I live in Abu Dhabi, but am currently back in the US due to family issues. By the time I get back, probably next month, my car will be severely overdue for its annual registration. I am concerned that I will be in trouble with the police even though the car is parked off the road, in a private car park. Will I be penalised? MH Abu Dhabi
As you are aware, you have to register your vehicle with the Traffic and Licensing Department annually. You get a one-month grace period if you let the registration expire, but if you exceed that date you will be fined Dh100 for each month. You will have to pay this upon re-registration, but I understand that there are no other consequences if the vehicle has been off the road.
I live in an apartment on The Palm Jumeirah and have been renting it for nearly two years directly from the landlord. The building has a pool and a gym, which is one of the reasons I decided to take the apartment. Recently, I have been stopped from using some of the facilities, despite my rent being fully paid and being a trouble-free tenant. The security staff in the building have keys to the pool and gym and are only allowing certain tenants to use it. I have tried to speak to my landlord, but he is travelling. Can you tell me what the legal position is so I can follow this up? AW Dubai
This issue has been in the press a few times recently and Marwan bin Ghalita, the chief executive of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, Dubai's property regulator, has stated: "By law, no one can stop an owner or a registered tenant from using the communal areas once they have paid service fees." I understand that Nakheel, the developer of properties on The Palm, has announced plans to introduce fees to use the facilities, but this cannot be legally enforced in respect of residents, whether an owner or registered tenant, provided all the agreed fees have been paid. AW needs to check that his landlord has paid the service fees.
I have a Carrefour MyCard loyalty card. I usually shop in the Mirdif City Centre store and have only used it there. On March 4, I was in Mall of the Emirates and picked up a few items at Carrefour, but was told that the card was not accepted there. I have since checked the company website, which does say that it is only valid in a number of stores, but this seems rather restrictive and certainly not anything I am aware of from any other company, even in the UAE. Why would a major company launch a loyalty card that only permits loyalty to certain branches? Doesn't that defeat the object? I could understand if redemption of points was restricted to one branch, but not the collection of them. No one in the branch could give me a sensible answer. It seems crazy that I would have to get different cards for different branches of the same store. SM Dubai
I tried to contact Carrefour on several occasions, but no one responded. I then tracked down its PR agency, which passed on my query, but they also had no joy in obtaining any kind of response. For such a major company to ignore a query shows a lack of interest in customer feedback.
I have been with my current employer for just over four years, but will be leaving soon to take up another opportunity. I have spoken to the HR department about my end-of-service benefit and have been given a figure. I was chatting to some friends and they told me my employer was not paying me the full amount and I should tell them they have underpaid me. I want to leave on good terms, but also don't want to lose out if I am entitled to more money. Can you take a look at the figures? SP Dubai
Having reviewed the figures provided by SP, it transpires that her employer has calculated her end-of-service gratuity correctly. While employees are entitled to 21 days' pay for each year of service for the first five years, this is reduced if they leave of their own volition and are not made redundant. Article 37 of the UAE Labour law states: "If an employee under a contract with unlimited period has left his work at his own option after a continuous service of not less than one year and not more than three years, he shall be entitled to one third of the end-of-service gratuity. If the period of his continued service is more than three years and less than five years, he becomes entitled to two thirds of the said gratuity, but if his continued service exceeds five years, he becomes entitled to the entire gratuity." Because SP would have worked for the company for between three and five years, her end-of-term gratuity will be reduced by one third of the full amount.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com or onyourside@thenational.ae
The years Ramadan fell in May
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
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MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
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The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
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Company%20profile
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
More on animal trafficking
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
More on animal trafficking
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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