I refer to the article Battle to change attitude on recycling (August 19). I am currently travelling in Italy, where recycling and sorting waste is done by everyone.
It’s common practice in every household to sort the different types of rubbish. After spending 12 days in the country, I realised that It’s not hard at all, and you become more aware of what you consume when you have to dispense of it. Strict laws are also in place for residents of towers. We have a lot to catch up on in the UAE, but it can be done if everyone is on board.
Carola Witthoft, Italy
Parking problem lingers in parts of Abu Dhabi
You reported on the troubles Sharjah residents have had with car hire and second-hand car dealers using up public parking spaces (Car-rental clog proves an issue, August 18). I can sympathise. In Abu Dhabi, it is another issue: the planning, or lack thereof, that goes into making road improvements.
In the Adco block on the Corniche, the side directly facing Al Khaleej Al Arabi, they are rebuilding the slip road. This has made 50 or more Mawaqif black parking spaces unavailable for nearly two months. Now, the same road improvement has just blocked off another 20 Mawaqif black spaces for a formally announced “15 days” in order to refurbish another section of the road.
City planners should not allow contractors to make such massive closures without due consideration of residents’ needs.
Can Abu Dhabi Municipality or Mawaqif please help? As a resident of this block in Khalidiya, I pay for the privilege to park here, but I feel my privilege is being shortchanged.
Karen Jannicky, Abu Dhabi
Tax will not hurt the UAE
Dubai has done a good job of diversifying its economy since discovering oil in the 1960s, but despite the oil wealth it has relied heavily on debt financing, of which $7bn (Dh40bn) is due next year (Emirates set for 'soft landing' as the economy diversifies, August 18), according to the report.
It would be interesting to know which entities hold most of this debt and whether the IMF was involved in structuring it. With new fiscal measures in the form of direct and indirect taxation on its way, one could only hope that it would bridge the budget gap, without severely hampering growth.
The UAE has become attractive to many expatriates because of its tax-free environment. The question is this: with the removal of subsidies and introduction of taxes, would the UAE become less attractive? Maybe not, as its modern infrastructure, access to health and education, high tolerance of other cultures and security may outweigh the tax issues.
In light of falling oil prices and fiscal reform, the UAE would have to reassess its strengths and weaknesses and re-evaluate its competitive advantage against other countries and cities within and outside the region.
Randall Mohammed, Dubai
Japan too has used car market
The reason people in the UAE keep a car for about 5.2 years is because the country has a transient economy (UAE's average car turnaround less than half that of the US, August 17).
Expatriates, who constitute the majority of the population, tend to stay no more than three to five years, as opposed to the US where the population is more or less static. Mention should be made of Japan, where cars are kept for approximately three years, due to environmental reasons. Japan has a thriving second-hand car market with most of its vehicles shipped overseas as “roll on roll off”.
Name withheld by request
Let’s know about ‘extra’ charges
I am a victim of surprise charges at Starbucks (Mocha shocker in the coffee shop, August 15). I think it is the lack of transparency. The seller should clearly tell you that there will be an extra charge for your order.
Jayadevi Machaya Palekanda, Dubai
Lorry accident is concerning
The video of a lorry smashing an overhead road sign in Saudi Arabia is concerning (Lorry driver in Saudi Arabia smashes overhead road sign, August 18). Drivers of heavy vehicles are expected to exercise more caution than others, yet they commit offences frequently. Given that the lorry overturned after hitting the signboard, there are slim chances of the driver escaping unhurt.
Fatima Suhail, Sharjah
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
