DUBAI // Employers have continued to respond to government regulations requiring firms to provide employee health insurance under the latest phase of the compulsory scheme.
Companies with between 100 to 999 employees had until July 31 to provide health cover for staff under phase two of programme.
While the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is yet to confirm how many companies met the deadline, should all have complied 600,000 more workers should be covered.
Some companies in the emirate, including MediaCom, already offered employees extensive healthcare cover and viewed it as crucial to attracting staff.
Bre Hill, who is regional human resources manager for the agency which employs about 120 people in the MENA region, said health insurance cover had been in place for some time.
“We’ve offered comprehensive health insurance to all our employees and their families for many years, preceding the new legal requirements,” she said.
In June, the DHA announced that no visas will be issued or renewed for workers whose employers have not paid for their insurance.
The authority is working with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs to ensure that companies that did not comply with the directive were not issued work visas.
Companies flouting the regulations could also face fines of between Dh500 and Dh500,000.
The health insurance scheme came into effect in February last year. In phase one, all companies with 1,000 or more employees had until October 31 last year to comply.
Companies with fewer than 100 workers have until the end of June next year to enrol.
In total, 2.3 million workers will benefit.
Compulsory health insurance for workers has been in place in Abu Dhabi since 2005.
Current rules say insurance is only being made compulsory for workers, and not their dependants.
However, Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, director of health funding at the DHA, has urged companies to extend cover to families.
nwebster@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
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Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
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Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
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Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
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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.
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Greatest of All Time
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Neighbourhood Watch
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
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Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
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From 5.30pm in the following order:
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Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
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James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
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Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
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Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
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Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
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Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav
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8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
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10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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- Sheikha Mahra and Sheikha Sabha recall their time spent in Al Hosn
- A place where problems were solved
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.