At least 46 dead in five US states due to 'historic' Ida flooding


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US President Joe Biden is visiting Louisiana on Friday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in the southern US state on Sunday.

The visit comes days after the storm's remnants struck the US north-east and mid-Atlantic regions, which suffered "historic" flooding and devastating tornadoes.

Catastrophic flooding has left at least 46 dead in five states, Reuters reported on Friday.

In a televised address on Thursday, US President Joe Biden pledged robust help for the north-east as well as the Gulf Coast region, saying extreme events like Ida are a reminder that the climate crisis is real.

“These extreme storms, and the climate crisis, are here,” Mr Biden said. “We must be better prepared. We need to act.”

Mr Biden spoke with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and said that he planned to speak with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have all declared states of emergency.

The president added he would order the use of military drones and satellites to speed up the “complicated and really dangerous” repair work.

  • Cars sit abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx following a night of heavy wind and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in New York City. AFP
    Cars sit abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx following a night of heavy wind and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in New York City. AFP
  • Cars sit abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx following a night of heavy wind and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in New York City. AFP
    Cars sit abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx following a night of heavy wind and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in New York City. AFP
  • People visit the flooded Bethesda Fountain in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
    People visit the flooded Bethesda Fountain in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
  • A flooded Valero gas station is seen on South Street on September 2, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey as Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency due to Tropical Storm Ida which caused flooding and power outages throughout the state. AFP
    A flooded Valero gas station is seen on South Street on September 2, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey as Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency due to Tropical Storm Ida which caused flooding and power outages throughout the state. AFP
  • United States Geological Survey workers push a boat as they look for residents on a street flooded as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida in Somerville, New Jersey on September 2, 2021. AP
    United States Geological Survey workers push a boat as they look for residents on a street flooded as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida in Somerville, New Jersey on September 2, 2021. AP
  • Cars are left stranded in flood water under a bridge after the remnants of Hurricane Ida produced heavy rain and caused widespread flooding in New York City, New York, on September 2, 2021. EPA
    Cars are left stranded in flood water under a bridge after the remnants of Hurricane Ida produced heavy rain and caused widespread flooding in New York City, New York, on September 2, 2021. EPA
  • A person takes a photo of flooded benches near Bow Bridge in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
    A person takes a photo of flooded benches near Bow Bridge in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
  • A seating area is flooded near Bow Bridge in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
    A seating area is flooded near Bow Bridge in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
  • Tiger Lily Koch, 10, plays with her brother, Adrien Koch at a flooded playground after the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida brought drenching rain and the threat of flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-Atlantic, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on September 2, 2021. Reuters
    Tiger Lily Koch, 10, plays with her brother, Adrien Koch at a flooded playground after the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida brought drenching rain and the threat of flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-Atlantic, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on September 2, 2021. Reuters
  • People do yoga near the flooded Bethesda Fountain in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
    People do yoga near the flooded Bethesda Fountain in Central Park after a night of extremely heavy rain caused by Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021, in New York City. AFP
  • Water is pumped out of the basement of a home on Clifford Street on September 2, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. AFP
    Water is pumped out of the basement of a home on Clifford Street on September 2, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. AFP
  • A person cleans the porch of their house after a night of high winds and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in Mamaroneck, New York. AFP
    A person cleans the porch of their house after a night of high winds and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in Mamaroneck, New York. AFP
  • Floodwater covers South Street on September 2, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. AFP
    Floodwater covers South Street on September 2, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. AFP
  • Roads are covered in floodwaters caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida which brought drenching rain, flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northeast in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, on September 2, 2021. Reuters
    Roads are covered in floodwaters caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida which brought drenching rain, flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northeast in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, on September 2, 2021. Reuters
  • People gather to look at floodwater that continues to rise over the submerged Vine Street Expressway, Interstate 676, following a huge storm caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP
    People gather to look at floodwater that continues to rise over the submerged Vine Street Expressway, Interstate 676, following a huge storm caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 2, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP
  • Roads are covered in floodwaters caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida which brought drenching rain, flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northeast in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on September 2, 2021. Reuters
    Roads are covered in floodwaters caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida which brought drenching rain, flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northeast in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on September 2, 2021. Reuters

At least 15 people have died in New York City, including 11 who were trapped in basements, the New York City Police Department said.

