Rehabilitation programmes initiated by the Dubai Police have helped 130 Emiratis overcome their drug addictions so far this year, with 183 more expected to "completely heal" in the near future, anti-narcotics officials said yesterday.
"Cured Emiratis have become fully rehabilitated to reintegrate into society and play their respective roles with responsibility and integrity," Dr Lt Col Jumaa Sultan Al Shamsi, head of awareness and prevention at the Dubai Police's anti-narcotics department, told Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National.
"The relapse rate among Emiratis is noticeably decreasing," he said.
The patients, all of whom have completed their prison sentences for drug consumption, are considered cured after they remain sober for one year.
Over the past three years, 144 Emiratis have willingly joined rehabilitation programmes in Dubai, 121 were admitted to Al Amal Hospital and the rest were referred to the National Rehabilitation Centre, Lt Col Al Shamsi said.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.