Meaning paper or leaf, waraq, our Arabic word of the week, is used in contexts that range from the natural world to the commercial, from a typing centre to a tarneeb table.
Waraq naqdi is cash. Waraq carbon is carbon paper. Waraq damgha is a stamp, and waraq illiib is a playing card.
Hibr ala waraq is an idiom that literally translates to ink on paper, and which implies that even if a decision has been made on paper, it is only ink and means nothing until action is taken.
Awraq is waraq in its plural form. Awraq al kitab are the pages of a book. Awraq al shajar, the leaves on a tree. Awraq al daftar, pages of a notebook. Awraq al wared, petals of a rose.
Awraq can also mean documents. Awraq al masrifiye are bank documents. Awraq tijariya refer to trade papers or licences. Awraq itimad are credentials. Awraq al jarida are the pages of a newspaper.
Kashafa awraqahu/awraqahu can be said of a person who reveals his true intentions.
Aada tarteeb awraqahu/awraqaha can be said of a person who sets their financial or career plans in order.
Alwaraqa al akhira refers to a person’s last play in a card game and can be used as a wider metaphor for someone’s last stand.
Waraqat altalaa are divorce papers. Waraqa baidaa is an empty page, which can also be used to describe a pure-hearted, if somewhat naive, person.
As a verb, warraqa animates the word waraq. Warraqet alshajarah means a tree has grown leaves. Warraqet alajeeneh means the dough has been rendered into fine layers.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
