Managing Fast-Track Construction Project in Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities

Fast-track construction projects are becoming increasingly prevalent in the construction industry, particularly where completion time is essential. A high adoption rate in some of the United Arab Emirate countries and the lack of a conceptual understanding of the challenges inherent in such may jeopardize the future sustainability of the construction sector. To make an informed decision about adopting a fast-track construction method, it is necessary to first identify the opportunities and challenges associated with it. Therefore, this study examines the critical challenges impeding the performance of Qatar’s fast-track construction projects. The research findings were analysed and triangulated using a real-life project as a case study and several data sources. The results of the research identified four critical categories of barriers: design and coordination-related, scope or change orders-related, material and equipment-related, and contractual-related barriers. In addition, strategies such as accurate information, constructability assessment, early involvement of operations and maintenance personnel, and the use of an effective change control system were identified for addressing the identified challenges. The findings are beneficial to professionals who are currently operating or planning to undertake construction projects in Qatar or other United Arab Emirate countries. This study recommends that project managers be more attentive to key barriers in order to improve the performance of fast-track projects and to meet clients’ objectives.

United Arab Emirates National Newborn Screening Programme:an evaluation 1998-2000

To evaluate the United Arab Emirate National Newborn Screening Programme we compared coverage, timeliness of programme indicators [age at sampling, recall and treatment initiation, timing of specimen delivery and laboratory results] and specimen quality with international st and ards. Recall rate, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and relative incidence rates for phenylketonuria [PKU] and congenital hypothyroidism [CH] were calculated. Investigations for hypothyroidism included thyroid function studies [T3, T4, fT4 and TSH], technetium-99m thyroid scan when possible and thyroglobulin and thyroid antibodies when indicated. PKU investigations included plasma amino acids and measurement of biopterin defects. In the 6 years before December 2000, 138, 718 neonates were screened. Relative incidences for CH and for classic PKU were 1: 1570 and 1: 20, 050 respectively

Variation in COVID-19 among Eastern Mediterranean Region countries: A comparative study

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreads in 216 countries and territories among the world including all Eastern Mediterranean Region countries. The aim of the present study was to examine variation of COVID-19 in different income class countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Methods: Five parameters such as the percentage of variation COVID-19 confirmed cases, the percentage of variation number of deaths, death rate per 1000 confirmed cases, the percentage of variation death rate per 1000 confirmed cases, and tests per one million were calculated. Results: The results demonstrated that all Eastern Mediterranean Region countries increase in percentage of COVID-19 confirmed cases except Tunisia, the increasing range from 53.5% in Libya to 4.7% in Morocco. Death rate per 1000 confirmed cases range from 230.1 in Yemen to 0.92 in Qatar. Majority of countries increase in percentage of COVID-19 deaths cases number, which range from 43.7% in Iraq to 1.4% in Morocco. Fourteen countries decrease in percentage of death rate per 1000, the decreasing range from 34.9% in Libya to 0.09 in Yemen. The tests per one million range from 265687 in United Arab Emirate to four in Yemen. Conclusion: The current study findings showed significant variations between the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries, the substantial variation is concerning. The low-income countries appeared more vulnerable compared to high-income countries; the low-income countries should not be alone with this pandemic. Hence then global should be helping these countries and particular plans have to be employed. These must include screening tests COVID-19 virus.

Clinical Profile of Cases of COVID-19 in Far Western Province of Nepal

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cause various symptoms such as pneumonia, fever, breathing difficult and lung infection. Till now, total 9 cases are reported in Nepal and 4 cases from this province. This case series is to describe the initial clinical features of COVID-19 among the patients admitted in isolation ward of Seti Provincial Hospital. Oropharyngeal swab was taken from all four patients and sample was transfer to national reference laboratory. Three patients were coming from infected country and one is local transmission. Age of patients was range from 20 to 40 years of age with male preponderance. The patient coming from United Arab Emirate was presented with mild symptoms and others were asymptomatic. More tests, contact tracing and keeping them in quarantine are the necessitated action need to be taken by government of Nepal.Keywords: COVID-19; local transmission; oropharyngeal swab

New Looks On Abaya as National Identity of United Arab Emirates

This research discusses the new looks on the abaya which is being part of national identity in the United Arab Emirates and even more widely, abaya was accepted as an Arab culture by fashion lovers all over the world. The government boost preservation of abaya that already becomes a lifestyle of Arabs women by assigning this robe as the national dress. This research uses the qualitative method by using fashion theory from Douglas who said that anxiety is a source of fashion changes. This study shows that fashion changes due to anxiety and wants to bring change or replace it with a new one. In the United Arab Emirates, the changes of fashion occur because the citizens want to set the abaya to be timeless culture. New looks on abaya bring out the question; How government and individuals protecting abaya from fashion changes in United Arab Emirate? The result of this study is line with the concept of Douglas about fashion; that fashion are created not only to validate or display dominant and accepted categories of identity, but also to out cultural anxiety.The changes that had already done by UAE people not only bring to the "new" UAE, but it was for preservasing culture and history of UAE.

Sphaeralcea bonariensis (Malvaceae): A newly recorded introduced species in the flora of the United Arab Emirate

This article reports the presence of the alien species Sphaeralcea bonariensis (Cav.) Griseb. for the first time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Voucher specimens are deposited in the Her­barium of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and in the herbarium of the Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium (SSBH) laboratory, UAE. This report emphasizes the importance of monitoring and regular reporting of emerging threats of introduced species, to avoid any possible negative impacts on native biodiversity in the future. The Arabian Gulf flora, including that of the UAE, has yet to be comprehensively investigated, and the chance of introductions of exotic plants is high, due to the large proportion of agricultural materials being imported from other countries.