AL AIN // One month after police blamed illegal performance-enhancing car modifications for a crash that killed a 21-year-old man and 16-year-old boy, their sale and installation continues unchecked.
The four-wheel-drive was travelling at high speed on June 21, far beyond what it was designed to handle, when the driver lost control for no apparent reason, said Al Ain Police.
The vehicle was going so fast it flipped three times, throwing its passengers clear, before it burst into flames.
"The vehicle was illegally equipped with headers, a turbocharger, modified exhausts, and other equipment to increase speed and horsepower," Lt Col Hamad al Balooshi, head of the Al Ain Traffic Police, said. "These illegal items push a vehicle to perform beyond its structural limits and lead to loss of control, crashes and car fires."
Yet the very same modifications cited in that fatal crash are advertised in car magazines, such as Auto Trader, where sellers boast they can as much as double a vehicle's horsepower. Car parts shops promote "power packages": combinations of headers, turbochargers, superchargers, modified exhausts, performance chips and nitrous oxide.
At NFS Automotive in Dubai, such performance packages are for sale at prices ranging from Dh14,000 to Dh45,000. One promised to more than double the horsepower of a Mitsubishi Evo-X, from its standard 300 to 650. The enhancement purports to allow the vehicle to reach speeds of 300kph, up from the advertised top speed of 248kph.
Effect-A-Vation of Dubai also offered superchargers, including one option for a Hummer H2 for Dh27,000. And although the H2 has a factory-installed speed limiter that does not allow it to be driven at more than 160kph, Black Tiger Establishment of Abu Dhabi offers performance chips, such as the Flashpaq Superchip for Dh2,500, that reprogramme the vehicle's computer to disengage the speed limiter and shift gears at higher RPMs.
Andrew Thompson, 38, an administrative specialist, was travelling in a Hummer H2 that had been modified with the Flashpaq Superchip on a return trip from Liwa earlier this year. When the driver floored the accelerator the vehicle reached speeds of 195kph on the highway, far beyond what the heavy vehicle was designed to endure.
"The truck started swaying from side to side violently when it reached 190kph," Mr Thompson said. "The driver and I got nervous so he slowed down, but I'm sure that if he had continued at that speed he would have lost control and flipped over. At that speed, a crash would have killed us both."
Lt Mabkhoot al Kirbi of the Abu Dhabi Traffic Police said: "The installation of performance parts in street cars is absolutely illegal Emirates-wide."
While the sale of performance parts is legal, they are only to be installed in cars for use on the race track and other specialised places. Once the parts are installed, the car is no longer "street legal" and should only be transported from one place to another by a tow truck. Legally, he said, it cannot be driven even two metres from the shop that installed the parts.
"Yes, many places are selling these parts and have permits to do so," said Lt al Kirbi. "But if we find a car with performance parts installed being used on public streets then the owner will be fined and the car impounded."
A sales consultant at NFS Automotive in Dubai, who spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed it was not sale and installation of performance-enhancing parts that was illegal, but their use on public roads. All clients are made to sign a declaration that the boosters would be used only off-road, either in the desert or at the Dubai Autodrome, he said.
Abdul Mutalib Hindi, a salesman from India at Effect-A-Vation, said: "The police are not a problem in general, unless you use the car to speed on a public street. It's definitely best not to use cars with these parts in them there."
The UAE rally champion Mohammed Bin Sulayem, vice president of the FIA, the world motorsport governing body, and 14-time Middle East Rally champion, said young men needed to be made aware of the risks involved in illegal street racing.
"Drivers have to understand that a car is a tool, and how you use it has implications," he said. "I encourage our youth to take part in motor sports, but they have to do it responsibly. You cannot just get your car modified and head out onto public streets. The proper place to learn how to drive and to test your car is the race track, where rules and regulations are in place."
One young motoring enthusiast, a 27-year-old Al Ain resident who would only give his first name of Saleh, has crashed two of the four vehicles he has owned in the past nine years.
He drives a 2001 Ford Mustang fitted with about Dh9,000 worth of performance-enhancing parts. Some he bought in Dubai, others he ordered from the US and had installed at a friend's shop in Al Ain.
When told that the Al Ain Police said these parts were illegal on public roads, he was surprised but said he didn't care.
"Look at my car, does it look different than any other Mustang?" he asked. "It doesn't. The police won't know what I have under the hood unless they see me racing. I would get in trouble for that, but not for having the parts."
ealghalib@thenational.ae
Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier
From September 18-25, Abu Dhabi
. The two finalists advance to the main event in South Africa in February 2023
Group A: United States, Ireland, Scotland, Bangladesh
Group B: UAE, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea
UAE group fixtures:
Sept 18, 3pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium – UAE v Thailand
Sept 19, 3pm, Tolerance Oval - PNG v UAE
Sept 21, 7pm, Tolerance Oval – UAE v Zimbabwe
UAE squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Esha Oza, Kavisha Kumari, Rinitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Khushi Sharma, Theertha Satish, Lavanya Keny, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Natasha Cherriath, Indhuja Nandakumar, Vaishnave Mahesh, Siya Gokhale, Samaira Dharnidharka
Inside Out 2
Director: Kelsey Mann
Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri
Rating: 4.5/5
Forced Deportations
While the Lebanese government has deported a number of refugees back to Syria since 2011, the latest round is the first en-mass campaign of its kind, say the Access Center for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization which monitors the conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
“In the past, the Lebanese General Security was responsible for the forced deportation operations of refugees, after forcing them to sign papers stating that they wished to return to Syria of their own free will. Now, the Lebanese army, specifically military intelligence, is responsible for the security operation,” said Mohammad Hasan, head of ACHR.
In just the first four months of 2023 the number of forced deportations is nearly double that of the entirety of 2022.
Since the beginning of 2023, ACHR has reported 407 forced deportations – 200 of which occurred in April alone.
In comparison, just 154 people were forcfully deported in 2022.
Violence
Instances of violence against Syrian refugees are not uncommon.
Just last month, security camera footage of men violently attacking and stabbing an employee at a mini-market went viral. The store’s employees had engaged in a verbal altercation with the men who had come to enforce an order to shutter shops, following the announcement of a municipal curfew for Syrian refugees.
“They thought they were Syrian,” said the mayor of the Nahr el Bared municipality, Charbel Bou Raad, of the attackers.
It later emerged the beaten employees were Lebanese. But the video was an exemplary instance of violence at a time when anti-Syrian rhetoric is particularly heated as Lebanese politicians call for the return of Syrian refugees to Syria.
Honeymoonish
Director: Elie El Samaan
Starring: Nour Al Ghandour, Mahmoud Boushahri
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 + VAT and Dh166,464 + VAT
On sale: now
The Specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: DarDoc
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founders: Samer Masri, Keswin Suresh
Sector: HealthTech
Total funding: $800,000
Investors: Flat6Labs, angel investors + Incubated by Hub71, Abu Dhabi's Department of Health
Number of employees: 10
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
Autumn international scores
Saturday, November 24
Italy 3-66 New Zealand
Scotland 14-9 Argentina
England 37-18 Australia
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
'Nope'
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun
Rating: 3.5/5
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
Sweet Tooth
Creator: Jim Mickle
Starring: Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Adeel Akhtar, Stefania LaVie Owen
Rating: 2.5/5
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90'+3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: HyperPay
Started: 2014
Founder: Muhannad Ebwini
Based: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Industry: FinTech
Funding size: $55m
Investors: AB Ventures, Amwal Capital, INet, Mada VC, Mastercard, SVC