A new animal welfare programme launched in Abu Dhabi promises renewed hope of improved care for thousands of stray cats that roam the desert areas of the city.
Prompted by an investigation by Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport into why more than 150 cats were dumped in Al Falah in October, volunteers have stepped up support for strays.
The Community Animal Care Programme calls on volunteers to sign up online to help at feeding stations at designated areas across the emirate.
Community-driven projects like the Ma’an-funded animal care programme are much-needed right now
Dr Rachel Shaw,
Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi
The project has won financial support from Ma’an, the authority of social contribution in the capital that focuses on community programmes and volunteering programmes.
David Appleby was one of the rescuers involved in co-ordinating the recovery of cats in Al Falah and hopes the programme can be extended nationwide.
“Although this is Abu Dhabi-focused, hopefully this initiative can spread elsewhere in the UAE,” said Mr Appleby, who founded pet tracking site microchipped.ae.
“Many animals are going in for treatments and more volunteers want to help, so it is hugely positive.
“We are covering most areas – from the port to the outskirts of Abu Dhabi.
“There has been a complete change in direction in animal welfare in Abu Dhabi. It is leading the way.”
Call to volunteer
Volunteers and vets estimate there are tens of thousands of community cats roaming freely across Abu Dhabi, with vast areas being combed by volunteers to collect and treat strays.
The focus is in Al Rawdah, Khalifa City, Bahia and Mafraq, Al Raha, Rabdan and Abu Dhabi Gate City, Mina Zayed and Al Reem.
Under the Community Animal Care Programme, volunteers aim to conduct a three-phase approach of trap, neuter and return (TNR), as well as hold educational workshops and a series of pet adoption days.
Volunteers can sign up at the official government online portal at volunteers.ae, or via the mobile app.
The four-month programme began in December 2023 and will be operated by Microchipped FZ, as part of Ma'an's Community Volunteering Activation Programme (CVAP).
“Running under the 'We Volunteer' initiative, the project aligns with Ma'an's overarching mission to nurture an engaged and collaborative community in Abu Dhabi,” said Maysa Alnuwais, Ma'an's community engagement and volunteering division director.
“By investing in initiatives such as this, Ma'an aims to promote a culture of social responsibility and empower volunteers to actively participate in programmes that deliver sustainable solutions aimed at addressing pressing social priorities in the capital.”
Two non-profit websites are already up and running to help pet owners track their animals, microchipped.ae, and another where food can be gifted to top up feeding stations, foodtostrays.ae.
Mr Appleby and his wife Jacqueline also plan to establish the Animal Respite Centre to focus on the treatment and rehabilitation of sick and stray animals.
“The programme is designed to relieve the financial burden of genuine rescuers to help stabilise stray animal colonies,” said Mr Appleby.
“We are working towards a no-cost veterinary facility and premises which will provide free treatment for sick and stray animals of the UAE.
“We can only achieve this by working with the community volunteers, where rescuers come to us for help.”
The project aims to reduce cat numbers over time, as neutered cats can no longer reproduce. Neutering a large number of cats would also reduce nuisance behaviour, as fighting and noise associated with mating stops almost entirely after sterilisation.
What's more, the foul odour caused by unaltered males marking their territory also disappears and cats are no longer driven to mate, so roam less and become less visible.
Treated cats are also healthier and less likely to spread feline diseases, while rodent control in communities is maintained by the cats' continued presence.
Hardship fund
Dr Rachel Shaw, a UK trained vet who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 18 years, is chief executive of Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi and working alongside community groups.
While welcoming the Ma'an funding, she says the financial implications on private donors can be crippling and this has resulted in leading rescue shelters facing closure in the past.
“Community-driven projects like the Ma’an-funded animal care programme are much-needed right now,” she said.
“There are multiple other communities managing and helping community cats and dogs, all funded from their own pockets.
“Currently the system is not keeping up with demand.”
Under the UAE National Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2026, TNR is only used on loose cats that are captured, sterilised and vaccinated before being returned to the area in which they were found.
“People in Abu Dhabi care about animals,” said Dr Shaw.
“They want to help, they will physically step up and give their time and get an animal the help it needs but, in the process, are being financially crippled.
“A hardship fund for strays has been proposed, and government funded vet clinics for community animals would also be great.
“The UAE government has a great funded vet care for farm livestock. It would be wonderful to see the same support for all other animals.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The Programme
Saturday, October 26: ‘The Time That Remains’ (2009) by Elia Suleiman
Saturday, November 2: ‘Beginners’ (2010) by Mike Mills
Saturday, November 16: ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ (2013) by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Tuesday, November 26: ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976) by Alan J Pakula
Saturday, December 7: ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako
Saturday, December 21: ‘Rams’ (2015) by Grimur Hakonarson
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If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
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
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Price: From Dh149,900
MATCH INFO
Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)
Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18
Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)
Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no
Australia win series 2-0
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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.”
