Construction workers in Abu Dhabi have seen their wages increase by almost 5 per cent since June even as the cost of building materials rose in the capital. Data published yesterday by Statistics Centre-Abu Dhabi (Scad) found the average hourly wages of construction workers in the emirate rose 4.9 per cent from the start of June to last month.
Labour costs for some workers rose higher than others. Electricians received some of the biggest boosts with an increase to their pay packets of 16.7 per cent. Drivers were given an 8 per cent rise.
Scad recorded monthly falls in 15 groups of building materials during last month compared with the same month last year.
The organisation, which was set up in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi Government to study the pace of development in the emirate, found that as well as the cost of labour increasing, developers were also suffering from spiralling inflation in building materials.
The price of aggregates and sand rose an average of 7.5 per cent from June to last month, while the cost of power cables increased 1.3 per cent and the cost of pipes was up 0.5 per cent last month.
However, the price of steel in the emirate during the period fell by an average 2.8 per cent and the cost of roofing materials fell by 4.4 per cent, ending six months of general price stability.
lbarnard@thenational.ae
twitter: Follow and share our breaking business news. Follow us
iPad users can read the digital edition of business section as it was printed via our e-reader app. Click here
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.