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Unstable weather, more rain forecast
Unstable weather, more rain forecast Silvia Radan / 10 February 2014 Rain lashes the country; sky to remain partially cloudy with chances of showers. The first day of the week began with heavy showers throughout the country. Heavy northeasterly winds the night before gathered heavy clouds over Abu Dhabi and other desert and coastal areas and eventually ended with a downpour that brought early morning traffic to a standstill. Morning showers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates forced people to take out their umbrellas and wear warm clothes. — KT photos by Rahul Gajjar and Grace Guino More cloud formation from the Arabian Gulf was forecasted by the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) creating more chances of rainfall. The temperatures too have dropped by a few degrees throughout the UAE, reaching maximum of 18 to 23 degrees Celsius and minimum of 15 to17 degrees Celsius in coastal areas. In mountainous areas, temperatures dropped to as low as four degrees Celsius. With winds blowing at a speed of 50km per hour, many felt these temperatures were a lot lower. According to NCMS experts, the rise and fall in temperatures and the amount of rainfall witnessed by the UAE since December is quite normal. “I remember we barely had a drop of rain in the last couple of winters and now, all of a sudden, it rains almost every week,” said Ahmed Sadek, an Egyptian residing in Abu Dhabi for the past eight years. “We love the rain! It is so much needed for our farms and even desert life, but with all this weather changes we were almost constantly sick in the past three weeks. I feel better now, but both my daughter and my husband have are suffering from severe flu infection now,” said Alia Al Romaithi, an Emirati from Al Ain. Today, the weather will remain unstable, with partial clouds and possible light rain showers especially in the North and East of the UAE. NCMS warns of rough seas both on Arabian and Oman gulfs because of strong winds. silvia@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Govt Summit serves humanity, says Mohammed
Govt Summit serves humanity, says Mohammed (Wam) / 10 February 2014 Delegates from over 50 governments in addition to the United Nations and other international organisations will attend the summit. Shaikh Mohammed on Sunday opened the exhibition of future government services in dubai on the eve of the Government Summit. During his tour of the exhibition, Shaikh Mohammed, who was accompanied by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, was informed by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Government Summit, about the displays at the exhibition, the first of its kind in the world to present an unparalleled future vision on the delivery of government services for the next 10 years in sectors like airports, health and education. The exhibition assembles the world’s most smart researchers and designers from 18 countries. — Wam The second UAE Government Summit which begins here today is for conscious and sincere minds, minds that are keen to serve people and improve quality of life, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said on Sunday. Commenting on the three-day summit, which he will be attending today, Shaikh Mohammed said: “We welcome all the UAE’s guests, and we assure them that developing the governments’ services is not an Emirati objective but rather global. It is an objective that the UAE considers a foundation for achieving community welfare and facilitating life to create opportunities for the next generations. This universal gathering for officials, thinkers and innovators is a gathering for the best interest and happiness of mankind.” Shaikh Mohammed added: “The Government Summit is a pure national production and a gift from the UAE to the world aiming to serve humanity.” Shaikh Mohammed asserted that the UAE genuinely believe in developing government services and creating an environment that enable people to utilise their potentials and recognise their dreams. This will take communities to stability and prosperity. This Government Summit is a manifestation for what the UAE believes.” “The previous Government Summit was the first of its kind, and this one will certainly lead the way. We hope everyone will benefit from the sessions and workshops, and we hope to see soon its impact and applications on the ground. We wish the very best for all the participants, and I hope that they will make the best out of it,” Shaikh Mohammed concluded. The world’s most respected government and business leaders, decision makers, executives and experts will gather here for the Government Summit, which is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammed. The summit will focus on how citizen happiness can be improved through transformative government services. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Expat parents not spending quality time with children
Expat parents not spending quality time with children Staff Reporter / 10 February 2014 TV and Internet primary culprits followed by daily chores, finds out 999 survey. Parents are spending much less time with their children compared to when they were growing up, according to a survey of more than 1,200 expatriates conducted by 999 magazine. The survey, conducted in January, points out that on average, expatriate parents in the UAE spend just 50 minutes of quality time with their children on a normal working day with a slight improvement on Thursdays (75 minutes). A variety of pressures of modern life — including increased workloads of parents and children, longer commuting time, and a near invasion of the lives by TV and the Internet — is eating into family time, maintain parents. The new poll shows that the UAE’s expatriate families have a little more than 11 hours together in total each week, with weekends the best time for family bonding. Even when families do get together, more than 62 per cent say the quality of time spent is not great as most of it is spent either in front of the TV, doing homework, reading, playing computer games or some other tasks that don’t qualify as quality family time. Experts are warning against the dangers of not spending enough quality time with children, maintaining that family time can be therapeutic and acts as a deterrent to potential serious problems. There are a number of issues that can come up when children receive little parental involvement and guidance, insists Dr Mehvash Ali, a licensed clinical psychologist in the US, who is currently working as Director for the Academic Centre at the American University of Sharjah. These include attention issues, acting out behaviour or conduct disorders, low self-esteem, low academic achievement, lack of religious values, and social problems, she maintains. “In later life, such children are at higher risk of developing mental health issues including mood disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. They are also more at risk of dropping out of school/college or having lower than expected academic achievement,” explains Dr Ali. According to the survey results, longer working hours in general and longer commuting time are the primary culprits for UAE families spending less time together as a majority of respondents cited these as the number one reason. Television and the Internet are among major reasons why expatriate families don’t spend quality time together, cited by 14 and 11 per cent of respondents, respectively. Household chores were the top reason for eight per cent of respondents while five per cent of the parents said that their children were of an age where they did not want to spend time with their parents. Lt-Colonel Awadh Saleh Al Kindi, Editor-in-Chief of 999, says, “Time spent with family results in fewer bouts of depression as members feel secure in being part of a supportive family. In addition, parental involvement helps parents themselves to de-stress because this provides them with an opportunity to be away from work-related activities.” (With inputs from Wam) news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
