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60 free workshops to be held at Sikka Art and Design Festival 2022

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Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) prepared a variety of free interactive workshops for the 10th edition of Sikka Art and Design Festival 2022 that launched on March 15 and will continue until March 24. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating Art, Celebrating Growth’. The authority is inviting adults and children to participate in these innovative workshops, providing them with an ideal opportunity to hone their skills and discover their creativity.

Over the course of 10 days, Sikka Art and Design Festival 2022 will include a programme of 60 workshops curated by Art Dubai, covering all artistic fields within three categories, visual art, design and new media, with the participation of local and international talents. Through these workshops, Dubai Culture seeks to meet the technical knowledge needs of aspiring young artists and contribute to discovering the talents of young citizens and residents of the UAE for their development.

It also seeks to highlight Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood as a cultural tourist destination and encourage tourists to visit it in line with the ‘Dubai Destinations – Dubai Art Season’ campaign launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.

The series of visual arts workshops include various types of artworks, most notably making models using cardboard, drawing, soap making, Islamic decorations, natural dyes, collage, pottery, origami, and colouring. The design workshops include drawing as well as digital and video collages, in addition to typographical methods, 3D digital design, animation, digital jewellery design and Arabic letter design.

The workshop programme also keeps pace with contemporary media techniques used in the design and production of artworks. It includes sessions on augmented reality in art, design in virtual reality, artistic NFTs, creative coding, Sisyphus robot shaping, video compositing, visual music creation, and interactive media software.

The festival will also host a set of workshops for children to help them explore the worlds of doll manufacturing, pottery, and the making of Emirati paper dolls, in addition to skills relating to designing and preserving animal shapes, making animals using origami, drawing and colouring, designing Arabic letter stickers, designing and building robots, and drawing in virtual reality.

This year’s programme also includes a series of workshops organised by Dubai Culture in cooperation with its partners LinkedIn and Zoho to support creative entrepreneurs in the emirate and help them understand and develop the skills necessary to launch and manage their businesses, within the framework of the creatives’ journey launched by the Authority in cooperation with the Department of Economy and Tourism to facilitate the establishment of creative businesses.

LinkedIn is also presenting two workshops on the importance of LinkedIn for independent creative freelancers and the e-learning initiative launched by Dubai Culture in partnership with LinkedIn to empower creative businesses with the skills necessary for their businesses to thrive.

Business

The new rental reality: Why UAE landlords want to see your credit score

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The rental process in the UAE is getting a major digital upgrade, with tenant credit checks slowly becoming part of the leasing journey.

For many residents who have rented abroad, sharing a credit score may already feel familiar. But in the UAE, the concept is still new, and importantly, fully based on tenant consent.

How the new system works

The new Tenant Screening solution, launched by Etihad Credit Bureau in collaboration with UAE PASS, allows landlords to request access to a prospective tenant’s credit score.

Here’s the key detail:

  • Tenants receive a request through UAE PASS
  • They can approve or reject access themselves
  • No credit information is shared without consent

The goal is to create a more transparent and efficient rental process while keeping financial data secure.

Why landlords want it

For landlords, the system offers verified financial insights that may help assess payment reliability, especially for:

  • Luxury properties
  • High-value rentals
  • Multiple post-dated cheque agreements

The credit check is designed to complement existing requirements, such as:

  • Salary certificates
  • Emirates ID
  • Visa verification

How to check your UAE credit score

  1. Visit the official AECB platform or download the app
  2. Log in using UAE PASS or register with:
    • Emirates ID
    • Mobile number
    • Email address
  3. Verify your identity using the OTP sent to your phone
  4. Select Credit Score Report
  5. Pay:
    • Dh10.50 for the score only
    • Dh84 for the full credit report (including VAT)
  6. Receive your score instantly in PDF format

Strong credit profile benefits

While some renters may initially see it as another step, supporters say the system could actually make approvals faster and smoother.

In competitive rental markets such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a strong credit profile could help tenants stand out and reassure landlords during the application process.

Officials say UAE PASS plays a critical role by acting as the secure gateway for all approvals, ensuring users remain in control of their personal financial information.

The system is currently optional, but experts believe tenant screening could become increasingly common as the UAE rental market continues to modernise.

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Education

KHDA and Parkin team up to make school parking faster and more affordable

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Parking around schools in Dubai could soon become far less stressful after the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) signed a major new partnership with Parkin Company PJSC to simplify parking subscriptions across the emirate.

The new collaboration introduces a digitally integrated system designed to make parking applications faster, smoother, and more convenient for students, teachers, and educational staff.

Goodbye paperwork, hello instant verification

Until now, applicants had to rely on:

  • Manual approvals from schools
  • Document submissions
  • Eligibility checks handled separately

Under the new system, KHDA and Parkin will integrate their platforms to allow real-time eligibility verification, dramatically reducing administrative steps while maintaining strict data privacy standards.

Parking discounts of up to 80%

The initiative also includes heavily discounted parking packages for educational institutions and students:

  • Dh100 per month
  • Dh1,000 annually

According to Parkin, this represents savings of up to 80% compared to standard parking subscriptions.

Support beyond just parking

The company said the partnership also strengthens support around schools during:

  • Peak pick-up and drop-off times
  • School events
  • High-traffic periods

For parents, teachers, and students navigating Dubai’s busy school zones, the latest move could mean one thing: less paperwork, smoother parking, and fewer daily headaches.

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Business

New UAE wage law explained: What workers and employers need to know

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The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has unveiled strict new rules requiring private sector companies to pay employee salaries on the first day of every month starting June 1, 2026.

The move, introduced under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, is part of a wider push to strengthen wage protection and improve labour compliance across the UAE.

Salaries must be paid on time

Under the new regulation:

  • Salaries for the previous month must be transferred through the approved Wage Protection System (WPS) or another authorised payment platform.
  • Any payment made after the due date will officially be considered delayed.

The ministry also stated that companies must provide proof and documentation confirming salary transfers.

What happens if companies delay salaries?

Authorities outlined escalating penalties that become more severe the longer salaries remain unpaid.

From Day 2:

  • Companies enter electronic monitoring
  • Warning notices are issued

From Day 5:

  • Suspension of new work permits may begin
  • Employers are formally notified to clear the unpaid wages

From Day 11:

  • Administrative fines apply for repeat violations
  • Companies may be downgraded to the third business classification category

From Day 16:

  • Labour disputes may be automatically registered for workers
  • More permit restrictions could follow, especially for larger companies and sectors such as:
    • Construction
    • Transport
    • Cleaning
    • Security
    • Recruitment services

From Day 21:

For companies employing 50 or more workers, repeated violations could lead to:

  • Referral to public prosecutors
  • Asset seizure orders
  • Travel bans on company officials

When is a company still considered compliant?

The ministry clarified that businesses remain compliant if they transfer:

  • At least 85% of total wages are on time

Employees also won’t be classified as unpaid if missing amounts are linked to legally documented deductions.

Some sectors exempt

The decision excludes:

  • Short-term permits under three months
  • Fishing boats
  • Citizen-owned taxis
  • Banks
  • Places of worship

The UAE has long pushed for stronger worker protections, but this marks one of the toughest enforcement frameworks yet for salary delays.

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