ABU DHABI // Rules governing the use of jet skis have yet to be announced, more than a year after the Government revealed plans for firm regulations to safeguard the seas and beaches.
Jet ski riders, water sport rental firms, swimmers and authorities all agree that it is time for clear and specific guidelines.
"I love going out on the water. When I see the sea, I just want to go jet skiing," said Mohammed Matouk, 28, who rides at least once a week. "But without any rules, people are just coming and getting in accidents or splashing swimmers, which is very impolite, or they don't know what they are doing."
Shaikha Al Neaimi, a spokesman for the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA), which enforces maritime safety laws, said a committee is completing a study on what restrictions should be placed on jet skiers.
"We're dealing with jet skis a lot and teenagers who are driving too fast and getting in accidents," Ms Al Neaimi said. "We're just going to be implementing new regulations now. They're under process."
CNIA is teaming up with the Department of Transport (DoT) to develop laws.
Last year, the DoT announced its recommendations for laws on "personal watercraft" but no official regulations have been put in place. The recommendations included speed limits, compulsory licensing, registration and insurance for jet skis, and safety stickers.
In May 2010, officials announced the coastguard would begin regulating jet skis, but jet skiers, rental companies and swimmers say few changes have been made.
"There needs to be more education," Mr Matouk said. "I started riding about six years ago, and at that time, there were only a few people who rented jet skis. Now, there has been a very huge increase, and there are crowds of tourists on the water, and it's just not safe because these people have never had lessons."
Lifeguards on the Corniche said the waters off the Family Beach are often crowded with young men on jet skis "causing drama".
"They come out here, and ride right up to the buoys and try to show off for the ladies," one lifeguard said.
In the capital, it is unclear where jet skis are allowed.
Empros, a maritime leisure sport provider on the Corniche, said that they had not been informed about any new regulations, but that clarifying laws would help cut down on accidents and improve the customer experience. "It will be a win-win situation where everyone benefits," said Dina Gad, the company's development and marketing manager.
Ms Gad said Empros, which has operated in Abu Dhabi for 10 years, already has age restrictions for riders, and provides training for novices.
But increased awareness and proper signage on prohibited zones would be welcome.
"The clients should know where they should be in the water according to the weather, the tide, and the equipment," she said.
Meanwhile, in Dubai, regulations have been in place for more than two years, but residents say the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) could do more to ensure the waters are safe.
Ziad Roz, 27, just bought his own jet ski in April, and last week received a Dh1,200 fine for offences he said he never committed.
"It's crazy, because I am safe, but others make up the rules as they go," Mr Roz said. "People just go out and do what they want."
Riders in Dubai must be at least 14 and should wear a life jacket. Jet skis are only allowed between sunrise and sunset, and in one designated area near Umm Suqeim Fishing Harbour.
All jet skis must be licensed and registered. Rental companies are not allowed to operate within the emirate.
In May, the DMCA said it would more strictly enforce jet ski laws after a teenage boy was killed in an accident near Dubai Marina. Anyone now found breaking the regulations will see their craft confiscated and registration suspended.
"I have not seen any sign of it getting safer," said Melanie Harper, a 35-year-old mother of two young daughters. "I am afraid for my girls when I see the kids with jet skis in the water. They come right up to the beach and don't even check for swimmers."
Both the DoT and CNIA in Abu Dhabi and the DMCA in Dubai have said they plan to launch public awareness campaigns to inform residents on what exactly is allowed on the waters.
"I think that's the only way to have a safe maritime experience out there, to get some publicity for these issues," Mr Roz said.
"The authorities need to come up with a plan and make sure it is followed."
[ jthomas@thenational.ae ]
* With additional reporting by Euna Park
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
The five pillars of Islam
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
