Drivers contend with Foggy conditions in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Drivers contend with Foggy conditions in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Drivers contend with Foggy conditions in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Drivers contend with Foggy conditions in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

What are the fines for breaking Abu Dhabi's lower 80kph speed limit during fog?


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Police in Abu Dhabi cut speed limits on a major road on Tuesday morning after thick fog enveloped parts of the capital.

The force temporarily cut the speed limit to 80kph on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road – on the stretch between Abu Dhabi Industrial City, better known as Icad, and Al Aryam Bridge – from about 6.40am until 10am, due to worsening visibility.

This is part of efforts to encourage motorists to adapt to hazardous weather conditions and abide by traffic rules to ensure road safety.

Motorists who fail to stick to the revised speed limits face financial penalties.

How does the 80kph speed cap work?

Abu Dhabi Police began to enforce the 80kph speed limit during bad weather – such as heavy rain, sandstorms and fog – in April 2019.

The activation of temporary speed limits is posted on electronic signboards on roads and announced on social media to alert drivers about to set off on journeys.

The scheme was introduced months after Abu Dhabi's Department of Transport's traffic safety committee agreed a plan to reduce speeds during poor weather.

Can I be fined for exceeding the temporary limit?

A foggy Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning. Victor Besa / The National
A foggy Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning. Victor Besa / The National

Motorists who break the 80kph speed limit face fines.

Abu Dhabi Police stress that during bad weather motorists should follow the speed limit posted on electronic road signs.

This supersedes any fixed speed limit signs.

Drivers should abide by the revised speed limit until electronic signboards indicate it has been lifted.

Police also typically post on social media to confirm that temporary speed limits have been removed.

How much will I be fined?

Financial penalties depend on how much a driver goes over the temporary limit.

Police impose fines of Dh300 ($81.6) for drivers who exceed speed limits by up to 10kph.

This fine is doubled for those breaking the speed limit by no more than 20kph.

Financial penalties steadily increase in line with the severity of the breach of traffic regulations.

Drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 80kph will be hit with a Dh3,000 fine and have their vehicle seized for 60 days.

Why is the law necessary?

The temporary limit was introduced in an effort to encourage motorists to drive safely during challenging weather conditions, with the aim of reducing numbers of accidents and fatalities.

In January 2021, one person died and eight others were injured in a 19-vehicle pile-up in Abu Dhabi during heavy fog, highlighting the risks posed to drivers by bad weather.

Police sent out a safety warning to the public after the accident was caused by drivers failing to take account of the hazardous conditions.

The force said motorists did not leave adequate distance between other vehicles, leading to the pile-up on a road in Al Muqatara, leading to Al Mafraq.

Those hurt in the crash, which involved cars and larger vehicles, suffered minor to moderate injuries.

While such temporary speed limits are not mandated in Dubai, police regularly call on the public to take care during adverse weather.

Dubai Police issued a public safety warning after responding to 51 traffic accidents in five hours during foggy weather on December 28.

The force said it received 2,841 calls to its 999 hotline between 5am and 10am, as poor visibility caused widespread disruption.

Col Mohammed Al Muhairi, director of Dubai Police's Command and Control Centre, urged drivers to exercise caution and follow traffic rules at all times.

He underlined the importance of adapting to road conditions by reducing speed and maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles.

Police also urged cyclists and e-scooter riders to wear reflective jackets at all times.

Major Gen Saif Al Mazrouei, director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police, said motorists should be vigilant during winter when fog, mist and haze can reduce visibility.

Fog in the UAE - in pictures

  • The sun rises behind skyscrapers amidst the clouds on a foggy morning in the Dubai Marina. Ollie Maher
    The sun rises behind skyscrapers amidst the clouds on a foggy morning in the Dubai Marina. Ollie Maher
  • Thick fog over Dubai Marina on Wednesday morning. Pawan Singh / The National
    Thick fog over Dubai Marina on Wednesday morning. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Dubai Media City was covered with early morning fog. Pawan Singh / The National
    Dubai Media City was covered with early morning fog. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Visibility was reduced on Sheikh Zayed Road as fog covered parts of the country. Pawan Singh / The National
    Visibility was reduced on Sheikh Zayed Road as fog covered parts of the country. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Thick fog covered Dubai Media City on Wednesday morning. Pawan Singh / The National
    Thick fog covered Dubai Media City on Wednesday morning. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Workers waiting to cross the road in Discovery Gardens in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Workers waiting to cross the road in Discovery Gardens in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • View of the early morning fog in Discovery Gardens in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    View of the early morning fog in Discovery Gardens in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Visibility was reduced as the country woke up to thick fog today. Pawan Singh / The National
    Visibility was reduced as the country woke up to thick fog today. Pawan Singh / The National
  • View of the early morning fog in Discovery Gardens in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    View of the early morning fog in Discovery Gardens in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • View of the early morning fog in Discovery Gardens area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    View of the early morning fog in Discovery Gardens area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Fog and mist cover the Burj Al Arab as a boat passes by. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Fog and mist cover the Burj Al Arab as a boat passes by. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A barely visible Burj Al Arab in thick fog. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A barely visible Burj Al Arab in thick fog. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Early morning fog around the Al Sufouh and JLT area of Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Early morning fog around the Al Sufouh and JLT area of Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Fog in Dubai Marina on Wednesday morning. Ollie Maher
    Fog in Dubai Marina on Wednesday morning. Ollie Maher
  • Early morning fog around the Al Sufouh and JLT area of Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Early morning fog around the Al Sufouh and JLT area of Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Fog covered the Al Sufouh area and Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Fog covered the Al Sufouh area and Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Fog covered parts of the country on Wednesday morning. Ollie Maher
    Fog covered parts of the country on Wednesday morning. Ollie Maher
  • Temperatures are predicted to hit 36°C in Dubai as clouds clear up. Ollie Maher
    Temperatures are predicted to hit 36°C in Dubai as clouds clear up. Ollie Maher
The biog

Name: Younis Al Balooshi

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn

Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

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Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m

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8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m

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10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m

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Company Profile

Company name: Big Farm Brothers

Started: September 2020

Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur

Based: Dubai Investment Park 1

Industry: food and agriculture

Initial investment: $205,000

Current staff: eight to 10

Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets

TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel

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Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

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Rating: 3/5

Turkish Ladies

Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

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 burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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  • Wear a protective helmet
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  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
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Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

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Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio

Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district

Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school

Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family

His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people

Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned

Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
​​​​​​​Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books

While you're here
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The flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours. 

The package

Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

The%20specs
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time

Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.

Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.

The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.

The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.

Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.

The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.

• Bloomberg

Updated: January 16, 2024, 8:31 AM