Readers from across the world have shared their views about initiatives taken by government of UAE in letters.

COVID-19 travel pass

I want to thank the Leadership of UAE and management, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April I was travelling for work when my husband came positive with COVID-19. It was praiseworthy how the hospital management managed and took care of his health. At present we are in the Netherlands visiting our daughter, who is studying at Utrecht University. EU Digital COVID-19 pass is required to eat at a restaurant or visit any public avenue in the Netherlands. Luckily, UAE is one of the first non-EU countries that is a part of this network. Before travelling, using Al Hosn app we downloaded two certificates - first the vaccination certificate for travel that was shown at the Dubai airport; second the EU certificate for travelling. The certificate is flawlessly integrated with the EU system, enabling us to use it everyplace. Without this certificate we would have to get tested every other day. So, praise to the UAE leadership.

From Ms Ragini Shenoy

UAE

A memorable event

My wife and I are from India’s state of Kerala. We recently came to Dubai for few months to stay with our son. A few days back, we went to see the Dubai Miracle Garden and hired a taxi using the Careem app. On reaching the destination, my wife paid Dh45 in cash to the driver. I had, by this time, got out from the car, and asked my wife why she made cash payment, since our son’s credit card was linked with the app. By this time, the driver had already driven off. My wife called the driver and requested a refund as ride was already paid for. The driver replied of refunding when he reached the starting point of the journey, and that he would call us then. We returned home after spending two to three hours in the park. My wife then received a call from the driver, and the driver promptly returned the money! Only in Dubai, have we witnessed such acts of honesty. A wonderful sense of security here.

From Mr K Narayanan Namboodiri

Dubai

A delightful read!

This letter is regarding Radhika Acharya’s Off The Cuff opinion article. The article’s title resonates with me whenever I have left India as a trailing spouse. After staying in Africa for nearly a decade, I recently mentioned this to my family as relocating to the UAE.

From Ms Rohini Shetty

UAE

Ashes Test cricket series

The ongoing Ashes Test cricket series between Australia and England appears to be going one-way. In first test at Brisbane, Australians destroyed Joe Root and his boys to win by nine wickets. While we expected England to bounce back at Adelaide, it seems there is lack of enthusiasm in the team. Except for Root and Dawid Malan, none can tackle Australia’s pace batteries. Despite absence of Cummins at Adelaide, the Australian bowlers bowled out Root and team for just 236, taking a healthy lead. Right after defeat of Steve Waugh and his team during 2001’s Eden Garden Test cricket, they couldn’t enforce follow on any cricket team, even with lead of more than 300. As things stand, it is going to be another whitewash for England.

From Mr N Mahadevan

India

Omicron threat

The Omicron variant is posing a severe threat. It brings back memories of the lockdown in India, when all were extremely inconvenienced. To contain spread of Omicron variant, the Netherlands is imposing strict lockdown from December 19, 2021, to January 14, 2022. London has reported 26,000 cases in a single day on December 17. Boris Johnson government is under pressure to impose strict restrictions during the Christmas holidays to control the spread of variant. However, it is better to be wise rather contract infection during or after the holidays. This is immensely sensible. India should be cautious of the new variant while the daily infections are on the lower side, less than 10,000 cases per day. Enforcing wearing masks and social distancing has been difficult in India. Like many other developing countries, India too has faced issues in arranging Intensive Care Units, beds, oxygen, and medicines during catastrophic surge that attacked country in 2020-2021. Third booster too should be authorized by India for health workers and senior citizens. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Serum Institute of India (SII) noted that they might cut production of 50 per cent due low demand from the Government of India. The SII has increased exports to the African countries. The third booster shot can be voluntary in the beginning, to enable people to freely take it who wish so.

From Mr Rajendra Aneja

Mumbai, India