United Arab Emirates

The validity period of Emirati passports has been extended from 5 to 10 years for citizens aged 21 years and older, the UAE Passport Authority officially announced

A sale of $1,5 billion in 10-year bonds was launched; Crédit Agricole CIB, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan and Standard Chartered Bank served as joint lead managers and bookrunners

With temperatures approaching 50°C recently and the possibility of hotter days in the future, the Ministry of Health and Prevention has announced the launch of an initiative to prevent heat exhaustion, heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses

Dubai Municipality has asked residents not to litter public places or barbecue in green areas, allocating 3.150 supervisors to ensure sustainable waste management and public cleanliness during the Eid Al Adha festivities

Abu Dhabi has begun banning certain expanded polystyrene products as part of a wider campaign in the country to stop the use of plastic products, applying to items such as cups, lids, plates and beverage containers

UAE operators cannot receive applications or requests for Haj or Umrah without the prior approval of the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments and salty fines have been announced for the misuse of pilgrimage services

50% of tuition fees will be covered for 1800 Dubai students by 2030; in the first year, over 400 scholarships will be offered for the new 2024-25 academic cycle

The Dubai Police Force, represented by the 'Your Commitment is Happiness' initiative, organised a lecture to educate students about the responsibilities of spectators in sports stadiums

The UAE field hospital in Gaza began the prosthesis fitting process to distribute 61 prostheses to the wounded in different phases, with each phase housing 10 people for the fitting process, along with support for physical and psychological rehabilitation

Exceptional and unusual rainfall caused major flooding, with over 80 millimeters of water between Monday night and Tuesday, nearly half of the rain that falls in the country on average in a year; it was the heaviest rainfall in 75 years

Dubai Customs will distribute 30.000 meals during Ramadan, one of 11 community initiatives under the Ramadan campaign