Campaigners have welcomed the new Labour government's focus on both climate and nature after Conservative ministers watered down net-zero policies. AFP
Campaigners have welcomed the new Labour government's focus on both climate and nature after Conservative ministers watered down net-zero policies. AFP
Campaigners have welcomed the new Labour government's focus on both climate and nature after Conservative ministers watered down net-zero policies. AFP
Campaigners have welcomed the new Labour government's focus on both climate and nature after Conservative ministers watered down net-zero policies. AFP

Britain to name climate and nature envoys amid push for global energy transition


Tim Stickings
  • English
  • Arabic

Britain will appoint new special envoys for nature and climate as it tries to rebuild its green credentials before two approaching UN summits.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy will weigh in on the environmental crisis in a speech on Tuesday as the Labour government makes climate policy part of its diplomatic “reset”.

Mr Lammy said the Labour Party is “firing the starting gun” on its pledge to create a global clean power alliance that will enable sharing knowledge and technology to help more countries reach net-zero emissions.

Climate tipping points – in pictures

  • An aerial shot of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, showing parts of the reef that has been subjected to coral bleaching.
    An aerial shot of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, showing parts of the reef that has been subjected to coral bleaching.
  • A house located on land that has been deformed by permafrost thaw at a former airfield in Churapcha, Russia. Reuters
    A house located on land that has been deformed by permafrost thaw at a former airfield in Churapcha, Russia. Reuters
  • Native vegetation has been cut down to give space for eucalyptus plantations in the Setubinha region in Brazil. AFP
    Native vegetation has been cut down to give space for eucalyptus plantations in the Setubinha region in Brazil. AFP
  • A large melt pool forms in the Ilulissat ice fjord below the Jakobshavn Glacier at the fringe of the Greenland ice sheet. AP
    A large melt pool forms in the Ilulissat ice fjord below the Jakobshavn Glacier at the fringe of the Greenland ice sheet. AP
  • Lake Erhai in China has become eutrophic (where an entire body of water becomes enriched with nutrients and minerals) which caused algal growth that destroyed other life. Photo: Ronan O'Connell
    Lake Erhai in China has become eutrophic (where an entire body of water becomes enriched with nutrients and minerals) which caused algal growth that destroyed other life. Photo: Ronan O'Connell
  • Deforestation in Para state, Brazil. AFP
    Deforestation in Para state, Brazil. AFP
  • Moai statues in Easter Island, Chile, were damaged after a wildfire. Reuters
    Moai statues in Easter Island, Chile, were damaged after a wildfire. Reuters

The alliance also aims to help countries “leapfrog” fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy systems with global investment and finance and to speed up the supply of critical minerals needed for energy grids and energy storage.

“This government has set a landmark goal – to be the first major economy to deliver clean power by 2030,” Mr Lammy said.

“We will leverage that ambition to build an alliance committed to accelerating the clean energy transition. And today we are firing the starting gun on forming this new coalition. While some countries are moving ahead in this transition, others are being left behind.

“We need to accelerate the roll-out of renewable energy across the globe in the way that this government is doing at home.”

