Lorries and buses transporting labourers will be banned from travelling on Abu Dhabi roads during the National Day holidays. The National
Lorries and buses transporting labourers will be banned from travelling on Abu Dhabi roads during the National Day holidays. The National
Lorries and buses transporting labourers will be banned from travelling on Abu Dhabi roads during the National Day holidays. The National
Lorries and buses transporting labourers will be banned from travelling on Abu Dhabi roads during the National Day holidays. The National

Abu Dhabi announces lorry and worker bus ban for National Day celebrations


Salam Al Amir
  • English
  • Arabic

Lorries and buses transporting labourers will be banned from Abu Dhabi roads during National Day celebrations next week.

Abu Dhabi Police said the rule will be in place from noon on November 30 until 1am on Sunday, December 4.

The force said the traffic measures would take effect on all roads and streets on Abu Dhabi island, including Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa, Mussaffah and Maqtaa bridges.

“Vehicles that provide logistic support and general cleaning services will be exempt from the decision,” said Brig Mohammed Dahi Al Humairi, director of traffic and patrols.

He said extra patrols would be on duty during the busy period to help with traffic management.

“There will be stronger police presence and tighter control that makes use of smart services,” he said.

“The goal is to ensure a smooth traffic movement.”

Brig Al Humairi urged motorists to abide by safety rules.

Employees in the UAE will have a four-day weekend to mark Commemoration Day and the country's 51st National Day.

It will run from Thursday, December 1, through Saturday, December 3, and with Sunday, December 4 being a day off, employees will be back in the office on Monday, December 5.

Road rules for holiday

On Friday, Abu Dhabi Police set out rules to be followed by drivers during the festivities.

Police said people will be allowed to decorate their vehicles appropriately to mark the occasion, from November 28 to December 6, but all decorations must be removed after this period.

Those who fail to do so will be penalised, although authorities did not reveal details of the fines.

Other rules include not using spray paint on cars, not obstructing traffic or parking in undesignated areas.

People cannot change the colour of their vehicles, over-tint their car window glass, or obscure licence plates.

Drivers and passengers will not be allowed to leave their vehicles on roads with their engines running and pedestrians are urged to cross at designated areas only.

Police said drivers and passengers should not be seated in the back of pick-up trucks, stick their heads out of windows or sunroofs and must avoid littering and performing stunts.

It said inappropriate writing and stickers on vehicles are not allowed and urged people to avoid taking part in random crowding and parades.

Riding horses or camels on roads is not permitted.

UAE National Day celebrations — in pictures

  • The 50th National Day show in Hatta featured technology that recreated famous figures of the past, including a hologram of the seven leaders who formed the UAE. All photos: Dubai Media Office
    The 50th National Day show in Hatta featured technology that recreated famous figures of the past, including a hologram of the seven leaders who formed the UAE. All photos: Dubai Media Office
  • Part of the UAE's 50th National Day extravaganza in Hatta
    Part of the UAE's 50th National Day extravaganza in Hatta
  • The national colours on display at the UAE's 50th National Day event in Hatta
    The national colours on display at the UAE's 50th National Day event in Hatta
  • Fireworks light up the night sky at the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
    Fireworks light up the night sky at the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
  • The UAE's 50th National Day show in Hatta
    The UAE's 50th National Day show in Hatta
  • The UAE's 50th National Day show in Hatta
    The UAE's 50th National Day show in Hatta
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces watch the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
    Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces watch the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces watch the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
    Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces watch the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
  • Dignitaries take in the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
    Dignitaries take in the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations in Hatta
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GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

MATCH INFO

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)

Man of the match Harry Kane

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

SPECS
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MATCH INFO

Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)

TV: BeIN Sports

The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

It's up to you to go green

Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.

“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”

When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.

He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.

“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.

One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.  

The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.

Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.

But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Updated: November 26, 2022, 7:01 AM