Floodwaters and a falling tree also took lives in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

At least 25 others were killed in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

The chief of the NYPD’s community affairs bureau, Jeffrey Maddrey, said officers were going to door-to-door searching for people who may have been trapped or killed.

“We did not know that between 8.50pm and 9.50pm last night that the heavens would literally open up and bring Niagara Falls level of water to the streets of New York,” Ms Hochul said at a briefing in Queens on Thursday.

In an earlier phone call, Mr Biden “offered any assistance the state needs,” she said.

Ms Hochul filed for federal support in the counties that were hit hardest by the torrential rains and flooding.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said weather projections had failed to predict such a cataclysmic downpour.

“We’re getting from the very best experts projections that then are made a mockery of in a matter of minutes,” he said.

“That turned into the biggest single hour of rainfall in New York City history with almost no warning.”

New York and New Jersey leaders addressed the urgency of addressing infrastructure, something that Mr Biden noted in his speech. The president said he will further press Congress to pass his nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill to improve roads, bridges, the electric grid and sewer systems.

In Pennsylvania, record flooding inundated homes, swamped cars and disrupted rail service in the Philadelphia area.

Emergency workers in the county completed more than 450 water rescues.

On Wednesday night Mr de Blasio declared a state of emergency due to what he called a “historic weather event” with record rain across the city leading to flooding and dangerous conditions on the road, Reuters reported.

The city's subway lines were suspended late on Wednesday as the remnants of Hurricane Ida brought drenching rain and the threat of flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-Atlantic, CNN reported.

At least one person was killed as the flooding hit the New Jersey city of Passaic, Mayor Hector Lora told CNN.

NBC New York reported that one more person had died in New Jersey and eight had died in New York City, including a 2-year-old boy. Local media reported that people were trapped in their basements as the storm sent water surging through the city.

Mr Lora said the body of a man in his 70s was retrieved from the floodwaters. The vehicle the man was riding in was swept away by the water and firefighters were swept under it, preventing them from reaching him, CNN said.

“Take shelter NOW. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Move to a lower floor and stay away from windows,” New York City's emergency notification body said on Twitter.

The city issued a travel ban right before 1am that was in effect until 5am on Thursday.

“All non-emergency vehicles must be off NYC streets and highways,” the emergency management office said.

Late on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority told customers in an email that “service is extremely limited, if not even suspended, because of heavy rainfall and flooding across the region”.

The city's subway said 18 lines had been suspended.

At least five flash-flood emergencies were issued on Wednesday evening by the National Weather Service, stretching from west of Philadelphia through northern New Jersey.

Mr Murphy declared a state of emergency and said the storm caused 57,519 power cuts across the state and “these numbers are climbing".

Newark, LaGuardia and JFK airports cancelled hundreds of flights as flooding closed major roads across boroughs of the metropolis including Manhattan, The Bronx and Queens.

Almost all of New Jersey's rail services were suspended.

The city earlier issued a rare flash-flood emergency warning, urging residents to move to higher ground.

“Significant and life-threatening flash flooding is likely from the mid-Atlantic into southern New England,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin, and added that seven to 20 centimetres of rain could drench the region through Thursday.

