Latest news with #Dh55
Al Etihad
24-04-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
UAE leads efforts to achieve malaria-free world
24 Apr 2025 15:18 ABU DHABI (WAM)The UAE is at the forefront of international efforts to reduce the spread of malaria, with its humanitarian initiatives and financial contributions playing a pivotal role in accelerating progress towards a world free of the the UAE marks 28 years without a locally transmitted case of malaria since 1997, and 18 years since being officially declared malaria-free, the disease continues to pose a global to the World Health Organisation, malaria caused the deaths of 597,000 people worldwide in the occasion of World Malaria Day, observed annually on 25th April, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Deputy CEO of the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), affirmed that malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with an estimated 263 million cases reported in to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Dr. Al Hosani said GLIDE is part of the UAE's legacy and continued commitment to combating infectious diseases around the world, under the patronage and guidance of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The institute prioritises research and innovation to guide global strategies through evidence-based policies, studies and research that support disease Al Hosani underscored the importance of coordinated international efforts in effectively addressing malaria, noting that many countries continue to face challenges such as limited human resources and research capacity necessary for treatment, prevention, and in 2019, GLIDE has made a significant contribution to the global health sector and to efforts to eliminate infectious diseases. Over the past six years, it has launched dozens of programmes in nearly 30 Last Mile Initiative, a global health programme supported by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced in April 2024 a new grant of Dh55 million to GLIDE — its second grant since the institute's UAE continues to contribute its expertise and resources to global malaria control efforts. International health organisations have commended the country's role in advancing malaria eradication, including its support for Malaria No More, the Last Mile Initiative, and sustained humanitarian efforts to enhance health and treatment programmes in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Roll Back Malaria 2020, the UAE launched the Forecasting Healthy Futures (FHF) initiative to accelerate the fight against deadly mosquito-borne diseases, including January 2022, FHF established the Institute for Malaria and Climate Solutions (IMACS), a global body dedicated to tackling malaria amid increasing climate-related early January 2023, the Reaching the Last Mile initiative, Malaria No More and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) announced the expansion of FHF through a new three-year grant totalling $5 million. Locally, the UAE continues to implement a robust strategy through the Ministry of Health and Prevention to protect society from communicable and infectious diseases. This includes a proactive preventive health system and an epidemiological surveillance programme to detect and manage cases entering the country.
The National
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Gerbou review: Emirati style, taste and heritage celebrated in Dubai haven
It is one of the most talked-about restaurants in Dubai right now, and for good reason. Gerbou, which loosely translates as 'welcome to my humble abode', is the brainchild of Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum and opened this year amid much excitement, after temporarily launching as a supper club last year. The restaurant is in a recently renovated 1987 building in Nad al Sheba. Every detail is steeped in Emirati heritage: the architecture, furniture, textiles and sculptures all feature local products such as camel leather and ghaf wood. The effect is a profound one. As odd as it may sound, given a key concept of the restaurant is to celebrate Emirati history and culture, it evokes the feeling that there is nowhere else quite like this anywhere in the UAE. There is a wonderful sense that you have arrived somewhere very special when you walk through Gerbou's imposing double doors. Gerbou is elegance encapsulated. What was once an ornate Jumeirah villa is now a palace in all but name, and the regal arches carved into the exterior walls reinforce this majestic aesthetic. The nods to all things Emirati are unmissable. The reception desk, the first thing you see as you enter, is crafted from a fallen ghaf tree. Take a moment to look up, though, because the wildflower chandelier is the showstopper. It is breathtaking. Immediately struck by our elaborate, stylish surroundings, my dining partner and I are directed through the main restaurant area. It has a vast open-plan layout with a central bar where staff serve Gerbou's selection of juices, smoothies, mocktails and more. The light and breezy atmosphere makes it feel homely. We visit in winter, so the vast outdoor seating