New UAE labour laws in 2016
On Monday, the Ministry of Labour in the UAE introduced new labour laws to be implemented at the start of 2016. The laws are expected to increase transparency along with strengthening the relationship between employer and employees. The laws cover:
- Rules surrounding labour contracts for foreign workers, termination of contracts and issuing work permits for resident workers.
- New contracts should be signed by foreign workers before being submitted to the labour ministry and must include details such as language spoken by the employee and job terms.
- Rules governing termination on contracts, notice periods and compensation.
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Obesity a concern for UAE residents
Obesity is a worldwide concern as last year 13 percent of the world’s adult population was considered to be obese. According to the Zurich International Life survey, 47.5 percent of UAE residents are overweight. Other survey findings included:
- The average UAE resident is considered to be overweight with a BMI of 25.6.
- 40 percent of children between the ages of 11 to 16 years old are obese.
- In the UAE, 20 percent of children under the age of 11 are obese.
- According to Dr Farhana Bin Lootah, obese people are 85% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Global recognition for UAE’s sound economic indicators
Based on the second edition of the Global Islamic Economy Indicator (GIEI), UAE is ranked as one of the healthiest Islamic economies worldwide. The indicator looked at the environments of Islamic economies of 73 countries and UAE ranked number two with Malaysia taking the first spot. Islamic economy is witnessing expansion with increasing growth estimates of 3.1 percent and 3.3 percent in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
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21 new schools to open in Dubai
By 2017, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) aims to have 196 private schools with a student capacity of 341,000. The current number of schools stands at 169 with a capacity of 255,208 students. For the upcoming academic year, UAE will be setting a new record by opening at total of 21 new private schools. This is more that the total number of schools which have opened in the past two years. New schools which opened at the start of this academic year include:
- Dubai British School Jumeirah Park
- Ranches Primary School
- St Mary’s Catholic High School Dubai
- Hartland International School
- German International School Dubai
- Indian Amled School
- Swiss International Scientific School