ABU DHABI // Schools are warning pupils of the dangers of ultraviolet radiation in sunlight and the damage too much exposure can cause amid concerns that many people in the UAE do too little to protect themselves.
The British School - Al Khubairat in the capital is stepping up its campaign to teach children about different skin types and to limit the amount of time they spend in the sun during playtime.
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light can cause sunburn, eye damage, skin ageing and skin cancer.
Most ultraviolet light is screened out by the atmosphere's ozone layer, but the amount penetrating as far as the Earth's surface varies. It can be measured on an international standard known as the UV index. On that scale, any reading over 11 poses "an extreme risk of harm", according to the World Health Organisation. Parents were told that last week levels above 11 were recorded in the UAE.
At 11, the recommended "safe" time for a person to spend in the sun is eight minutes.
The WHO advises taking precautions that include a high-factor sunscreen, wearing long sleeves, trousers and a hat and avoiding the sun altogether for two to three hours after midday.
Skin cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the Emirates, according to the National Cancer Registry.
Paul Coackley, the principal of the British School - Al Khubairat, said lessons on the dangers of the sun were a regular part of the school's health education programme.
"We have an ongoing programme of sun safety," he said. One possibility being considered was a display of pictures to show different skin types.
"It's part of a whole array of things we can do to encourage people to think about it."
Mr Coackley said the school also had plenty of shaded areas so children would not have to stay out in the sun.
Many weather forecasts include temperature and humidity, but rarely mention UV readings.
George Odhiamo, an assistant professor of geography at UAE University, said the UV levels could change from day to day.
"It can be the same temperature but the UV levels can be different," he said. "It would be very useful for people to know the level so they can protect themselves."
A spokesman for the Dubai Meteorological Office at the airport said it did not monitor ultraviolet rays because "when it is hot, people know to take care".
Mohammed al Abri, of the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, said the centre collected a monthly report but did not distribute information on the level of UV rays on a daily basis.
"This is something we could look into in the future," he said.
Dr Sabina Aidarous, a family physician in Dubai, said the earlier children learnt about the importance of protecting themselves in the sun, the better.
"Putting more emphasis on the UV index would be an excellent idea," she said. "Children in nurseries and schools are outside at the time when the sun is at its worst.
"It's great that they can get an education early on so that when they are teenagers and adults they understand the importance of protecting themselves."
Dr Aidarous said she often advised parents on how properly to care for their children in the sun to avoid future problems such as skin cancer.
She also said that many other countries, including Britain, included UV levels in their weather forecasts and often showed which sun protection factor (SPF) was appropriate.
Other schools in the Emirates also said they ensured youngsters were aware of the dangers of spending too much time in the sun.
At Kings' Dubai, there is a "no hat, no play" policy, under which children without hats are not allowed outside at break times.
"If the child doesn't have their hat, they're not allowed out whatever the weather," said Debbie Watson, the head teacher. "It is a year-round policy, so they quickly get into the routine."
Children were also expected to have had sunscreen applied before they came to school and the school nurse kept a supply. There were also indoor places for the children during break times, Mrs Watson said, so they did not have to go outside.
She added it was "vital" that people understood the dangers sun exposure could bring.
"It forms a big part of our education programme for both parents and children. We give updates to parents to make them aware of the dangers through our newsletter and parents' meetings."
At Dubai English Speaking College, Peter Daly, the head, said the subject was "a compulsory part of the curriculum" and people were now "far more conscious" of the dangers than in previous decades.
All physical education lessons were indoors and the school's swimming pool was covered.
"The emphasis is to educate them about what the dangers are."
Parents and children from Australia, where awareness is high because of the frequency of skin cancer, were particularly careful, he added.
"They are really conscious of it and we could learn a lot from them."
munderwood@thenational.ae
dbardsley@thenational.ae
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Paatal Lok season two
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Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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By Mark Haddon
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
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Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
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.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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.”
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