area is irresistible. It is as spacious and luxurious as the interior, with an open-plan kitchen lined by tables and chairs. It is also shaded by ghaf trees, meaning it is an option even in the warmer months. Gerbou celebrates Emirati cuisine with a farm-to-table approach, and incorporates outdoor underground pit cooking to bring a distinctive smoky flavour to every dish. The menu also features a mixture of small plates and sharing platters for couples or groups to tuck into and enjoy together. My dining partner and I opt for small plates to start our evening. We share the feta and pistachio dip (Dh35), and the cashew hummus dip (Dh35), which are both served with mushroom crackers. We combine these with a date salad (Dh55). It is a light, relaxed and healthy opening to our dinner, which also has an authentic feel to it. The date salad pays homage to its Arabic heritage and the hummus boasts a level of creaminess which seems only possible when the recipe is Palestinian. We follow the subtlety of these starters with a contrast: a zaatar and cheese khubz (Dh55) to share. A wonderful example of the underground pit cooking Gerbou is so rightly proud of, the khubz has a smoky flavour, and my dining partner and I fight over who can polish off the last slice. The only issue is what comes next, because leaving room for a main course after this is no easy feat. We decide to share the chicken machboos (Dh160), which is another traditional Middle Eastern dish of spiced rice with roasted chicken cooked in broth and toasted nuts. The chicken is cooked beautifully but what makes it stand out is the smokiness from the pit. The meat has an irresistible combination of succulence, coated in a smoky and crispy exterior. I recommend the leg meat for this course. For dessert, I go for the aseeda loaf (Dh50), which our server says is spiced with the 'holy trinity' of Emirati spices: rose, cardamom and saffron. My dining partner opts for the sago pudding (Dh65). Despite appearing hearty and heavy, both provide a light end to an evening meal packed with Emirati flavour and heritage. The standout dishes for me are the small plates we started with. Their simplicity is the key and their freshness is irresistible. They are a good choice to order for a group of diners. As for what I might avoid, perhaps the khubz, but not for a bad reason – it is delicious, but almost too much so. It is very easy to eat so much of this cheesy feast that you leave little room for the delightful dishes to follow. A three-course meal at Gerbou can cost between Dh120 and Dh465. At the higher end of the price range are the seabass hadiqa (Dh125), prawn zaatar (Dh190) and the Taste of Gerbou (Dh150), an intricate date cake shaped like the restaurant building. The three most modestly priced dishes across starters, mains and desserts are the vegetable broth shorba (Dh25), the chicken arseeyah (Dh60) and the logaimat (Dh35). Gerbou's head chef is Ionel Catau, who brings with him swathes of international experience. He tells me salt is his favourite ingredient because it has 'the power to transform any dish, whether savoury or sweet'. 'It enhances flavours, balances profiles, and brings depth to ingredients in unexpected ways,' he says. 'I also appreciate acidity in all its forms as it adds brightness, contrast, and highlights the natural essence of every component.' He says his approach to food is guided by a combination of humility and curiosity. 'I see cooking as a way to tell stories – where every dish reflects a journey, a memory, or a tradition,' he explains. 'Blending heritage with technique, I let local flavours shine while elevating them with precision and care.' 'For me, food is about more than just taste; it's about connection. Whether through the comforting familiarity of a chicken machboos or the refined artistry of a Bahraini loomi kabab, my cooking invites diners to experience both warmth and discovery in every bite.' For vegan diners, he suggests the selection of sorbets, while the date salad gets Catau's nod for vegetarians. His choice of starter is a combination of the feta and pistachio dip and the cashew hummus dip, both with mushroom crackers. For a healthy choice, he recommends the dahl stew with Arabic bread. For seafood lovers, he suggests the prawn zaatar, and for meat eaters, it is the lamb chops with asparagus. Last but not least, his favoured dessert option is the aseeda loaf with pistachio gelato. Gerbou is in Nad Al Sheba 1, Dubai. It is open daily from 6.30pm to 2am. You can book via or on 04 222 6888. This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant
Khaleej Times
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
Why Dubai's elite are paying millions for the perfect number plate
