The National Paints roundabout in Sharjah. (Jeff Topping/The National)
The National Paints roundabout in Sharjah. (Jeff Topping/The National)
The National Paints roundabout in Sharjah. (Jeff Topping/The National)
The National Paints roundabout in Sharjah. (Jeff Topping/The National)

Sharjah’s slow lane


  • English
  • Arabic

Every driver in the UAE knows the frustration of traffic jams, but in Sharjah, the situation is bordering on untenable. As The National reported yesterday, the average traffic speed in peak hours is now just 20 kph, and as slow as 10 kph along Al Wahda Street.

The gridlock in Sharjah is linked not only to its own success, but to the unrelenting growth of Dubai next door. Once seen as a more affordable, less stressful alternative, commuting from Sharjah is now the only viable option for an increasing number of people who work in Dubai but cannot afford to live there.

However, its infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the growth. The opening of the upgraded National Paints roundabout, expected soon, and other roadworks will ease the situation, but more is needed. If Dubai is part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. An extension of the Metro into Sharjah would certainly help – as long as commuters can be convinced to forgo their cars.

Dunki
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The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”

MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)

Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')

Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

How to apply for a drone permit
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  • 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?
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Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.