Heavy rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country today as at least four people were killed in road accidents. Steady drizzle and intermittent downpours throughout the day have brought flooding to many of the roads in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while a thick blanket of black cloud cover has drastically reduced visibility. Two people died in a pile-up on the Dubai-Sharjah Road this morning while two more were killed and three critically injured in a collision on Emirates Road this afternoon.
In Abu Dhabi the director of traffic police, Col Hamad al Shamsi, said while most accidents were simple crashes due to heavy rain disturbing motorist's vision, around half a dozen had resulted in death and major injuries. "The flooded roads caused some cars to pile up," said Col al Shamsi. "As a result those who were not very careful got involved in minor crashes."
Abu Dhabi Police were not able to provide an exact figures for the number of accidents and casualties but said the major collisions happened on exterior roads off the island.
Police closed Al Mafraq bridge for a short period and diverted traffic to a different route due to pools of water gathering on the bridge. A deep puddle covered all lanes of Sheikh Zayed Road near Shahama, snarling the morning commute.
Brig Mohammad Saif al Zafien, director of the General Traffic Department of Dubai Police, said: "All drivers should drive at low speeds and be more cautious on the streets.
"Speed limits allow up to 120kph but under such conditions drivers should reduce their speeds significantly and exercise caution on the roads."
Brig al Zafien was unable to say if the poor conditions had so far caused more road traffic accidents than usual. Police in Ras al Khaimah also reported 86 accidents.
A spokesman for Etihad Airways said the rain had caused no flight delays and no delay in passengers checking in.
Mohammed al Abry, director of the Meteorological Department at The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, said there were chances of continuous rain over the following days, and that these chances were heightened at night.
A spokesperson for the Dubai Meteorological Office at the Dubai International Airport said today has been the wettest for the Emirate all week, with more than 18mm of rain falling by mid-afternoon.
Since record keeping began in 1967, the most precipitation dumped on Dubai in one day was 73 millimetres. At one point, Dubai saw 130 millimetres of rain during the month of December.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
