In reference to Peter Hellyer's opinion article Tourists need a place in the village to stop and spend (February 1), this is so true. As he rightly says, these villages will just die out otherwise. We were in Bastakiya (which is beautiful) in Dubai last Friday, and there are a couple of museums there but they are only open in the mornings on weekdays. Why don't they at least open from 4pm until 9pm to give people who go there later an opportunity to walk around and see some of the UAE's heritage?
Lizzie English, Dubai
In reference to the article Small firms help UAE defy world downturn (January 24), I downloaded the GEM 2009 Global Entrepreneurship Report and was pleased to see the UAE classified as an innovative economy. The UAE seems to have done well on many metrics, such as the availability of informal capital and government policy and promotion. The fact is that government support has a big impact on a nation's development, regardless of free market theories.
The UAE should strive to open more funds for various categories of entrepreneur, build more regional and global ties and keep investing in education and technology transfer.
Athar Mian, UK
Just because the UAE saw the biggest rise in new start-ups, does not indicate that it is an attractive place for new businesses.
A tax free environment is appealing, but current laws prevent foreign ownership of local business, so from an investor's perspective, this constitutes a massive risk and not an attractive environment at all, though sometimes the potential for return on investment is worth the risk, particularly when global credit has dried up elsewhere.
Start up costs and red tape makes it very difficult to set up business without a substantial capital investment and the appropriate wasta (influence). If you can manage to secure both, then, agreed, this is a great place to start a new business. Depending on the industry, the current climate in business may not encourage investment.
For medium- to large-sized businesses, with proper support locally, the UAE has enormous potential to generate substantial returns. For the small "would be" business owner, the creative entrepreneur, wanting to bring local solutions to fill a gap in the market, the chances of start up are slim and the chances for long term growth and sustainability are even slimmer.
SM, Abu Dhabi
The headline of the article Genuine competition needed in telecoms (February 2) is a true statement. Unfortunately it will be a long time before it will prove to be beneficial to the UAE economy. The writer of the article misses several essential criteria for genuine competition: the players must be true competitors and the regulator must be independent. With Etisalat and du both effectively being state controlled, the two operators are not really in competition as they serve the same paymaster. And with the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency being directly related to Etisalat management, the regulator can hardly be called independent. There is more: in the UAE there is only one international gateway - owned and operated by Etisalat - so du has no choice but to utilise the gateway (and its prices).
It is hard to see any third party entering this environment, as it will not enjoy a level playing field. Several international operators have set up base in UAE recently, among others South Africa's MTN, with a view to investigate applying for a third licence.
I truly hope that the UAE government goes on liberalising the telecoms market so that privately-owned companies can make the difference. Only true competition, with an independently operating regulator having an eye for the consumer's interest, will get price levels down and service levels up. And only that is in the interest of businesses and private consumers alike. While it's nice for Etisalat and du to be able to substantiate their profit levels under the current protective regime, it is holding back the economic development of the country and diversification.
Maarten Elffers, Abu Dhabi
In reference to the article Abu Dhabi police ticket 783 tailgaters (January 31), the fact that the police issued so many tailgating fines and only checked two streets would seem to imply that they only scratched the surface of the problem. Tailgating is a very dangerous practice and the police should issue fines to those who do it on any street at any time whenever they see it happen. Catching so many in such a short space of time only serves to highlight the problem and does nothing to bring it under control. To do that the police would need to issue fines consistently to all perpetrators all the time.
James Dean, Abu Dhabi
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation 2 to 5
Rating: 5/5
The biog
Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.
Favourite Hobby: Writing and cooking
Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
The specs
Engine: Single front-axle electric motor
Power: 218hp
Torque: 330Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 402km (claimed)
Price: From Dh215,000 (estimate)
On sale: September
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Nomad Homes
Started: 2020
Founders: Helen Chen, Damien Drap, and Dan Piehler
Based: UAE and Europe
Industry: PropTech
Funds raised so far: $44m
Investors: Acrew Capital, 01 Advisors, HighSage Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Partech, Precursor Ventures, Potluck Ventures, Knollwood and several undisclosed hedge funds
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
The specs
Engine: 77kWh 2 motors
Power: 178bhp
Torque: 410Nm
Range: 402km
Price: Dh,150,000 (estimate)
On sale: TBC
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Director: Wes Ball
Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand
Rating: 3.5/5
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km