Coronavirus: new laser testing facility opened on Abu Dhabi-Dubai border

Latest: Abu Dhabi laser testing facility closes, turning away hundreds queuing for Dh50 screening

A new screening facility that provides Covid-19 test results in just five minutes has been launched on the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The test costs Dh50 and is available at the last exit on the Sheikh Zayed Road before the Ghantoot checkpoint.

Until now, anyone wishing to travel to Abu Dhabi from Dubai has been required to show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken prior to their journey.

Now, motorists and their passengers can be screened at the border, making it far easier to move between the two emirates.

“Travellers to the emirate of Abu Dhabi can be screened for Covid-19 on entry,” a spokesman for the Abu Dhabi Media Office said on Tuesday.

“A negative result will allow entry to Abu Dhabi, while a positive result will lead to further testing.”

The new testing technology has been developed by QuantLase Imaging Lab, part of Abu Dhabi investment firm International Holdings Company (IHC).

The technique is described as low-cost, user-friendly and non-invasive, meaning mass testing can be conducted cheaply and efficiently.

The procedure, known as Diffractive Phase Interferometry, or DPI, uses lasers to identify Covid-19 infections within seconds.

Those behind its development have said the test amounted to a "paradigm shift in tackling the spread of the coronavirus”.

“What we do is take a blood sample using a lancet needle, which is the same as the one used for diabetes," said Peter Abraam, chief strategy and growth officer at IHC.

"The blood sample is tested using the DPI technology [and] the lasers detect if there is an abnormality in the cells specific to Covid-19.

“It is as quick as you walking in there, wiping your finger with an alcohol swab, then pricking your finger. The blood is put on a slide that goes into a machine.

"The results then appear within seconds. This test allows you to do mass screening and eventually helps with the logistics of managing large crowds.”

On Tuesday, officials from the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said travellers who took the test would be provided with a certificate to confirm a negative result. Anyone found to test positive "must return to their residence and avoid contact with others".

More testing stations are expected to be established in the coming weeks. Tests will be free to all senior citizens and those with disabilities.

Speaking to The National in May this year, Dr Pramod Kumar, who leads QuantLase Imaging Lab's team of researchers, said the test was able to combine precision, speed and scale.

"The device is suitable for use not only in hospitals and public places such as cinemas and shopping malls, but with a little hands-on training it can be used for in-house testing and monitoring," he said.

"We believe it will be a game-changer in tackling the spread of the coronavirus.

"As far as early stage detection is concerned, our DPI technique is capable of detecting as soon as the blood cell gets infected."

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Around the UAE during the pandemic

How do Sim card scams work?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

Five hymns the crowds can join in

Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday

Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir

Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium

‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song

‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar

‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion

‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope

The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’

There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia

The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ

They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening

Keane on …

Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”

Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.