• A man rides his bicycle during a brief downpour in the Mussaffah industrial area in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    A man rides his bicycle during a brief downpour in the Mussaffah industrial area in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Rain fell in Abu Dhabi as unsettled summer weather continued across the country. Victor Besa / The National
    Rain fell in Abu Dhabi as unsettled summer weather continued across the country. Victor Besa / The National
  • The National Centre of Meteorology issued a forecast for rain in the morning, accompanied by strong winds that could reach 45 kilometres per hour. Victor Besa / The National
    The National Centre of Meteorology issued a forecast for rain in the morning, accompanied by strong winds that could reach 45 kilometres per hour. Victor Besa / The National
  • Abu Dhabi is expected to have a maximum temperature of 42°C in the next few days. Victor Besa / The National
    Abu Dhabi is expected to have a maximum temperature of 42°C in the next few days. Victor Besa / The National
  • Low clouds hung over Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Pawan Singh / The National
    Low clouds hung over Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Temperatures hovered at around 36ºC in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Temperatures hovered at around 36ºC in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE

UAE weather: more rain to come

The authorities urge caution on the roads amid downpours and strong winds

The National

July 10, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Rain fell across parts of the UAE on Sunday, with forecasters warning that more was on the way.

Showers fell in Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and parts in the country's east as the bout of unsettled weather continues.

The National Centre of Meteorology issued a warning of further rain, along with winds of up to 45 kilometres an hour whipping up dust clouds, cutting visibility on the roads and creating waves of about 1.6 metres in the Arabian Gulf.

It also forecast a "significant decrease in temperatures" with highs of 42C and lows of 23C expected.

"It will be partly cloudy to cloudy in general," the centre said in its Sunday forecast. "[This will be] interspersed with some convective clouds ... associated with rainfall."

Footage posted to the NCM's social media channel earlier on Sunday showed driving rain and leaden skies in Al Ain.

Storm Centre, a UAE group that tracks extreme weather, also shared a video showing torrential rain in Al Foah and dark skies over Hatta.

Showers were also reported in the Bani Yas neighbourhood of Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi Police also warned motorists to drive carefully and follow the speed limits.

The authorities in Abu Dhabi can limit the speed on some roads during extreme weather and police urged motorists to follow the electronic signs that show the permitted limit.

Looking ahead, the NCM forecast similar conditions over the next few days.

There is a chance of rain over the next few days, while strong winds can also be expected as the unsettled weather persists.

Thunder was heard rumbling in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and rain fell in the suburbs. It followed a downpour in Al Ain on Tuesday.

Other parts of the Arabian Peninsula have also been affected over the past few days.

Cloudy skies after Ras Al Khaimah downpour: in pictures

  • Cloudy weather in the Northern Emirates. Low-pressure weather systems have rolled across the UAE, bringing clouds, showers and strong winds. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National
    Cloudy weather in the Northern Emirates. Low-pressure weather systems have rolled across the UAE, bringing clouds, showers and strong winds. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National
  • Clouds, mountains and the red sand of the Northern Emirates.
    Clouds, mountains and the red sand of the Northern Emirates.
  • Clouds over the desert landscape.
    Clouds over the desert landscape.
  • Blue skies intermingled with white clouds against the backdrop of the UAE's desert and mountains.
    Blue skies intermingled with white clouds against the backdrop of the UAE's desert and mountains.
  • Clouds darken the mountain peaks in the Northern Emirates.
    Clouds darken the mountain peaks in the Northern Emirates.
  • Clouds pass over the tips of mountains in the Northern Emirates.
    Clouds pass over the tips of mountains in the Northern Emirates.
  • Clouds roll across the UAE's landscape.
    Clouds roll across the UAE's landscape.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
While you're here
While you're here
Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

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Updated: July 10, 2022, 12:57 PM
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