From left, Sukhwant Singh, Ishwar Nath and Vipun Kumar talk about their relief at the start of the midday break for workers in June. They all work in construction on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, while the break has now ended. Delores Johnson / The National
From left, Sukhwant Singh, Ishwar Nath and Vipun Kumar talk about their relief at the start of the midday break for workers in June. They all work in construction on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, while the break has now ended. Delores Johnson / The National
From left, Sukhwant Singh, Ishwar Nath and Vipun Kumar talk about their relief at the start of the midday break for workers in June. They all work in construction on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, while the break has now ended. Delores Johnson / The National
From left, Sukhwant Singh, Ishwar Nath and Vipun Kumar talk about their relief at the start of the midday break for workers in June. They all work in construction on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, while th

Midday break for workers ends for the summer


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

This year’s annual midday break rule for outdoor workers close on Friday, September 15 after a three-month period of relief offered during the hottest part of the summer, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) said on Friday.

It has been in operation since 2004 in the UAE, to prevent any work in direct sunlight between 12.30pm and 3pm to help ensure the well-being and safety of labourers working outside in the summer heat.

Daily working hours must not exceed eight hours in the morning or night shift, and overtime must be paid to those working additional hours.

In August, the ministry announced that there was 99.7 per cent compliance of the rules by 53,569 companies.

Regular inspections have been completed to ensure companies are following government rules, with 13,375 patrols in the capital, 11,022 in Dubai, 5,073 in Sharjah, 8,047 in Ajman, 5,687 in Ras Al Khaimah, 2,728 in Umm Al Quwain.

Companies sticking to the rules were praised by Maher Al Obaid, an assistant undersecretary at the MOHRE.

“Workers must be supplied with water at all times, as well as minerals which are approved for use by health authorities in the country,” he said.

“They must be provided access to first aid kits on site in addition to protective umbrellas.”

As per the law, companies are fined Dh5,000 per worker if they are detected working during the summer break hours.

The break is in its 13th year and began by giving workers an interval for two summer months until 2010 when the break was extended to three months from June 15 until September 15.

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Feeding the thousands for iftar

Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth 

Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people

The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box

350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley

Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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Rating: 4/5

New schools in Dubai
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Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

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The five pillars of Islam

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3. Hajj 

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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

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The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.

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The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]

50

How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday

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The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

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Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

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Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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