Cop28 organisers stress need to use Dubai Metro with tens of thousands set to visit


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Visitors to Cop28 at Expo City are being urged to use public transport throughout the two-week conference.

Organisers have said using Dubai Metro will be a quicker and more environmentally sustainable form of travel to access and leave the site.

Visitors can expect certain roads near Expo City to be closed for the first three days of Cop28 due to heightened security protocols.

Organisers said visitors may also experience last-minute changes to road access or closures during the event.

Dubai Metro's Red Line, which has direct access to Expo City, connects Dubai International Airport and some of the city's major hotels.

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, in its traffic plan for the event, said the metro's operational hours will be extended by one hour, from 5am to 1am.

The first train will arrive at the wheelchair-friendly Expo Metro station at 5.19am and the final one will leave at midnight every day of the event.

More than 10,000 eco-friendly Dubai Taxis will be available at Expo City Dubai through the Hala Taxi platform, while Uber, Careem and Yango will also be operating during the event.

Taxi pick-ups will be at four designated ranks - Opportunity Gate, Mobility Gate, Sustainability Gate and the Metro Gate.

Shuttle buses will take visitors from the Metro station to Green Zone arrival plazas, from 8am until midnight. Pawan Singh / The National
Shuttle buses will take visitors from the Metro station to Green Zone arrival plazas, from 8am until midnight. Pawan Singh / The National

The Expo site will be divided into Blue and Green Zones.

Parking is available for visitors to the Blue and Green Zones, with frequent parking shuttles operating from all car parks.

Blue Zone

The Blue Zone, which is managed by the UN, will be open to heads of state, accredited government officials and media during Cop28.

It covers the Rove Hotel, the Dubai Exhibition Centre and it will also include Al Wasl Plaza and several Mobility and Opportunity district buildings.

Due to a limited amount of car parking spaces in the Blue Zone, delegates are encouraged to use Dubai Metro and the Metro Park and Ride located at Centrepoint (Al Rashidiya), Etisalat by e& (Al Qusais) and Jebel Ali stations.

Outside of metro hours, an overnight shuttle service will operate every 20 minutes from midnight to 5am to several hotel locations in the city, including Premier Inn Dubai Ibn Battuta, Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach, Media Rotana, Premier Inn Barsha Heights, Courtyard by Marriott Al Barsha and Sheraton Mall of the Emirates.

Cop28 will provide public transport free of charge throughout the event for Blue Zone delegates. The RTA will also issue free pre-charged ‘Nol’ cards to Conference of Youth participants attending the conference.

Abu Dhabi shuttles

From November 21 to 29, organisers will also operate a shuttle service from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Expo City, from 6am to 10am every 30 minutes and from 10am to 8pm every 60 minutes.

During the conference (Nov 30 to Dec 13), the shuttle blues from Abu Dhabi airport to Cop28 will run from 6am to 10am every 30 minutes and then from 10am to 11pm every 60 minutes.

From Cop28 venue to Abu Dhabi International Airport, the buses will run every 60 minutes from 8.30am to 4.30pm and from 9.30pm to 1.30am. Between 4.30pm and 9.30pm, they will operate every 30 minutes.

Green Zone

The Green Zone, which is the area open to the public from December 3 to 12, will include the Sustainability district, Alif or the Mobility pavilion, the Vision and Women’s pavilions, the Surreal water feature, Al Forsan park and some sections of the Mobility district that feature a youth and green hub.

The general public can gain access to the site from the Opportunity, Sustainability and Mobility arrival plazas.

Biofuel-powered and electric shuttle buses will take visitors from the metro station to Green Zone arrival plazas, from 8am until 12 midnight.

Those looking to visit the Green Zone between December 3 and December 12 will require a pass, which is free of charge and provides one-time access on a given day.

Booking for the free Green Zone Day Pass is now available on the Cop28 website, which has a detailed map of the site. Each ticket is valid only for the day it's booked for and cannot be used for several entries.

Organisers are expecting up to 70,000 people a day to visit the site, with music, events and shows planned.

Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now

There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:

1. Rising US interest rates

The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.

Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”

At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.

2. Stronger dollar

High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.” 

3. Global trade war

Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”

4. Eurozone uncertainty

Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”

The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”

Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Results
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

SPECS
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scoreline:

Liverpool 2

Mane 51', Salah 53'

Chelsea 0

Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Brief scores:

Arsenal 4

Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'

Fulham 1

Kamara 69'

The distance learning plan

Spring break will be from March 8 - 19

Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm

Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19

Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning

Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

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TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

It

Director: Andres Muschietti

Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor

Three stars

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

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
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Updated: November 21, 2023, 12:09 PM