• Dubai schools will end all distance learning on October 3 - ensuring pupils will return to classrooms across the city. Shruti Jain / The National
    Dubai schools will end all distance learning on October 3 - ensuring pupils will return to classrooms across the city. Shruti Jain / The National
  • At the end of the summer term 2021, just 52% of pupils were in classrooms, with the remainder studying from home. Victor Besa / The National
    At the end of the summer term 2021, just 52% of pupils were in classrooms, with the remainder studying from home. Victor Besa / The National
  • This autumn term, no pupils are required to be vaccinated to return to school and no regular testing is mandatory, the city's education regulator KHDA said. Victor Besa / The National
    This autumn term, no pupils are required to be vaccinated to return to school and no regular testing is mandatory, the city's education regulator KHDA said. Victor Besa / The National
  • Under the new KDHA rules for the autumn term of 2021, social distancing of one metre is recommended, but not mandated. Shruti Jain / The National
    Under the new KDHA rules for the autumn term of 2021, social distancing of one metre is recommended, but not mandated. Shruti Jain / The National
  • Eligible school staff who do not wish to have the vaccine must submit a negative PCR test each week, said the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National
    Eligible school staff who do not wish to have the vaccine must submit a negative PCR test each week, said the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National
  • Officials said 96% of Dubai's private school teachers were now vaccinated, and that 70% of children aged 12 to 17 had received coronavirus shots. Pawan Singh / The National
    Officials said 96% of Dubai's private school teachers were now vaccinated, and that 70% of children aged 12 to 17 had received coronavirus shots. Pawan Singh / The National
  • After-hours extra-curricular classes can now restart. Pawan Singh / The National
    After-hours extra-curricular classes can now restart. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Swimming and sports classes can restart. Pawan Singh / The National
    Swimming and sports classes can restart. Pawan Singh / The National
  • School trips, excursions and camps will now be allowed. Courtesy: GEMS
    School trips, excursions and camps will now be allowed. Courtesy: GEMS

Ramadan 2021: UAE school day reduced to five hours


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Private schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will reduce school hours during the month of Ramadan.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai's private education regulator, said private schools would have to cut their school day to five hours from the usual seven.

Private schools in Abu Dhabi would also have their school hours reduced to five.

Abu Dhabi private schools cannot start the day before 9:30am and must end by 3:30pm.

Private schools in the emirate have received Ramadan timing guidelines from the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek).

"Each school is expected to cover the full content of the core subjects during those hours, and to consult with parents while selecting the appropriate schedule," Adek said.

Mohammed Darwish, chief executive officer of permits and compliance at KHDA, said schools could choose what times they start and end after consulting with their parent communities.

“During Ramadan, the whole school community – including pupils, teachers and parents – will be spending extra time in prayer with their families," Mr Darwish said.

"We ask schools to be mindful of this with regards to the amount of homework and assignments set for pupils.

"Every Ramadan, we practice the virtues of patience, togetherness, compassion and inner strength, and this year we will need to draw on these virtues more than ever.”

Ramadan 2020 in UAE – in pictures

  • A cannon is fired at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, to mark the beginning of iftar in 2020. Victor Besa / The National
    A cannon is fired at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, to mark the beginning of iftar in 2020. Victor Besa / The National
  • A Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
    A Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Hundreds of packets of cooked food provided by Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh temple in Jebel Ali for the needy are distributed by Markaz volunteers before iftar at the Naif area of Deira, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Hundreds of packets of cooked food provided by Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh temple in Jebel Ali for the needy are distributed by Markaz volunteers before iftar at the Naif area of Deira, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Volunteers in Fujairah prepare food to be handed out at iftar. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Volunteers in Fujairah prepare food to be handed out at iftar. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi, at sunset. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi, at sunset. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A cannon is fired to mark the breaking of the Ramadan fast at Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi's oldest standing building. Victor Besa / The National
    A cannon is fired to mark the breaking of the Ramadan fast at Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi's oldest standing building. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Ramadan decorations on the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A woman checks out a Ramadan promotional stand at Carrefour in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    A woman checks out a Ramadan promotional stand at Carrefour in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan lamps for sale at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Ramadan lamps for sale at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Ramadan decorations in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The sun sets behind Al Rustmani Mosque in Jebel Ali, Dubai, on the day before Ramadan. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    The sun sets behind Al Rustmani Mosque in Jebel Ali, Dubai, on the day before Ramadan. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
    Ramadan decoration at one of the bridges on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Ramadan lights on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Ramadan lights on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations at the Spinneys in Al Barsha, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Ramadan decorations at the Spinneys in Al Barsha, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A Ramadan date shopper at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National
    A Ramadan date shopper at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National
  • Ramadan decorations inside Al Fateh Plaza at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Ramadan decorations inside Al Fateh Plaza at the Dhow Harbour and Al Mina Souq, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
SNAPSHOT

While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

Monster

Directed by: Anthony Mandler

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington 

3/5

 

RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E9pm%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Dirt)%202%2C000m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Mubhir%20Al%20Ain%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%20(jockey)%2C%20Ahmed%20Al%20Mehairbi%20(trainer)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3A%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Exciting%20Days%2C%20Oscar%20Chavez%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E10pm%3A%20Al%20Ain%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Suny%20Du%20Loup%2C%20Marcelino%20Rodrigues%2C%20Hamad%20Al%20Marar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E10.30pm%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C800m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Jafar%20Des%20Arnets%2C%20Oscar%20Chavez%2C%20Ahmed%20Al%20Mehairbi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E11pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Taj%20Al%20Izz%2C%20Richard%20Mullen%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al%20Hadhrami%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E11.30pm%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Majdy%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Jean%20de%20Roualle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E12am%3A%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Hamloola%2C%20Sam%20Hitchcott%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Ketbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Joy%20Ride%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adele%20Lim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAshley%20Park%2C%20Sherry%20Cola%2C%20Stephanie%20Hsu%2C%20Sabrina%20Wu%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
EU Russia

The EU imports 90 per cent  of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil. 

Glossary of a stock market revolution

Reddit

A discussion website

Redditor

The users of Reddit

Robinhood

A smartphone app for buying and selling shares

Short seller

Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future

Short squeeze

Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting 

Naked short

An illegal practice  

No more lice

Defining head lice

Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.

Identifying lice

Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.

Treating lice at home

Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.

Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)

Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.

Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.

Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.

Get your priorities right.

And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.

Dubai World Cup prize money

Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf –  $4,000,000
Group 1 2,410m (Turf) Dubai Sheema Classic – $5,000,000
Group 1 2,000m (Dirt) Dubai World Cup– $12,000,000

Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A