A free swimming wheelchair service was launched in Dubai on Tuesday by the Dubai Civic Body. This community initiative is only for the elderly and disabled.
The civic body has arranged 15 swimming wheelchairs in Al-Mamzar and Jumairah beaches to help people with special needs to enjoy and have fun like others. A senior official told Arab News that the department will add more chairs in the future if the experience is successful.
About a dozen people with special needs and the elderly took to the low waters off Al-Mamzar Park on Tuesday after the launching ceremony. They expressed their happiness on the new move. “The move comes as part of the civic body’s keenness to achieve the strategic goal of the Dubai Government to be one of the most friendly cities in the world for people with special needs by 2020 through the initiative ‘My Community … A City for Everyone’,” said Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of the municipality. The launching ceremony was attended by senior officials from Dubai Municipality, Dubai Sports Council and the Community Center for Elderly.
“Dubai is the first Arab city that provides this facility for people with special needs. We selected these chairs after a market study of the product and the best practices in the world. The chairs that costs around AED 9,000 each are imported from France,” Lootah explained.
‘We hope these chairs will make our brothers and sisters with special needs and elderly people more comfortable to swim in the designated areas of the beach.
They can use chairs without the help of others and the services are totally free of charge,” he said. “In addition, we have already formed a team of lifeguards and trainers in both Al-Mamzar and Jumairah beaches to ensure the safety of people,” Lootah further said.
Floating wheelchairs launched at Dubai beaches
Floating wheelchairs launched at Dubai beaches
Thai coffee chains cut default sugar content in coffee and tea drinks in a new health push
- The Health Department says Thais consume 21 teaspoons of sugar daily, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended six teaspoons
- Officials warn this increases obesity and diabetes risks. A survey found iced coffee and bubble tea contain high sugar levels
BANGKOK: For many Thais, a meal doesn’t feel complete without an iced coffee or tea so sugary it could pass for dessert. The government, concerned about the health consequences, wants them to dial it back.
Starting Wednesday, nine major coffee chains across the country have pledged to cut the default sugar content in some of their drinks by half in a government initiative aimed at tackling excessive sugar consumption.
According to the Health Department, Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day, more than three times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of six teaspoons. Health officials warn that such high intake increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
The initiative is the first significant step to change consumers’ sugar consumption behavior, said Amporn Benjaponpitak, the director general of the department.
Pakorn Tungkasereerak, the department’s deputy, said 2025 data show that about 45 percent of Thais aged 15 and older are obese, while 10 percent of the population has diabetes.
A survey by the Bureau of Nutrition found that a 22-ounce (650-milliliter) iced coffee contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar, while a 10-ounce (300-milliliter) serving of bubble milk tea — an iced milk tea with tapioca pearls known as boba — can contain as much as 12 teaspoons.
Sirinya Kuiklang, an office worker, said she approves of the changes. She already orders her drinks at just 25 percent of the standard sugar level, but she is aware that many others consume too much sugar.
“It’s good for Thai people,” she said.
Another office worker, Porwares Tantikanpanit, said he has enjoyed his non-coffee beverages at their current sugar levels but is willing to adjust if shops reduce the sweetness.
However, putting the policy into practice may prove challenging. Officials have said each brand can apply the initiative as they see fit.
Some customers have expressed confusion in response to social media posts promoting the initiative, asking how to order drinks with the level of sweetness that they prefer. Several brands said that the reduction applies only to certain menu items.
