Dust hangs amid the residential and office towers of Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai in 2018. Pawan Singh / The National

Dust storms prompt concerns over UAE's air quality



Heavy dust storms blanketing the UAE have sent pollution levels rocketing and highlighted concerns that people could be making the problem worse.

The dust has cut visibility on the roads and led to warnings to motorists to drive more carefully.

The storms are a regular summer occurrence often associated with the shamal north-westerly regional winds.

Dr Bassam Mahboub, head of the Emirates Allergy and Respiratory Society, said sandstorms are typically made up of silica crystals and contain viruses, bacteria and dust mites.

“Allergic people shouldn’t go out without protection,” said Dr Mahboub, who also assistant dean at the University of Sharjah Medical College. “They should take their medication regularly and watch if the symptoms are not getting controlled.”

Air quality data on Monday indicated that the UAE had more heavily polluted air than that of many cities known as hotspots for smog, with haze or fog worsened by pollutants.

About midday on Monday, a commercial air quality information provider, BreezoMeter, gave Dubai a rating of four and Abu Dhabi a figure of nine on a 100-point scale, where lower figures indicate higher levels of pollution.

________________

Read more:

Dust storm causes 1,000 road accidents in Dubai

UAE needs 'toxicity tax' on high polluting vehicles, industry head says

Measures to improve UAE air quality enacted

Tackling respiratory disorders – one of the major health concerns in the UAE

________________

The equivalent figures for Delhi, Beijing, Mumbai and Bangkok at the same time were 11, 22, 29 and 55 respectively, suggesting their air was cleaner.

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi said natural phenomena were part of the reason why the emirate’s pollution levels could be higher than recommended thresholds.

“Dust storms often occur in the UAE from February to March and from June to August,” said Ruqaya Mohammed, the agency’s section manager for air quality, noise and climate change.

Ms Mohammed said that air quality across Abu Dhabi emirate was monitored in real time through 20 fixed and two mobile monitoring stations that measured up to 17 pollutants.

Among these are PM10, which is particulate matter up to 10 micrometres in size, and PM2.5, which is up to 2.5 micrometres.

Particulate matter has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and other illnesses. “Data from the network shows that levels in Abu Dhabi emirate exceeded the national standard limit for the former and guideline values for the latter,” Ms Mohammed said.

This week’s figures follow concerns over air pollution.

The UAE responded robustly in 2015 when World Bank figures indicated that the country had the world's most polluted air, with officials saying that dust storm effects should not be lumped together with human-caused pollution.

The Emirates also said its own figures indicated much lower pollution levels.

Reports have suggested that each year more than 120,000 deaths, or about 7 per cent of all premature deaths, in the Mena region are associated with air pollution.

Peter Knippertz, professor of meteorology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, who researches dust storms in deserts, said that for people living in rural areas, dust storms could be "the number one source of air pollution".

Prof Knippertz suggested that human-induced effects could be making them more common.

“There’s been a long debate about how much the increase in distribution we see in several parts of the world is the result of human activity and how much is it natural fluctuations and maybe on to climate change,” he said.

Overgrazing, which affects vegetation levels, is among the factors that can cause an increase in dust storms.

Prof Knippertz said that because it could travel hundreds of kilometres, dust whipped up in Syria and Iraq, possibly as a result of human changes, could affect the Gulf region.

The conflict in Syria has, he said, had been given as a reason why fields have not been tended, leading to more erosion.

“This part of the year has practically no precipitation,” Prof Knippertz said. “Once dust is in the air, it’s difficult to get out. The smaller particles can take weeks to settle.”

While there are measures that governments can take to try to reduce the amount of dust whipped up, such as promoting effective soil management, he said these efforts had to be carried out internationally.

“In a small country like the UAE, if none of the neighbours takes any measures as well, you just receive the dust from far away,” said Prof Knippertz.

“Ideally, there would be a bit of a concerted effort to improve the situation. That would probably be the most effective thing to do, but given the situation in Syria, I’m not very hopeful we’ll see large improvements in the near future.”

At Mina Zayed, it's business as usual

Workers at the Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi continued to work outside despite the dust and temperatures approaching 50°C. Merchants at the vegetable market spent the morning rushing between their stalls to 4x4s that would pull up outside the stalls. Customers at the market are unwilling to brave the midsummer heat and place an order that involves stepping outside their air-conditioned SUVs.

“It’s a little dusty but praise the Lord, it’s good,” said Mohammed Harun, 31, a fruit seller from Pakistan. “I must work and earn, so whatever comes, comes and whatever comes is no problem for me. God willing it will be good tomorrow.”

Most were less concerned by the dust than the searing heat. “Heat, what heat?” said merchant Mohammed Nasser, 40, as sweat dripped down his face and neck. “Who said anything about it being hot?”

As for the dust, workers had one response: Al hamdulillah, thank the Lord.

After all, it is all in God’s hands.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg

Rating: 4/5

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Courses%20at%20Istituto%20Marangoni%2C%20Dubai
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUndergraduate%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EInterior%20Design%3B%20Product%20Design%3B%20Visual%20Design%3B%20Fashion%20Design%20%26amp%3B%20Accessories%3B%20Fashion%20Styling%20%26amp%3B%20Creative%20Direction%3B%20Fashion%20Business%3B%20Foundation%20in%20Fashion%3B%20Foundation%20in%20Design%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EProfessional%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFashion%20e-Commerce%20%26amp%3B%20Digital%20Marketing%3B%20Fashion%20Entrepreneurship%3B%20Fashion%20Luxury%20Retail%20and%20Visual%20Merchandising%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EShort%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFashion%20design%3B%20Fashion%20Image%20%26amp%3B%20Styling%3B%20Fashion%20Trend%20Forecasting%3B%20Interior%20Design%3B%20Digital%20Art%20in%20Fashion%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20is%20at%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.istitutomarangoni.com%2Fen%3Futm_source%3DLocal%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_campaign%3Dgmb%26utm_content%3Ddubai%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Ewww.istitutomarangoni.com%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RIDE%20ON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Larry%20Yang%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jackie%20Chan%2C%20Liu%20Haocun%2C%20Kevin%20Guo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm

Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

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

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')

Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')

Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)

Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERooh%20Afza%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20contains%20414%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETang%20orange%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECarob%20beverage%20mix%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20about%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQamar%20Al%20Din%20apricot%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20saving%20contains%2061%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVimto%20fruit%20squash%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%2030%20calories%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AS%20WE%20EXIST
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Kaoutar%20Harchi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Other%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Signs%20of%20%20%20%20%20%20%20heat%20stroke
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors