King Salman has urged adherence to “painful but necessary” orders to contain the coronavirus, saying the official measures conform to principles at the heart of Islam to preserve communal well-being.
The number of people infected in the kingdom surged over the last 11 days, with more than 2,000 cases recorded daily, as the authorities relaxed bans on movement then tightened them again for the Eid Al Fitr celebration.
In an Eid message, the monarch said that “safety requires from everybody to understand this special circumstance preventing Muslims from going to pray for Eid and to exchange visits”.
He said obeying the restrictions means “adhering to our rightful religion and its teachings amid downturns and contagions” with “sympathy and compassion”.
The intervention, in personal terms, by King Salman comes after several officials in Saudi Arabia said that widespread breaches of orders for people to stay home are undermining the government’s efforts to halt the coronavirus spread.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter and has the largest population among the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council.
The Saudi Health Ministry said on Sunday that nine more people died from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll from the contagion to 390. Another 2,399 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours.
Official data show 72,560 people have been infected in the kingdom, with no signs of deceleration in daily recorded cases.
King Salman thanked those who would be spending Eid at home “committed with the utmost awareness and responsibility to the social distancing measures”.
“Some of the precautionary measures might be painful, but they are necessary,” King Salman said in a letter, read out on television by Information Minister Majid Al Qasibi.
King Salman praised citizens and residents alike for "loyally supporting the pre-emptive and treatment measures taken by the respective authorities in our country”.
Elsewhere in the GCC Kuwait said eight more people died from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 156. Cases jumped by another 838 to reach 21,302.
Oman said 513 more people were infected, representing a significant jump in daily cases. Total cases in the sultanate officially stand at 7,770.
Qatar announced another 1,501 cases and two new deaths. The Health Minister said total deaths on the island from the coronavirus have reached 23 and there were 34,521 people with "active" infections.
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
