Camels eat rubbish by the roadside along Exit 110 off the E311 in Umm Al Quwain. Steven McCombe / The National
Camels eat rubbish by the roadside along Exit 110 off the E311 in Umm Al Quwain. Steven McCombe / The National

Warning to desert campers over harm caused to animals by litter



SHARJAH // Late-night camping by the roadside and on beaches is common practice in the Northern Emirates but the waste left behind is causing problems for desert wildlife.

Litter can end up in the stomachs of camels, goats or gazelles, leaving them unable to digest their food, which can prove fatal.

A drive north on the E311 reveals countless bags of litter strewn by the roadside, which, in addition to looking unsightly, also poses huge risk for animals, experts said.

Dead camels, goats, gazelles and even marine life such as turtles have been found to have plastic in their abdomen after eating litter left in the desert or on beaches.

As the photograph suggests, even road-side dumpsters left open are an invitation to feast for wild camels.

Jane Budd, head veterinarian at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Wildlife, said that these incidents are not new. She has seen plastic in dead animals during post-mortem examinations.

“We received so may cases of these. We found plastic, which can’t be broken down in their gastric system and gets stuck and, over time, the animals can’t digest nutrition they eat due to the amount of plastic in their bodies,” she said.

“We have seen many cases of camels, goats, gazelles with plastic in their abdomen.”

Littering is punishable by hefty fines. In Ajman, litter bugs can face fines of Dh10,000 and it is Dh2,000 in Sharjah.

“With the current weather conditions, more people are going camping in Sharjah. Inspectors have been deployed especially on weekends to warn and fine people who are disturbing the wildlife and littering,” said Hana Al Suwaidi, director of Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority.

“Over the weekends, our inspectors are fining 20 to 30 individuals for littering in the desert areas of the emirate.”

Shepards who allow their camels to go astray also face a fine, of Dh1,000, in Sharjah.

“Camels should have a shepherd with them as they graze. He should make sure the animals are feeding on grass or trees, [and stopping them from eating] rubbish and other items that might be dangerous to their health,” said Ms Al Suwaidi.

Litter left on beaches and in the sea also causes problems for marine life.

Fadi Yaghmour, scientific researcher at Sharjah EPAA, said: “Turtles, as an example, does not differentiate between a jelly fish and a plastic bag - they eat the plastic found and, ultimately, cause its death.

“[Even] picking up sea shells from the beach can hurt the hermit crab, as they use the shells for protection from predators.

“For beachgoers, I urge them to take only pictures on the beach and leave behind only their footprints when they leave, to be able to protect the environment.”

Sharjah is taking action on those that damage wildlife. One law sees fines of between Dh1,000 and Dh50,000 for anyone intruding on wildlife but, as well as punishment, educating the public is important, said Ms Al Suwaidi.

“Community involvement in environment protection and biodiversity conservation in Sharjah and the UAE is instrumental to ensure a sustainable environment for future generations. This community contribution is particularly significant as our environment has a unique variety of rare and endangered species,” she said.

tzriqat@thenational.ae

Gender pay parity on track in the UAE

The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general. 

Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Fixtures:

Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final

Table:

1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10

2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8

3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6

4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4

5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months

Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding