Middle East Experience

With vaccination programs in force across the world, a new international YouGov study shows how safe communities across the world – including in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia - consider the different vaccines to be.About 48,000 respondents were surveyed between June 6-25, 2021, and the results show that the Pfizer vaccine received a net positive safety score in every country surveyed, meaning that more people in each place considered that vaccine safe than considered it unsafe.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.In both UAE and Saudi Arabia, the Pfizer vaccine received a net positive score of +67 and +61 respectively, with the public seeing the vaccine to be more safe than unsafe.This is higher than its score in European countries like Bulgaria (+22), Croatia (+46), Romania (+42), Greece and Hungary (+55 each). In fact, the lowest score the Pfizer vaccine received was in Bulgaria (+22), where 48 percent see it as safe compared to 25 percent who see it as unsafe.Apart from Pfizer, two other vaccines that have received high positive safety scores in UAE and Saudi Arabia are Moderna and AstraZeneca. Between the two countries, UAE residents are more likely than Saudi residents to consider both Moderna (+49 in UAE vs +26 in KSA respectively) and AstraZeneca vaccine (+47 vs +39) safe.Although AstraZeneca managed to get a positive score in the Middle Eastern countries, it is seen as more unsafe than safe in nine nations. The countries giving it a negative score are all European, including -20 in Italy, -26 in France, -30 in Denmark and -36 in Bulgaria. The highest score the AstraZeneca vaccine received is +62 in Britain – the country from which it originates.The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also generally seen as safe globally, although it tends to score much lower than Pfizer and Moderna. It also receives negative net safety scores in three countries: Switzerland (-3), France (-5) and Denmark (-16). Use of the vaccine has been banned entirely in Denmark, following a blood clots scare in May.Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is the most likely to be seen as unsafe, receiving a negative net score in 11 places. Ten of these places are in Europe.People in Bahrain are the most likely to consider the vaccine safe, at +53.Sinopharm, Sinovac and CovaxinThe study also looked at perceived safety of other vaccines in a smaller portion of countries (as such vaccines are unlikely to ever be used in most of Europe and America).The Sinopharm vaccine is most likely seen as safe in UAE, at +63. The vaccine also received a net positive score in all Middle Eastern countries, ranging from +5 in Kuwait to +46 in Bahrain and is generally considered to be safe in all 18 markets where the public was asked about the Sinopharm vaccine, except in Taiwan (at -4).The Gulf states, which have vaccinated large portions of their populations, initially started inoculating residents and citizens with the Sinopharm COVID-19 shot before later introducing other vaccines.The Taiwanese seem to be even more skeptical of the Sinovac vaccine, giving it a score of -27. Thai people are also torn on Sinovac, with a net score of -1. In the other five places where YouGov asked about Sinovac – Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines – the vaccine received strongly positive scores of between +32 and +66.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Covaxin, an Indian-developed vaccine, receives positive net scores in all eight places where the public were asked about it, ranging from +8 in Taiwan to +42 in Vietnam.Four vaccines are currently approved in the Saudi Arabia: Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca-Oxford. The UAE has been running one of the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns against COVID-19, initially using the Sinopharm vaccine and then adding the Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca shots and Russia’s Sputnik V.Read more:Saudi Arabia administers more than 30 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccinesSaudi Arabia’s health ministry denies approving Sinopharm, Sinovac COVID-19 vaccinesUAE relaxes COVID-19 rules, allows more people at weddings, hotels, malls
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Study shows how safe differing COVID-19 vaccines are perceived in UAE, Saudi

