A reader says that many drivers in Dubai seem to be unfamiliar with basic traffic rules Satish Kumar / The National
A reader says that many drivers in Dubai seem to be unfamiliar with basic traffic rules Satish Kumar / The National
A reader says that many drivers in Dubai seem to be unfamiliar with basic traffic rules Satish Kumar / The National
A reader says that many drivers in Dubai seem to be unfamiliar with basic traffic rules Satish Kumar / The National

Dubai’s drivers should learn to follow the rules


  • English
  • Arabic

I am writing in reference to Two dead, nine injured in spate of crashes on Dubai roads (September 24).

I am almost afraid to drive in Dubai after an incident on Wednesday, when another vehicle nearly smacked into my car as I was taking an exit at a roundabout.

You can be a safe, experienced driver, but other drivers can be careless. They should learn to use signals, drive within the speed limit and pay proper attention to traffic lights.

Some of us have families and all of us have hopes and dreams. There’s no excuse for taking that away from anyone, no matter what the hurry is.

April Tarman, Dubai

Driving in Dubai has become a nightmare.

Most drivers are so undisciplined, it’s as if they bought their licence from a mail-order shop.

Anita Gasteier, Dubai

Fond memories of Corniche fountain

I was pleased to see the picture of the Pearl Fountain that once stood in a park on the Abu Dhabi Corniche at Al Markaziyah accompanying Time Frame: A splash of wealth (September 20).

I miss old Abu Dhabi, and I think they should bring the fountain back. At least the Maqta Bridge is still there.

K D'Souza-Rashid, Abu Dhabi

I was very disappointed not to find the Pearl Fountain on my visit to Abu Dhabi last year.

What they’ve done with the Abu Dhabi waterfront is nice, but I miss 1990s UAE.

Name withheld by request

Mars mission aids fight on poverty

Reaching Mars is a great achievement (India beats Asian rivals in race to Mars, September 24).

The people who have commented online and elsewhere saying that India should first tackle its problem with poverty have no clue about the impact scientific and economic progress can have on job creation and tackling ­poverty.

Raj Singh, India

I am pleased that India’s Mars orbiter is in good health. It shows that all the effort put into the development of the mission has produced a positive outcome.

The success of the mission will provide an opportunity for India to leverage the technological know-how it has gained in a variety of fields.

It should also make the whole of Asia proud.

Name withheld by request

Globalisation is paying dividends

After looking at several articles in the newspaper, I believe that ­globalisation offers more advantages to the UAE than disadvantages.

The UAE has only taken what is good and has left out the bad. The new hybrid taxis (Cars Taxi introduces hybrids to Abu Dhabi, September 23) are a great example of this.

The fact that the UAE is seeking renewable energy sources can also be considered one of the benefits of globalisation.

Ebrahim Al Harbi, Abu Dhab

Killers should not be allowed back

I refer to the column by Colin Randall, Should ex-jihadis be welcome back into normal society? (September 25).

My answer is: not if they have taken part in the murder of innocent people.

Jen Bishop, Abu Dhabi

Night shopping affects workers

Dubai malls announce Eid Al Adha opening hours (September 24) notes that many shops will be open until the early hours of the morning over the holiday period.

Good luck to all the staff who will have to work late.

Sophie Clergeaud, Dubai

Grand Prix concert needs a top band

Who is in pole position for the F1 gigs (September 24) caught my attention. Bring out The Roots and then you’d have some real talent headlining.

Sajjad Rizvi, Saudi Arabia

I’m not impressed by any of the suggestions in your story. I certainly hope these are not the only options.

Bridgette Whisenand, Abu Dhabi

About Proto21

Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group

Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press

How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)

Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)

Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)

Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)

Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)

Sunday

VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen  (5.30pm)

Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Series info

Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Drishyam 2

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km

Price: from Dh285,000

On sale: from January 2022 

Kanye%20West
%3Cp%3EYe%20%E2%80%94%20the%20rapper%20formerly%20known%20as%20Kanye%20West%20%E2%80%94%20has%20seen%20his%20net%20worth%20fall%20to%20%24400%20million%20in%20recent%20weeks.%20That%E2%80%99s%20a%20precipitous%20drop%20from%20Bloomberg%E2%80%99s%20estimates%20of%20%246.8%20billion%20at%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3Cbr%3EYe%E2%80%99s%20wealth%20plunged%20after%20business%20partners%2C%20including%20Adidas%2C%20severed%20ties%20with%20him%20on%20the%20back%20of%20anti-Semitic%20remarks%20earlier%20this%20year.%3Cbr%3EWest%E2%80%99s%20present%20net%20worth%20derives%20from%20cash%2C%20his%20music%2C%20real%20estate%20and%20a%20stake%20in%20former%20wife%20Kim%20Kardashian%E2%80%99s%20shapewear%20firm%2C%20Skims.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS