More than 11,000 primary school pupils in Ajman have received their first dose of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine after it was approved for children between 3 and 17.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention cleared the vaccine for use on August 2 after a successful trial involving 900 children in Abu Dhabi.
A campaign to vaccinate young children was launched in Ajman on August 11 to ensure a safe return to schools. In the first nine days, 10,835 children were inoculated. Of these, 6,783 are residents in the emirate.
Children can receive the shots at Al Madeena, Mushairif, Al Manama and Muzairah centres in the emirate.
On Wednesday, dozens of parents accompanied their children while they waited their turn at the Madeena centre in Ajman’s Grand Mall on Sheikh Khalifa Street.
“We begin the process by registering the children in the system using their Emirates IDs,” said Dr Fatimah Al Marzouqi, the emirate's primary health care director.
The medics check the children's vital signs and then screen them to ensure they are fit to receive the vaccine.
The system is fully booked every day, the official said.
“I urge all parents to come forward and I assure them that no child has shown any side effects since the beginning of the campaign,” Dr Al Marzouqi said.
The children are given candies and small bottles of sanitisers after getting the shot.
“It's a friendly atmosphere here, there are balloons all over the place and nurses play with the children so they don't feel scared,” Dr Al Marzouqi said.
Karma Elsawir, 7, an Egyptian girl, was happy to get the first dose of the vaccine.
“I'm not scared. I just want to be able to go back to school and see my friends,” she said. “Online learning was boring.”
She said her brother, Badr, 11, told her about the vaccine and both asked their parents to take them to the vaccination centre.
“We just waited for the government to announce its approval of the vaccine in order to get the children vaccinated,” said Ahmad Kamel Elsawir, 44, their father.
“It's much safer for my children now.”
Sidrathul Munthaha, 9, from Bangladesh, comforted her younger brother who was not too happy after taking his first shot.
“I was a little scared but I know it's better for us and it was more of a tiny sting, that is what I told my brother,” she said.
But her brother complained about the pain.
Mushairif, Al Manama and Muzairah vaccination centres are open from Saturday to Thursday from 8am to 1pm and from 5pm to 10pm. Al Madeena centre is open from Sunday to Thursday and follows the same timings.
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Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Lexus LX700h specs
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
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Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