From some of the most luxurious properties to the best restaurants in the world, the UAE caters to the needs of the rich and the famous. However, one thing that is truly unique to the country is its craze for fancy number plates. On Saturday, a Dubai businessman shelled out a whopping Dh35 million to snap up the plate DD 5 at a charity auction. As hefty as the price sounds, it is not the most expensive number plate to be sold in the country. That laurel belongs to an anonymous entrepreneur who spent Dh55 million in 2023 to own the Dubai vehicle number plate P7 after a fierce bidding war. That rewrote a 16-year history created in Abu Dhabi by Emirati businessman Saeed Abdul Ghafar Khouri in 2008 when he bought the number plate 1 for Dh52.5 million. But what is it that makes number plates such a valuable asset in the country? 'The UAE is one of the only markets in the world where a good plate number is almost like gold,' said Naim Eyvazov, CEO of Evana Homes and a number plate enthusiast. Hailing from Azerbaijan, he said he has not seen a market as competitive as the UAE. 'The country has become a haven for storing your funds or part of your economy in a number plate. I have lived in the US and travelled all across Europe. There is no such thing as a business in fancy numbers like here.' Naim, who runs his business along with his mother Eva Huri, said the duo religiously attends events by Emirates Auction to understand the market. 'I have always had an eye for fancy numbers, but I never realised what a competitive market it was until we moved to the UAE 12 years ago,' she said. 'You don't have to study or (have a fancy degree) to enter this market. If you spot a good plate number, you can snap it up and make good business out of it.' Taste of luxury Naim said that with many dollar billionaires in the UAE, it is not surprising that number plates were such a huge market in the country. 'It means that they have a taste for luxury,' he said. 'These plates are probably the best accessory you can add to your car and your car is deserving of an accessory because you drive it every day. Over here, you even drive more than you walk. So, it is worth spending on it. Whether on the roads or at the destinations you go to, a good number plate gives you instant respect.' He added that he had invested in a number plate and reaped the result. 'I bought the palindrome number 63363 about eight months ago,' he said. 'Today, the price has already tripled. So, it is a really good investment idea as well because the price of number plates will never go down.' His theory was that the larger the white space on a number plate, the more valuable it becomes. If you ask me, I would say that the most valuable number plate would be an 11,' he said. Way of life For 13-year-old Abdulkader Walid Asaad, numbers are just a way of life. As the son of an avid fancy number plate collector, he has seen his father attend auctions and buy plates that he took a fancy to. 'I have always seen my father being passionate about fancy numbers and that is just in my DNA too,' he said. 'For the last two years, I have been accompanying him to various auctions. Often, I am the youngest in the room.' On Saturday, the grade eight student along with his father successfully bid for the number plate DD 24, buying it for the handsome price of Dh6.3 million. 'Number plates are an identity,' he said. 'It gives you a status that simply a car cannot. I also have several other number plates as well as fancy phone numbers. It is a passion for my father and me, and I know that this is something I want to continue doing when I grow up.' The eldest of three children, Abdulkader said that he hopes his younger siblings will follow in his footsteps once they grow up. Aspiration When Indian entrepreneur Amjad Sithara, founder and chairman of the BCC Group, first arrived in Dubai in 2008 to work as an employee in a company, the only thing he focused on was to survive. Buying a number plate or even a car was not on his horizon. All that changed the first time he saw the car of his hero — Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. 'I saw a photo of his Mercedes G-class car with the number plate 1 and was just mesmerised,' he recalled. 'I knew that one day I wanted to buy that car and a similar number plate.' In 2010, he bought his first vehicle — a Mercedes G-class. 'At the time, I only had money for the car, not a fancy number plate,' he chuckled. 'I could only afford a four-digit number plate. So, I bought the M8598 because that was the only one available. I paid Dh5,000 for it. Today, the value of that plate is Dh25,000. So, it was a good investment.' Since then, the construction tycoon has amassed 12 numbers of the same series. 'I have T8594, S8595, U8593, and so on,' he said. 'Starting from 2010, every year I would buy a car and for each car, I would buy a number plate of the same series.' Last month, Amjad splurged on the most expensive plate he has ever bought — a three-digit one. 'After years of dreaming, I finally bought a Rolls Royce and for this car, I decided to go the extra mile and get a three-digit number which was an R859,' he said. 'It cost me Dh450,000. I think of it as a really good investment.' Although his dream of buying a plate with the number 1 on it remains unfulfilled in the UAE, he bought it in India. 'I like to achieve my dreams, so I went to India and bought the exact same Mercedes G-class and a number plate with 1 on it,' he said. 'That dream was one of the biggest drives for me to achieve everything I have achieved so far.'
