DUBAI // An eco-friendly city in the shape of a flower is to be built in the desert in Dubai.
Desert Rose City has been given the go-ahead and will feature schools, shopping malls, clinics and hospitals, villas and designated housing for Emiratis running on renewable energy.
Hussein Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, said that the project embodied the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and was in line with the UAE policy of following a sustainable approach to urbanisation.
He said that Dubai would make a huge contribution to the development of a low-carbon economy in the region through the city.
In addition, the city will have a police station, mosques and other services, with a focus on green spaces, reduced traffic jams and auto-recycling of waste.
It will be built using state-of-the-art technologies and techniques for the preservation of the environment and natural resources.
Dawood Al Hajiri, executive director of the municipality’s planning department, said that the Smart City would be completely sustainable and provide about 200 megawatts of electricity using photovoltaic roofs on homes and other premises.
He said that 75 per cent of the city would be dedicated to housing.
The first phase is expected to welcome 160,000 inhabitants to an area of more than 14,000 hectares.
It will rely on its own resources to provide transport and communications, to save energy and recycle waste water, providing more than 40,000 cubic metres of usable water.
Renewable energy and solar energy will be used for lighting, while the materials used in the construction will contribute to maximum security and safety, while remaining low cost.
Solar panels, covering a surface area of 65,000 hectares, will generate clean electricity and renewable energy.
No cost, timescale or location for Desert Rose City were given.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: OneOrder
Started: March 2022
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo
Number of staff: 82
Investment stage: Series A
FROM THE ASHES
Director: Khalid Fahad
Starring: Shaima Al Tayeb, Wafa Muhamad, Hamss Bandar
Rating: 3/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