The effects of climate change on the Middle East region – in pictures

  • Flooding in the Al Barsha area of Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Flooding in the Al Barsha area of Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Vehicles being recovered near Al Maktoum airport in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Vehicles being recovered near Al Maktoum airport in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Flooding in the Al Barsha area of Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Flooding in the Al Barsha area of Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Flooding along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Flooding along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Flooding along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Flooding along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Cars move through floodwater in Al Qudra, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Cars move through floodwater in Al Qudra, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Flooding on Dubai's Al Khail Road. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Flooding on Dubai's Al Khail Road. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • People abandon their cars on Sheikh Zayed Road due to heavy rain. Antonie Robertson/The National
    People abandon their cars on Sheikh Zayed Road due to heavy rain. Antonie Robertson/The National
  • Flooding on Al Khail Road. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Flooding on Al Khail Road. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Flooding in Oman. Photo: Royal Oman Police
    Flooding in Oman. Photo: Royal Oman Police
  • A damaged car in Derna, Libya. Reuters
    A damaged car in Derna, Libya. Reuters
  • A destroyed vehicle in Derna. AFP
    A destroyed vehicle in Derna. AFP
  • Abdul Salam Ibrahim Al-Qadi walks on rubble in front of his house, searching for his missing father and brother, in Derna. Reuters
    Abdul Salam Ibrahim Al-Qadi walks on rubble in front of his house, searching for his missing father and brother, in Derna. Reuters
  • An aerial view of the destruction in Derna. Reuters
    An aerial view of the destruction in Derna. Reuters
  • Flood-affected people taking refuge in a makeshift camp after heavy monsoon rains in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan province. AFP
    Flood-affected people taking refuge in a makeshift camp after heavy monsoon rains in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan province. AFP
  • Internally displaced flood-affected people shift husk for their animals in a flood-hit area following heavy rains in Dera Allah Yar in Balochistan. AFP
    Internally displaced flood-affected people shift husk for their animals in a flood-hit area following heavy rains in Dera Allah Yar in Balochistan. AFP
  • The aftermath of flooding in Egypt's southern city of Aswan, 920 kilometres south of the capital. AFP
    The aftermath of flooding in Egypt's southern city of Aswan, 920 kilometres south of the capital. AFP
  • The Nile River from the top of Famine Stela, or Rock of Starvation, Egypt. Reuters
    The Nile River from the top of Famine Stela, or Rock of Starvation, Egypt. Reuters
  • Volunteers search for people in need following heavy rainfall in east Mosul, Iraq, in March 2020. Reuters
    Volunteers search for people in need following heavy rainfall in east Mosul, Iraq, in March 2020. Reuters
  • People clean up after floods in Duhok, Iraq, on March 19. Reuters
    People clean up after floods in Duhok, Iraq, on March 19. Reuters

Labour had previously accused Rishi Sunak's Conservative government of “squandering our leadership” on the issue after he watered down key net-zero policies. Campaigners were dismayed when the post of special representative for climate change was abolished last year.

Mr Lammy will reinstate the UK Special Representative for Climate Change role and create a new UK Special Representative for Nature to help forge partnerships between the UK and other countries.

They will report to Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband and Environment Secretary Steve Reed respectively, as well as to the Foreign Secretary.

Since taking office, the Labour Party has lifted the de facto ban on onshore wind and committed not to issue new oil and gas licences.

It has also formed a new state energy investment firm, GB Energy, to help boost renewables.

“This crisis is not some discrete policy area, divorced from geopolitics, conflict and insecurity,” the Foreign Secretary is expected to say.

“The threat may not feel as urgent as a terrorist or an imperialist autocrat. But it is more fundamental. It is systemic. Pervasive. And accelerating towards us.

“Today, I am committing to you that while I am Foreign Secretary, action on the climate and nature crisis will be central to all the Foreign Office does. This is critical given the scale of the threat, but also the scale of the opportunity.”

Nations at risk due to climate change – in pictures

  • Internally displaced children Ali and Osman Abdulahi stand near carcasses of their family's livestock, killed by severe drought near Dollow, Somalia. Reuters
    Internally displaced children Ali and Osman Abdulahi stand near carcasses of their family's livestock, killed by severe drought near Dollow, Somalia. Reuters
  • Quick distribution of climate funds agreed at Cop28 will help devastated populations get back on their feet, Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama has said. Reuters
    Quick distribution of climate funds agreed at Cop28 will help devastated populations get back on their feet, Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama has said. Reuters
  • Commuters ride on rickshaws on a flooded road after heavy rains in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters
    Commuters ride on rickshaws on a flooded road after heavy rains in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters
  • Cyclone Mocha makes landfall near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. A rise in extreme weather events around the world has been blamed on global warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases. EPA
    Cyclone Mocha makes landfall near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. A rise in extreme weather events around the world has been blamed on global warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases. EPA
  • Commuters stand on a flyover, on a flooded motorway near Rampur, in India's Uttar Pradesh state, in 2021. AFP
    Commuters stand on a flyover, on a flooded motorway near Rampur, in India's Uttar Pradesh state, in 2021. AFP
  • Monsoon floods and landslides killed about 100 people in Nepal and India earlier this year. AFP
    Monsoon floods and landslides killed about 100 people in Nepal and India earlier this year. AFP
  • A man walks past a car swept by floodwaters in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2021. AFP
    A man walks past a car swept by floodwaters in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2021. AFP
  • Flooding in Kogi, Nigeria, in October 2022. AP
    Flooding in Kogi, Nigeria, in October 2022. AP
  • A landslide engulfs Nyamukubi village, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
    A landslide engulfs Nyamukubi village, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
  • A landslide in the Mont Ngafula district of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
    A landslide in the Mont Ngafula district of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. AFP
  • Aid workers crossing flooded areas in Bundibugyo, Uganda. Twitter/UgandaRedCross
    Aid workers crossing flooded areas in Bundibugyo, Uganda. Twitter/UgandaRedCross
  • Villagers try to pull up a minibus in which 14 bodies were retrieved, in the river Nabuyonga in eastern Uganda, after flash floods. AFP
    Villagers try to pull up a minibus in which 14 bodies were retrieved, in the river Nabuyonga in eastern Uganda, after flash floods. AFP

