ABU DHABI // The UAE's break with the rest of the world for Eid al Adha disrupted some operations, but no more than holidays elsewhere, many companies said yesterday.
As the Emirates returned to business as usual, Robert Schwarz, a committee member at British Business Group Abu Dhabi, said that, for the most part, there were few difficulties over the holidays.
"Our members were not really affected internally; people came in during the required working hours and finished their assignments," he said. The two biggest impacts, he said, were delayed responses between businesses and Government, and a disincentive for Emiratis to join private industry.
The fact that employees in the public sector get longer holidays, he said, makes it more difficult for private companies to convince some Emiratis to join.
Simon Williams, the chief economist for HSBC Middle East, said such long breaks exist in every country.
"There is a seasonality in every economy whether it's Eid in the Middle East or Christmas in the West," he said.
"It does make a slight difference that our schedule is not in line with the West, but there's no major impact. It's no different than trying to deal with the French in August or the British in December."
Still, many continued to work over Eid. Shamsher Ali and his colleagues in a mall-based carpet shop said they had to cope with unusually large crowds throughout the holidays last week.
"We did not have a break during Eid. We just went to pray and then back to work again," said Mr Ali, who manages Emad Carpets in Dubai Mall. "It was a very busy time and lots of people came to us."
Students, meanwhile, arrived back in class yesterday, refreshed after the long break, administrators said.
Although it was not announced until about a week earlier, the Eid break did not come as a surprise, said Mohammed al Hosani, the Principal at Abu Dhabi Secondary School.
"We already knew that the Eid break this year would be a long one and come with a weekend; this was included in the academic calendar for all schools," he said.
According to Dr Christina Gitsaki, the Unesco chair in applied research in education at the Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology, a long break could hurt the education system.
"Being away from school for long periods can cause disruptions in the learning process," she said. "It is also noticed that before the start of the vacation and a few days after children get back to school, they tend to be distracted."
Few traffic jams and accidents were tied to Eid or the post-holiday rush, officials said.
No problems were reported in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. In Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, however, several incidents were reported.
RA, 15, an Emirati, died in Umm al Qaiwain on Thursday after being struck by a car as he was crossing the Al Ittihad Road in the Refa area, said Col Seif Saleem, the director of the traffic department at Salma police station.
An Indonesian woman was hit by a speeding car in the Shuwayheen area of Sharjah while trying to cross a road on Thursday, said Ahmed bin Darwish, the head of the Sharjah police patrol unit.
A Filipina was knocked down on Al Wahda Road as she was trying to make her way across it last week.
In Ajman, an Indian man was severely injured in an accident in Nuaimiya.
mismail@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Hala Khalaf, Zoi Constantine, Yasin Kakande, Haneen Dajani and Afshan Ahmed
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
Company%20Profile
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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General%20Classification
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Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
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On sale: now
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The%20specs
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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
UAE squad
Men's draw: Victor Scvortov and Khalifa Al Hosani, (both 73 kilograms), Sergiu Toma and Mihail Marchitan (90kg), Ivan Remarenco (100kg), Ahmed Al Naqbi (60kg), Musabah Al Shamsi and Ahmed Al Hosani (66kg)
Women’s draw: Maitha Al Neyadi (57kg)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
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Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi