We are excited about Hyperloop. It will connect our communities and economies more tightly (Study into feasibility of building Hyperloop between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain begins, December 13). However, I wonder how easy it would be to get such a facility.
For example the quickest way to travel is by plane, but the time to travel to an airport, go through the immigration formalities, wait at the airport, board the plane and then wait for it to take off is quite exhausting.
I hope the Hyperloop is as easy and convenient as a metro. Otherwise it might not be as useful as many are imagining.
Ahmed Alanzi, Abu Dhabi
Wouldn’t a high-speed train be a better option? More people could use it because of cheaper tickets.
I doubt hyperloop would actually provide a durable solution to commuters.
Thomas Mnt, Dubai
If they can get this right, Dubai and Abu Dhabi will effectively become a large metropolis, a single economic unit.
Going from one to the other would take just 12 minutes.
Haroon Rashid, Dubai
How about a rent subsidy?
Rent cap or not, many expatriates can't still afford a one-bedroom flat (Abu Dhabi reinstates 5% rent cap, December 14). Subsidies for those whose salaries are below Dh5,000 will be much appreciated. This is just a suggestion.
Lukas SB, Abu Dhabi
Banks can’t harass clients
To answer the question put before the debt panel (The Debt Panel: Pilot left UAE with Dh400,000 owed, debt collectors now chasing wife on Facebook, December 14), your contract is with the bank, not the debt collector.
The bank most probably sold the debt to the debt collector. You are only liable to the bank and not the debt collector. You can file a claim against them for harassment as this is not allowed under Central Bank regulations.
Elham Al Marzooqi McMillan, Dubai
Responsibility lies with both. Banks should not offer loan facilities without sufficient proof of long-term repayment ability and borrowers should certainly not think they can accumulate debt and not have to repay it.
But the question is what do people do when they have already accumulated too much debt to handle?
Rasheda Khatun Khan, Dubai
Banks have high employee turnover and low loyalty among staff. Why spend time negotiating with someone who’s only going to resign after you exchanged emails and calls?
Satvinder Sandhu, Abu Dhabi
Time’s selection is bewildering
It's with astounding generosity that Time magazine has named Donald Trump its Person of the Year (Time names Trump its 2016 'Person of the Year', December 8). The decision has left me thunderstruck.
The choice has been made based on his stunning election victory. The world is familiar with the two divisions of the voting community that participate in the election: popular and electoral college.
In the popular vote, the whole nation participates, while in the electoral college there are only a few voters.
In the first encounter, Hillary Clinton smashed Mr Trump, while in the second, where the number of voters was tiny, he defeated her.
During debates in the single contest between Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton, he was left to scrape the bottom of the barrel.
The magazine should have chosen him as Person of the Year on account of the stubbornness he expressed. For instance, he said he would not accept the results of the election if he was defeated, he used nasty language against women and those who appeared on TV alleging his sexual assault on them.
Mushtaq Dean, US