The new government has also promised to tackle what it calls a “nature emergency” of polluted rivers and seas. A delegation will attend UN biodiversity talks in Colombia next month before Azerbaijan hosts the Cop29 climate summit in November.

Appointing new envoys for both climate and nature would be a welcome signal of the new government's “desire to engage internationally”, Ben Reynolds, director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy in the UK, told The National. He said the two issues “have to be dealt with hand in hand”.

“The international summits in the coming months on climate and biodiversity will show whether the new government is able to match its ambitions not just to be part of these conversations, but to lead them,” Mr Reynolds said.

Diplomatic push

Although Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is in charge of promoting clean power at home, Mr Lammy has sought to use Britain's diplomatic clout to persuade countries such as India to take more aggressive action on climate change.

David King, a former holder of the climate envoy role, told The National last year that his well-funded, round-the-world diplomacy in the run-up to the 2015 Paris climate deal made him “convinced we were going to get an agreement”.

“Without those bilateral negotiations, I really doubt that would have happened, and without the money that I had in my pocket,” Mr King said. He described the post's abolition as “extremely disappointing” and a “very backward step”.

Mr Miliband has said he will personally lead the UK's negotiating team at Cop29. Mr Lammy and the Foreign Office will push for ambitious pledges on climate finance and reduced emissions at Cop29, the department said.

A second Labour energy minister, Kerry McCarthy, told the UK Parliament last week that raising money for developing countries would be Britain's top priority in Azerbaijan.

She said a Labour delegation at Cop28 in the UAE last year found it a “depressing experience” because activists from vulnerable countries kept asking whether Britain had “completely abdicated its sense of international leadership”.

Britain's King Charles III, a long-time environmentalist, has also hosted the presidents of Cop28, Cop29 and Cop30, including Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, who was also Cop28 president, as preparations for the Baku step-up.

Tips for used car buyers
  • Choose cars with GCC specifications
  • Get a service history for cars less than five years old
  • Don’t go cheap on the inspection
  • Check for oil leaks
  • Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
  • Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
  • Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
  • Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
  • If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell

Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com

UAE SQUAD

 

Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani

Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas

Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah

Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue

Results
  • Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
  • Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
  • AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
  • Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
  • The Undertaker beat John Cena
  • The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
  • Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
  • Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
  • Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
  • Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
  • Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
  • Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
  • Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Brief scores:

Southampton 2

Armstrong 13', Soares 20'

Manchester United 2

Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEmonovo%20(previously%20Marj3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECairo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2016%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeducation%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ethree%20rounds%2C%20undisclosed%20amount%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. 

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

What to watch out for:

Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways

The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof

The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history

Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure

Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used

MATCH RESULT

Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Liverpool: 
Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')    

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5

Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt

Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure

Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers

Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The specs

Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder

Power: 70bhp

Torque: 66Nm

Transmission: four-speed manual

Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000

On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970

BIG SPENDERS

Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

RESULTS - ELITE MEN

1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40    
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45   
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57           
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58            
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59       

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)

Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am

Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am

Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing

In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.

While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.

In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all). 

“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”

Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.

"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."

THE SPECS

Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury

Engine:  3.6L V-6

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 310hp

Torque: 367Nm

Price: Dh280,000

Updated: September 16, 2024, 9:31 PM