DUBAI // Residents and tourists could be zipping to nearby emirates in air-conditioned water taxis or chugging along Dubai's lakes and canals in battery-powered abras as part of the emirate's plan to develop its marine transport system.
Water taxis to Sharjah and Ajman are likely to be rolled out late next year once the service catches on in Dubai, said Khalid al Zahed, the director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) marine projects department. Wood-panelled heritage-style abras may begin operation in Dubai's Marina and downtown Burj areas by the end of this year, he added.
"Right now we are doing full assessment work," he said. "We have just started the water taxis so we must test it fully. Once we have a successful story and cover maximum Dubai areas, we can move to our neighbours."
There are plans to station at least two water taxis in Sharjah once service to the emirate begins to cut waiting time. The RTA has not yet worked out the fares that would be charged between emirates.
"It's a good idea. People enjoy travelling by water," said Ali Alvloushis, the head of Majellaan Marine, a Sharjah-based charter service.
The authorities "must keep in mind the waves and currents, so the location of the stations will be important", he said. "Where the stations are located will determine its success."
The sleek vessels, which cost Dh6 million each, have already made about 200 trips to 19 destinations linking Dubai's high-end hotels to tourist spots since their launch two weeks ago. A station will be added soon at Dubai Marina Mall.
"The numbers are very promising. We were expecting 100 trips so we have double of what we expected and we have still not launched our [advertising] campaign," Mr al Zahed said.
The RTA will run a promotion with the title "All aboard for stress-free travel" over the next week. Advertisements will appear on double-decker buses, on taxis, in newspapers and on the radio.
More than 60 per cent of the water taxi traffic so far has come from tourists hopping between hotels in north Dubai and the downtown souks, RTA figures show.
"It's definitely a new way for moving around for tourists and it's a fun way to discover Dubai," said Fabrice Ducry, the general manager of the Sofitel Hotel. "It will be a good impact for tourism."
Other reaction to the water taxi has been mixed, with residents terming it expensive and tourists backing it as a worthwhile experience if shared with friends. In response to resident complaints, the RTA has made changes in its booking system to enable vessel captains to accept spot fares just like a regular taxi.
The minimum fare for a water taxi is Dh50 for a ride across Creek Park. The fare can touch Dh570 for journeys from Dubai Festival City to the Jebel Ali Hotel and Spa. Those costs compare with boat cruises run by private operators who charge upwards of Dh200 per person for a two-hour ride and private charters that can cost as much as Dh3,000 per hour.
"It would be popular with tourists and I would certainly use it myself," said Scott Chambers, a Brazilian expatriate and the head of Surf Dubai. "Exploring the coastline will be a really good idea. Whichever way they do it they must also be environmentally aware about preserving Dubai's beautiful beaches."
The more traditional abras plying across Dubai Creek, which seat 20 people, cost Dh1 per person while air-conditioned water buses seating 36 passengers cost Dh2. Abras ferry about 50,000 commuters and water buses another 1,500 daily in downtown Dubai. The RTA plans to start an abra service in the Dubai Marina and downtown Burj Khalifa areas.
Unlike the traditional wooden abras, the new, more compact versions with a fibreglass body will carry six to eight passengers. The cost of the new vessels was not immediately available. While the old abras weigh about 10 tonnes, the new canvas-canopy boats will weigh about one tonne. Unlike the diesel boats operating in the creek, the new abras will be powered by electricity.
Fares for the new abras will cover the entire vessel and will not be billed per passenger, Mr al Zahed said. He declined to disclose the fee.
A prototype was used from November to December last year in the Global Village canal, offering a 20-minute ride for Dh50.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
Small Things Like These
Director: Tim Mielants
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson, Eileen Walsh
Rating: 4/5
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
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.
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Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
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