Midday break will start on June 15 and last until September 15
Kuwait’s midday outdoor work ban meanwhile started June 1 and will continue for three months
Updated 01 June 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: The UAE’s midday break for outdoor workers during summer will start on June 15 and last until Sept. 15, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization has announced.
Outdoor workers are mandated to take a break from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. — with work performed under direct sunlight and in open-air areas across the UAE banned during those times — to protect them from occupational hazards and injuries related to the extreme summer heat, the ministry announcement said.
“Striving to ensure our workers’ safety, the Ministry urges companies to provide shaded areas during the Midday Break, adequate cooling devices, sufficient water, hydrating materials such as salts and other food items approved by the local authorities, first aid equipment on the job sites and other essential amenities,” the ministry posted on X.
For the 20th year in a row, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) will implement the Midday Break – banning work performed under direct sunlight and in open-air areas across the UAE – between 12:30 and 3:00 pm, from 15 June, until 15 September, 2024.… pic.twitter.com/1ZN1AQbmCW
— وزارة الموارد البشرية والتوطين (@MOHRE_UAE) May 31, 2024
Now in its 20th year, the annual noon break provides respite for outdoor workers during summer months where temperatures could reach 50 degrees Celsius or even higher. Companies are required to provide shaded areas and cooling equipment for workers during the three-hour break.
Companies face fines of up to Dh5,000 ($1,360) per worker and a maximum of Dh50,000 for multiple violations if they do not observe the regulation.
There are, however, exceptions to the midday break — works deemed necessary for technical reasons such as laying asphalt or pouring concrete on road works or to address emergencies affecting public welfare, including infrastructure maintenance or utility repairs, are allowed.
Kuwait’s midday outdoork work ban, first introduced in 2015, started on June 1 and will continue for three months with workers allowed to take a break from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Leaders receive US invite for ‘Board of Peace’ to go beyond Gaza conflict
The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the board
White House said more members will be announced over the coming weeks
Updated 15 sec ago
Reuters
WASHINGTON: Leaders from several countries on Saturday received a letter inviting them to join a so-called US-led “Board of Peace” initiative that would initially aim to end conflict in Gaza but then be expanded to tackle conflicts elsewhere, diplomats said. The White House on Friday announced some members of this board, which would outlive its role supervising the temporary governance of Gaza, under a fragile ceasefire since October. The names include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan his White House unveiled in October. Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off on Trump’s plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic administration will be overseen by an international board, which will supervise Gaza’s governance for a transitional period. Trump goes for global peace role “It’s going to, in my opinion, start with Gaza and then do conflicts as they arise,” President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview earlier this week. “... like — other countries that are going to war with each other,” Trump said when asked what its objective would be. Many rights experts and advocates have said that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory’s governance resembles a colonial structure, while Blair’s involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq war and the history of British imperialism in the Middle East. The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the board. The names do not include any Palestinians. The White House said more members will be announced over the coming weeks. It also named a separate, 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” to support the technocratic body, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UN Middle East peace coordinator Sigrid Kaag, United Arab Emirates International Cooperation Minister Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the composition of this board had not been coordinated with Israel and contradicted its policy — possibly a reference to Fidan’s presence, as Israel objects to Turkish involvement. The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. France, Germany, Egypt, Turkey among those invited Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where more than 450 Palestinians, including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed during the truce. Israel’s assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza’s entire population. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a UN inquiry say this amounts to genocide. Israel has said it took action in self-defense after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in a late 2023 attack. Four sources said on Saturday that the leaders of France, Germany, Australia and Canada were among those invited to sit on the Board of Peace. The offices of the Egyptian and Turkish presidents confirmed they had been invited. An EU official said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had been invited to represent the European Union. Two diplomatic sources said the invitation letter included a “charter.” “It’s a ‘Trump United Nations’ that ignores the fundamentals of the UN charter,” said one diplomat aware of the letter, adding that it called the board a “bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict.” The Board of Peace will also include private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser, the White House said, adding that Nikolay Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy, will be the high representative for Gaza. Army Major General Jasper Jeffers, a US special operations commander, was appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, the White House said. A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the board and countries working with it to establish that force in Gaza.
