DUBAI // Phased closures of roads near Burj Khalifa as well as the nearby Metro station on the evening of New Year’s Eve have been announced by the Roads and Transportation Authority.
It is part of a wide ranging RTA strategy aimed at dealing with almost a million revellers that are expected to use public transport on New Year’s Eve.
As in previous years Burj Khalifa Metro station will be closed from 10pm on December 31 to 6am on January 1.
“The RTA had mapped out the operational plan necessary for serving commuters on the eve of the New Year, which normally experiences traffic congestion,” said Metha bin Udai, chief executive of Traffic and Roads Agency who will be heads the operational planning for annual events.
“The plan covers Burj Khalifa district where massive numbers of signboards are being installed to direct traffic from and to the area.”
Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard will shut 6 pm to 8 pm depending on the overall flow of traffic flow.
At 8pm the upper and lower decks of the Financial Centre Road will close.
Al Saada Road will close beginning with the Al Murooj Rotana intersection leading to Burj Khalifa and tunnel at 6pm; Zabeel Intersection at 8 pm; Emirates Towers roundabout leading to Al Saada Road at 10 pm; Al Asayel Road at 4pm although public transport and VIP access will continue and Al Sukook Road at 8pm.
“Traffic is guided to multiple directions including Oud Metha Road, Al Asayel Road, Zabeel bridges, Al Saada Road, and internal roads at the Business Bay area to access Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road in order to ease the pressure on the Financial Center Road,” said Mr Udai.
“To ensure a smooth traffic flow, light signals on the Financial Center Road and Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard would be monitored and controlled to ensure the maximum possible traffic flow at peak hours.”
Around 17,000 car parking spaces at Emaar District made up of spaces in Dubai Mall and surrounding areas and 5,000 spaces outside the event area.
Buses will shuttle in people from car parks at Al Wasl Club, EID Prayers Musalla (Mankhool) at Trade Center, the Department of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (Jafiliya) and Zabeel Park.
Direction signs to these car parks have been added.
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New Year’s Eve guide
■ Dining guide
■ Watch Downtown Dubai fireworks here
■ Coldplay in Abu Dhabi
■ Top music events
■ Family-friendly events
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This year pedestrians will be able to cross Sheikh Zayed Road near Burj Khalifa Metro Station under supervision by Dubai Police who will place extra officers on the route parallel to Burj Khalifa to direct pedestrians.
An additional 160 buses will feed metro stations and alternative parking spaces in addition to existing services with an estimated 60,000 customers being transported.
More than 900,000 people are expected to use Dubai Metro on December 31 and around 480,000 on January 1 with service frequency from 2.38minutes to 8 minutes per train.
New Years Eve Tam rider number will reach 28,000 and 19,500 on New Year’s Day.
There will be designated taxi ranks located at the alternative car park areas with 36,450 customers in 17,160 journeys during the New Year’s celebrations.
There will be fireworks display along the Water Canal from Burj Khalifa to the new site of the Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour.
As a result all boat movements on the canal from Jumeirah Road to Ras Al Khor will halt from 10pm on New Year’s Eve to 6am on New Year’s Day.
Footbridges and associated lifts will be closed for the safety and the Walk on the Sheikh Zayed Bridge above the Water Canal will also be closed.
For more details visit www.rta.ae
nhanif@thenational.ae
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
