merely an ‘exaggeration’.

The NCMS said any news traded via social networking sites about this case should be referred to the centre. The centre also emphasised the country was currently under the influence of unstable weather conditions leading to a different intensity of rain over scattered parts of the country periodically.

“The centre is warning (against visiting the) Oman and Arabian Gulf sea and (has advised people to) stay away from running valleys, adding that precautions must be taken in case of rain on high roads,” the NCMS said in a statement.

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News Network
July 10,2020

Dubai, Jul 10: Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan has appointed Dina Amin as CEO of the Visual Arts Commission.

She will take the lead in implementing the ministry’s vision and directions in promoting and developing visual arts in the Kingdom and empowering practitioners in the field.

Amin is a leading Saudi specialist in visual arts and the international contemporary art field. She gained a bachelor’s degree in art history and architecture from Wellesley College, in the US, and also attended a collaborative program in architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During her career, spanning more than two decades, she has held senior positions in prominent international arts companies, including most recently Phillips, a global auction house for art, design, watches, jewels, and more.

She has also worked at Christie’s, one of the world’s most famous auction houses, employed in senior roles at the company’s international offices including New York, Dubai, and London.

The Visual Arts Commission is one of 11 new cultural bodies recently launched by the Ministry of Culture in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan to manage the empowerment and development of the Kingdom’s cultural sector. The commission will be responsible for managing and developing the visual arts sector to help achieve the ministry’s goals.

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KT
April 14,2020

Dubai, Apr 14: Saudi Arabia reported 435 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 5369, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.

According to the ministry of health the number of recoveries today are 84 cases, making total of recoveries in the kingdom 889.

The ministry also confirmed 8 deaths bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 73.

Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour curfew and lockdown on the cities of Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran and Hofuf and throughout the governorates of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif and Khobar. This week the curfew was extended until further notice.

Containment efforts
Saudi authorities are racing to contain an outbreak of coronavirus in the Islamic holy city of Mecca.

The total number of coronavirus cases reported in Mecca, home to 2 million people, reached 1,050 on Monday compared to 1,422 in the capital of Riyadh, a city more than three times the size. Mecca’s large number of undocumented immigrants and cramped housing for migrant workers have made it more difficult to slow the infection rate.

Saudi Arabia has reported one of the lowest rates of infection in the region, with around 5,000 cases in a population of over 30 million.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Dubai, Mar 23: All inbound, outbound and transit passenger flights to and from the United Arab Emirates – home to one of the world’s busiest hubs – are to be suspended for two weeks.

The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced that passenger flights to, from and through the country will be suspended from 25 March for a period of two weeks, in order to “curb the spread of the Covid-19”.

Freight and emergency evacuation flights will still be permitted to operate.

The suspension affects major global hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dubai-based Emirates has already announced that it will suspend most of its passenger flights from 25 March.

“Additional examination and isolation arrangements will be taken later should flights resume, in order to ensure the safety of passengers, air crews and airport personnel and their protection from infection risks,” state the NCEMA and the GCAA.

Dubai International Airport was the third-busiest airport in the world in 2018, handling 89 million passengers.

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