The travel and leisure industries were eagerly placing their business hopes on a rebound of fortunes from growing levels of international summer travel, but the delta COVID-19 variant has hindered their plans, according to a US news outlet. The Wall Street Journal conducted a series of interviews with a number of industry executives and found that the superspreading delta variant put an immense strain on travel and leisure.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.In the US, shows are being canceled and many health officials have been considering the return of mask mandates. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have both cautioned government across the world to advise people to carry on wearing masks, especially as the delta variant begins to gain ground.Due to this, consumers are beginning to reconsider their travel plans, the WSJ reported, with travel and leisure executives noticing a slight decline in business. The leisure industry in the US has been preparing for an increase in travel bookings. Jobs in the leisure and hospitality sectors increased to 380,000 in the month of July alone. This accounted for 40 percent of the month’s gains in non-farm payrolls. However, the industry still has 1.7 million less jobs than it did in February 2020, as the sector recovers from the pandemic-induced losses, according to the WSJ.Global travel industry data showed that bookings in July were at 68 percent of their pre-pandemic level in early 2020, accounting for its highest rate yet this year, travel management company TripActions stated, adding that bookings this week remained in line with the previous two weeks. The company also noted that the bookings cancellation rate was 23 percent this week, accounting for a 1 percent increase from last week. “It’s people concerned about Delta,” chief executive officer of online travel agency Booking Holdings Inc. Glenn Fogel told the WSJ, adding that his company, like many others in the industry, saw a decline in bookings between June and July. Executives in the industry have said that they will continue to function normally whilst keeping COVID-19 safety precautions in mind without needing to consider the more stringent COVID-related restrictions which were seen earlier in the pandemic. “If they require live events to go back to 50 percent capacity, that doesn’t work economically,” chief executive officer of US-based concert organizer AEG Presents Jay Marciano said, adding that their “current thinking is, if we take these proactive measures and demonstrate we’ve taken reasonable safety measures, our events can go ahead as planned.”The executives told the WSJ that they believed short term business prospects relied on more people getting vaccinated against the virus. “Unfortunately, the road to full travel recovery remains bumpy until more of the world is vaccinated,” Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern told the news publication. The spread of the superspreader variant affected the company’s business in July and could likely lead to more cancelations, added Kern. The US is now averaging 100,000 new cases a day, up from an average of 11,000 infections a day in June, indicating that the delta variant is spreading rapidly across the country, the Associated Press reported on Sunday, with over 90 percent of the country’s latest cases being of the delta variant.Read more:Vaccine-resistant lambda COVID-19 variant appears in USBeyond Delta: Scientists are watching other new COVID-19 variantsItalian police block Telegram groups due to fake COVID health pass schemes
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Delta COVID-19 variant impacts global travel, leisure rebound

Saudi Arabia’s GDP recorded a positive growth rate of 1.5 percent for the first time since the start of COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.The flash estimates of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate for the second quarter of 2021 was revealed on Monday by the General Authority for Statistics through its official website.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.This positive growth rate was attributed to the increase in non-oil activities by 10.1 percent in the same period, in addition to the increase in government activities by 0.7 percent.The flash estimates of the quarterly GDP is the estimation process of the quarterly national accounts performed shortly after the end of the reference quarter.According to these flash estimates, seasonally adjusted real GDP recorded a positive growth rate of 1.1 percent in the second quarter of 2021, compared to the first quarter this year, while the seasonally adjusted real GDP of the non-oil activities recorded a positive growth of 1.3 percent in the same quarter.Read more:Saudi Arabia’s residential market booming: ReportSaudi Aramco’s Q2 profits more than doubles on higher oil prices, demand recoverySaudi Arabia administers more than 30 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi economy grows of 1.5 pct in second quarter 2021, shows recovery from pandemic

Saudi Arabia said on Monday it posted a deficit of 4.6 billion riyals ($1.23 billion) in the second quarter, a huge drop from 109.2 billion riyals reported in the same quarter a year ago amidst a crash in oil prices..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: S.Arabia posts second-quarter deficit of 4.6 billion riyals

Angelica is suffering from a rare and critical cardiac condition named restrictive cardiomyopathy..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: 4-year-old Pakistani girl needs urgent heart transplant in India

Tanya Nasr grew up with the taste of her grandmother's tangy pomegranate molasses but had never made it herself until Lebanon's economic crisis and COVID-19 took her back to her home village in the mountains..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanese rediscover local flavors as crisis hits food imports

The former finance minster’s comments essentially concede that the last government fell because Netanyahu was not willing to hand over power to Gantz by allowing the budget to pass.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel Katz criticizes Netanyahu, Gantz, for failure to pass budget

"One knows it is a true friendship when your partner in peace is your diving buddy."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Diving for peace: Top Bahraini, Israeli FM officials bond under the sea

Dubai Schools Games will be returning for its second edition, giving young competitive athletes the chance to showcase their talents..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Dubai school campuses to come alive with sports, games again

*Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of a lockdown to curb the morbidity *Purple ribbon and cap on gatherings might be brought back
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: COVID: Over 55,000 get 3rd vaccine, less than 50 reports of side effects