Hailstorm in Mirdif

The Mirdif suburb of Dubai was hit by a hailstorm on Wednesday afternoon.

Hail with strong winds lashed the residential area about 4 pm.

After about 5 minutes of hail storm, heavy rain lashed with thunder.”

Saudi father kills son, 11, with knife

Abdullah taken out of school and driven to isolated area before being slaughtered

 Abdullah was in his classroom in the southern region of Jizan when his father asked to take him home before taking him to an isolated area where he took out a knife and slaughtered him.

Manama: A father in Saudi Arabia took his 11-year-old son out of school before driving the boy to an isolated area and killing him with a knife.

Abdullah was in his fourth grade classroom in the southern region of Jizan when his father asked to take him home.

Instead, the father, aged in his 40s, took him to an isolated area where he took out a knife and slaughtered him. He then drove to a police security post and surrendered himself, Saudi daily Al Watan reported on Wednesday.

Police followed the father's directions and found the lifeless body of Abdullah.

Relatives said the father had recently been released from prison after serving time for attempting to run over his uncle following a family dispute. He lived alone after  separating from his wife.

Abdullah lived with his grandfather. The relatives said the father was going through a difficult period and had secluded himself.

Neighbours said he often talked to himself and was often seen asking people for drugs.

The education district said it had launched an investigation to determine how the father was allowed to take his son out of school. The district said it wanted to assess whether the normal procedures taken in such cases had been followed.

It’s all change at Dubai International Airport

When the new Concourse D opens, it will herald a new era in passenger travel in the emirate.

Dubai: The new Dh3.3 billion Concourse D will open at Dubai International next Wednesday.

The opening date was confirmed to Gulf News on Monday night by Sinead Al Sibai, the vice-president of marketing for Dubai Duty Free.

The opening of the new concourse at the world’s busiest airport for international passengers will increase yearly capacity from 75 million passengers to 90 million and cater to over 70 international airlines.

“We are really excited. It’s going to open 24th of February,” Al Sibai told Gulf News.

Operator Dubai Airports also confirmed it is planning to open the new concourse next Wednesday.

“This is indeed the target date and we are just finalising all last minute preparations to insure the facilities are 100 per cent ready for opening day,” a spokesperson told Gulf News by phone on Tuesday.

Concourse D, part of Terminal 1, is the last major project of Dubai Airports’ Dh28.62 billion Strategic Plan 2020 expansion to increase annual capacity at Dubai International to 90 million passengers. The operator conducted a major test of the new concourse on February 6 with 2,000 residents from the UAE taking part in an operational trial.

More than 70 international airlines at present using Terminal 1’s Concourse C will be moving over to the new concourse, with Emirates progressively taking over Concourse C, which will be simultaneously refurbished.

Passengers travelling with airlines flying through Terminal 1 will still enter and check-in at the same area they do today. However, they will take an overground driverless train to the new concourse. The process will be similar to how passengers get between Emirates Concourse A and B at Terminal 3.

Emirates passengers will also continue to check in from the airline’s desks at Terminal 3 and from there will be able to proceed to Concourse C after immigration and security checks. Some passengers will already be familiar with this as Emirates have been using Concourse C gates for some time.

Concourse D will be different to the existing layout of the airport’s facilities, featuring open check-in areas so that passengers can roam around the airport right up until boarding.

Martyr laid to rest in Ras Al Khaimah

Emirati soldier Abdullah Juma Hassan Al Shamsi, who was martyred while fighting in Yemen as part of the Saudi Arabia-led Operation Restoring Hope, was laid to rest in his hometown of Al Sham in Ras Al Khaimah on Monday.

Ras Al Khaimah: Emirati soldier Abdullah Juma Hassan Al Shamsi, who was martyred while fighting in Yemen as part of the Saudi Arabia-led Operation Restoring Hope, was laid to rest in his hometown of Al Sham in Ras Al Khaimah on Monday.

The funeral prayers were held at Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal mosque in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. A large number of community members, family and friends also paid their last respects to the departed soul.

Shaikh Saud offered condolences to the close relatives of the deceased after heading the procession to Al Sha’am graveyard, where the body was laid to rest.

Shaikh Saud offered his sincere condolences to the family of the martyr, praying to Allah to bestow mercy and eternal peace on the martyr’s soul, and to grant his family patience and solace to bear the loss.

A number of shaikhs, senior local officials, tribal chiefs, dignitaries, army officers and personnel and scores of Emiratis and residents offered the funeral prayers.

The entire town of Al Sham, bordering the Musandam region of Oman, and the surrounding villages turned up to mourn the town’s hero.

It seemed time stood still in this northernmost town of the UAE as community members converged at the graveyard, paying tribute to their hero and offering words of consolation to the relatives of the deceased.

“This is not the time to grieve, but to feel proud for the sacrifice of our brave son. He is blessed, his soul is blessed as he has laid down his life in the cause of justice and truth. We believe that Allah Almighty is pleased with him and we all wish to die a similar death,” said the cleric addressing the funeral gathering.

Al Shamsi, 21, was the second young man from the town to lay down his life fighting in Yemen.

The latest casualty brings the death toll of Emirati soldiers fighting in Yemen to 68 since Operation Restoring Hope commenced in March last year. Another UAE serviceman was also reportedly injured during Sunday’s fighting.

One of 11 brothers, four of whom are serving in the UAE Armed Forces, Al Shamsi had joined the army three years ago and, according to his brothers, was keen to join the troops in Yemen.

“He went to Yemen two weeks ago and that was the last time we saw him. He was engaged and was about to get married soon. But he was more keen on fighting in Yemen and performing his duty to our beloved nation. He couldn’t get his bride in this life but he will now get fairies in t paradise,” said his brother, Salem, who serves in the police.

Al Shamsi’s elder brother, Hassan, 39, who also serves in the UAE Armed Forces, said: “My brother was brave and he was always in the forefront to serve the community and the country. He was not afraid of dying and was always eager to lead from the front. We are proud that he managed to achieve what none of us could, though we have been serving in the army for longer.”

Other Al Shamsi brothers serving in the army are Mohammad, 24, and Nasser, 22. The other siblings are serving in the police force.

The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces has extended its sincere condolences to Al Shamsi’s family, asking Allah Almighty to bless his soul and to bestow patience and solace on his family.

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Dubai Food Festival 2016

The Dubai Food Festival 2016 will be held from 25 February to 12 March 2016.

Dubai Food Festival is organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).It is part of a larger strategy to develop a year-round programme of citywide festivals that contribute to the growth of tourism and retail sectors in Dubai.