More public rest rooms needed

A reader calls for construction of more public restrooms in the UAE. Other topics: Israel, maternity leave, entrepreneurship

A reader calls for construction of more public restrooms across the Emirates. Ravindranath K / The National

When it comes to infrastructure and development, the UAE certainly tops the rankings. However, one area that needs attention is the outskirts of cities. Anybody who travels frequently between the cities would have observed that there are not many public restrooms along the way except at petrol stations or mosques.

The country is witnessing a rapid growth in its population and the existing facilities are not sufficient to meet the growing needs. The issue of lack of public restrooms is not just limited to intercity commutes, but also within the cities. Travellers often have to drive down to the nearest malls or restaurants in case of urgency while away from home or stop by at petrol stations and mosques to use the washrooms.

Ideally, motorists should be provided with a proper area to rest with washrooms that can accommodate 30 to 40 people at a time.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

Let the world know about this Israeli behaviour

James Zogby's open letter (America must tell Israel to meet its obligations, August 16) should be sent to all American and western newspapers. What George Khoury and Habim Joudeh experienced is what every Arab goes through when trying to enter Israel through Ben Gurion Airport.

I have a German passport and partially German roots. When I was a teenager in the late 1970s, I stayed with my grandparents in the West Bank and went to school there for three years. I was never granted a proper visa, which is why I had to leave the place every couple of months for a visa run. Each time I left and re-entered, I was treated as a terrorist suspect. I was interrogated for hours by four to five different officials. My luggage was dissected piece by piece. The Israeli government never cared about public opinion and never will, but we must never give up making the world know and hopefully, one day, the support for this regime will stop.

Rita Amer, Dubai

Maternity leave is inadequate

With reference to the article Maternity leave is not enough, say mothers (August 16), we are very fortunate in Canada to get one year of paid maternity leave. The father can also take paternity leave.

Some couples split it in a way that works best for them. Perhaps she stays at home with the baby for nine months and then he takes three months as she slowly transitions back to her job starting with part time.

Karen Snihur Hinchey, Canada

Paid maternity leave is a privilege, one that means the company has to pay the employee to stay at home to care for a child the employee made the decision to have. There’s no guarantee that she won’t turn around at the end of six months and decide to stay at home with the baby, there’s no guarantee that she will work for them for years after either. So there are reasons why the length of maternity leave is as it is. A woman out on maternity leave is a fiscal burden that a business has to carry, even if she has only done one year of service. I can see why businesses lobby so hard to leave this issue as it is – they just don’t want to bear the cost and it’s understandable why.

Kate Bell, Dubai

Innovation is all about passion

I think it's important for entrepreneurs to strike a balance between academic and real life experiences (Seeds of entrepreneurial thinking sown early in life, August 16). Experience can't be replaced nor substituted.

I for one would like to have taken a course on entrepreneurship when I did my MBA. Education does a good job in teaching us “why” but falls short on teaching us “how”, which is required in the workplace. The likes of Bill Gates and Richard Branson have turned great ideas into multibillion-dollar businesses.

Being a successful entrepreneur is about taking risks. Not many text books will teach that. It takes thick skin, grit, a whole lot of passion and luck to become a self-made businessman.

Randall Mohammed, Dubai