DUBAI // Guests were allowed back to the Address Downtown Dubai yesterday to collect their belongings after the New Year’s Eve fire that ravaged the hotel and residential skyscraper.
Civil defence crews declared the building safe to enter, and safety squads began checking all the building’s 63 floors as people made their way back to their ash and soot-filled rooms.
“Our teams are inside the hotel for safety reasons, to control and keep all areas secure,” said Abu Nasser, a spokesman for Dubai Civil Defence.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, the Deputy Ruler, visited the scene. They met firefighters and others helping with the clean-up, and thanked the emergency services for controlling the fire.
Hotel guests who had fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs were allowed to re-enter the building in small groups.
Later, as they made their way back outside, some carried hastily packed plastic bags and suitcases.
Others used hotel trolleys to take their luggage and some were helped by porters.
But with the stairwells still filled with smoke, some hotel guests abandoned their plans to go back to their rooms.
“I felt panic, I couldn’t breathe, so I will come back another day,” said Dr Raina Sultan, from Saudi Arabia, whose room was on the 52nd floor.
“But I don’t think I will get anything from my room because my friend on the seventh floor said her things are all gone. Her stuff is black, burnt and running with water.”
Many guests, including one family of Malaysian tourists who stayed on the 12th floor, lost almost all their possessions.
“Everything in my room is burnt, even the safe,” said the father, who had been in one of the fountain viewing lounges on Thursday when the building was evacuated.
“I could get nothing, no documents, no clothes or my personal belongings,” he said, although he found some of his children’s clothes untouched by the fire.
A German couple on the ninth floor away from the fire were luckier.
“There was a strong smell of smoke but our belongings are safe so we are relieved,” said Axel Scechert, in Dubai for his fourth visit.
They were dining in the restaurant The Cut when they heard people yell “Fire” and were among the first to evacuate.
A group of women from Bahrain dragged bags into waiting taxis with soot-covered hands.
“Our clothes and luggage are wet, but thanks to Allah we have found all our documents,” the Bahraini tourist said.
In other hotel apartments overlooking the scorched The Address hotel, clean-up crews began work on yards and rooms.
“There is a lot of ash, pieces from the building, insulation and foam in the garden so there is a lot of cleaning work to be completed,” said Manafu Cristian, a Romanian tourist who along with his wife and two children fled the Souk Al Bahar residences near the burning tower on Thursday.
“We will come back to clear all our luggage. We only got our passports out because we heard people screaming and saw ash floating in the yard. The security told us to run. The children cried a lot and don’t want to come back but we have told them that accidents happen.”
The speed with which the fire spread has led some experts to question the quality of cladding on buildings in Dubai, although no cause has yet been determined.
“We have started conducting our investigations today,” said Dubai’s Chief of Police, Maj Gen Khamis Al Muzeina.
“We will need time to conduct a thorough and complete investigation.”
Emaar Properties, which owns the 63-storey luxury tower, said it was proud of the way the situation had been handled by both the emergency services and the community.
“Dubai has once again demonstrated its inherent strength and positivity with the swift, professional, calm and caring response to the fire incident at The Address Downtown Dubai hotel,” chairman Mohamed Alabbar said.
“We are extremely thankful to the leadership and guidance of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, for keeping our morale high, and for his prompt directives that enabled us to deal with a challenging situation with utmost professionalism.
“We also extend our heartfelt appreciation and debt of gratitude to the people of Dubai, especially the visitors to Downtown Dubai, for their patience and trust in us. Their orderly conduct demonstrated their confidence in Dubai’s officials to meeting any challenge calmly.
“Within minutes of the incident, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Police, Dubai Ambulance Services, the RTA, Dubai Heath Authority and all the governmental authorities concerned, coordinated and responded with maximum efficiency.
Guests and residents have been given alternative accommocation, Mr Alabbar said.
“Our immediate priority was ensuring the safety of our guests and colleagues, and we evacuated all of them safely in record time in a most orderly fashion. The authorities also ensured the safety of the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Downtown Dubai.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
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
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
Biography
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
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.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%C2%A0profile
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas