LAHORE: The National Coordination Committee (NCC) on COVID-19 has decided to lift restrictions on various business sectors, including tourism, restaurants, transport including air and rail travel and a few others. This shift in policy has come about in light of the declining number of COVID-19 cases in the country. One of the hardest hit communities during the long periods of …

DUBAI: H.E Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, reiterated the importance of public private partnerships as one of the basic pillars on which the country’s future economic plans are based, and one of the key drivers to sustainable development, during a meeting attended by H.E Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs; …

DUBAI: The Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has held an online workshop entitled: ‘Preparatory Steps for Post-Coronavirus Year.’ Attendees included Abdul Mohsen Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Rail Agency and Chairman of DTC Supervisory Board; Dr Yousef Al Ali, CEO of DTC, and several members of the Board and leaders of DTC. The workshop discussed …

By Rafiq Vayani RAS AL KHAIMAH: The 2020 Nature Morte mural was painted along with fellow faculty artists. The collaboration resulting in two vibrant, large, magnificent, nature inspired murals depicting the forest scenery with added elements of floral, fauna and forest creatures bathed in light. Soraya Sikander, who paints from her studio in the Emirates, has experimented in a new …

News Desk DUBAI: Whilst some of the leisure attractions across the MENA region remain closed, some have also started to re-open and the region as a whole is ready to welcome guests with safety and social distancing as a key focus in their daily operational procedures. The region has opened its tourism sector after airlines resumed flights to and from …

ABU DHABI: Nazia Zuberi Hassan – new single release ‘Naina’. The classically trained singer brings her vocal prowess to this pop ballad. Here’s what she had to say about the single ‘And here it is! Hope you enjoy listening to ‘Naina’ as much as we enjoyed creating it. I recorded ‘Naina’ some time ago but as they say, there’s a …

News Desk ABU DHABI: National Geographic Abu Dhabi is bringing the highly anticipated eighth annual SHARKFEST back to screens across the Middle East from 5th August. Spotlighting the kings of the ocean, National Geographic Abu Dhabi will air 6 full weeks of action-packed shark programming (starting 5th August 2020 at 9PM UAE Time/8PM KSA Time) with 6 original premieres and the best shark programming from the networks’ massive library as part of its biggest-ever …

News Desk DUBAI: HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) welcomed a delegation headed by HE Dawood Al Hajiri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, in Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DEWA. The visit aimed to discuss the opportunities of the joint cooperation between the two parties, where …

By Rafiq Vayani DUBAI: Emirates has announced it will increase its passenger services to/from Pakistan starting 10 August, offering customers enhanced connectivity to over 70 destinations within its current network, via Dubai. The airline is set to ramp up its flight frequency to/from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Sialkot; and resume passenger services to Peshawar – providing customers worldwide with greater access to …

NEW YORK:  MetLife Foundation announced yesterday a commitment of $500,000 to help Lebanon recover and rebuild from the Beirut port explosion. “We were heartbroken to see the destruction in Beirut, and we want to do everything possible to help the people of Lebanon,” said MetLife President and CEO Michel Khalaf. “This financial support from MetLife Foundation will provide for immediate …