  • Cars stuck on a street flooded by heavy rain as remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the area in the Queens borough of New York, New York. EPA
    Cars stuck on a street flooded by heavy rain as remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the area in the Queens borough of New York, New York. EPA
  • A police car on a street flooded by heavy rain as remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the area in the Queens borough of New York, New York. EPA
    A police car on a street flooded by heavy rain as remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the area in the Queens borough of New York, New York. EPA
  • A man navigates a street flooded by heavy rain as remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the area in the Queens borough of New York, New York. EPA
    A man navigates a street flooded by heavy rain as remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the area in the Queens borough of New York, New York. EPA
  • General view of a flooded road in Yonkers, as local media reported the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida bringing drenching rain and the threat of flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-Atlantic, in New York in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. Reuters
    General view of a flooded road in Yonkers, as local media reported the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida bringing drenching rain and the threat of flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-Atlantic, in New York in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. Reuters
  • Vehicles are stranded on a flooded road in Yonkers, as local media reported the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida bringing drenching rain and the threat of flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-Atlantic, in New York, in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. Reuters
    Vehicles are stranded on a flooded road in Yonkers, as local media reported the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida bringing drenching rain and the threat of flash floods and tornadoes to parts of the northern mid-Atlantic, in New York, in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. Reuters
  • Watch as New York subway station gets flooded with water as a result of Hurricane Ida. Photo: Screenshot
    Watch as New York subway station gets flooded with water as a result of Hurricane Ida. Photo: Screenshot
  • A golf cart navigates a flooded road at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre as heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida hit Flushing Meadows, New York. EPA
    A golf cart navigates a flooded road at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre as heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida hit Flushing Meadows, New York. EPA
  • Hurricane Ida is one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the US. EPA
    Hurricane Ida is one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the US. EPA
  • Ida's force is so strong that roofs have been ripped off buildings – the flow of the Mississippi River was even reversed. EPA
    Ida's force is so strong that roofs have been ripped off buildings – the flow of the Mississippi River was even reversed. EPA
  • NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 01: A delivery worker makes their way in the rainfall from Hurricane Ida during a flood on Intervale Avenue on September 1, 2021, in the Bronx borough of New York City. The once category 4 hurricane passed through New York City, dumping 3. 15 inches of rain in the span of an hour at Central Park. David Dee Delgado / Getty Images / AFP
    NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 01: A delivery worker makes their way in the rainfall from Hurricane Ida during a flood on Intervale Avenue on September 1, 2021, in the Bronx borough of New York City. The once category 4 hurricane passed through New York City, dumping 3. 15 inches of rain in the span of an hour at Central Park. David Dee Delgado / Getty Images / AFP
  • NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 01: Rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida floodsIntervale Avenue on September 1, 2021, in the Bronx borough of New York City. The once category 4 hurricane passed through New York City, dumping 3. 15 inches of rain in the span of an hour at Central Park. David Dee Delgado / Getty Images / AFP
    NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 01: Rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida floodsIntervale Avenue on September 1, 2021, in the Bronx borough of New York City. The once category 4 hurricane passed through New York City, dumping 3. 15 inches of rain in the span of an hour at Central Park. David Dee Delgado / Getty Images / AFP
  • The Category 4 storm hit New Orleans on the same date Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi 16 years earlier. EPA
    The Category 4 storm hit New Orleans on the same date Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi 16 years earlier. EPA
  • Ida’s 230kph made it the equal fifth-strongest hurricane to hit mainland US. EPA
    Ida’s 230kph made it the equal fifth-strongest hurricane to hit mainland US. EPA
  • A 'flash flood emergency' was issued for the first time in New York City as heavy rains lashed the region. EPA
    A 'flash flood emergency' was issued for the first time in New York City as heavy rains lashed the region. EPA
  • Rain falls into the mostly covered Louis Armstrong Stadium on the third day of the US Open Tennis Championships in New York. EPA
    Rain falls into the mostly covered Louis Armstrong Stadium on the third day of the US Open Tennis Championships in New York. EPA
  • Rain falls outside the Arthur Ashe Stadium during the second round of the US Open Tennis Championships. AP Photo
    Rain falls outside the Arthur Ashe Stadium during the second round of the US Open Tennis Championships. AP Photo
  • A fan takes cover from the rain in the Louis Armstrong Stadium during a match between Kevin Anderson of South Africa and Diego Schwartzman of Argentina. AP Photo
    A fan takes cover from the rain in the Louis Armstrong Stadium during a match between Kevin Anderson of South Africa and Diego Schwartzman of Argentina. AP Photo

In Annapolis, 50 kilometres from the US capital, a tornado ripped up trees and toppled electric poles.

A 19-year-old man was killed in Maryland and another person went missing after a building was flooded on Wednesday, bringing the death toll from Ida to seven.

The hurricane, which hit Louisiana on Sunday as a Category 4, is now a post tropical cyclone, the National Hurricane Centre said.

Ida is expected to continue steaming north and bring heavy rainfall on Thursday to New England, which was hit by a rare tropical storm in late August.

Mr Biden is due to travel on Friday to Louisiana, where Ida destroyed buildings and left more than a million homes without power.

Hurricanes are common in the southern US, but scientists have warned of a rise in cyclone activity as the ocean surface warms due to climate change, posing an increasing threat to the world's coastal communities.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Results

2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m

Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).

2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m

Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m

Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m

Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m

Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.

4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m

Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.

5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m

Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.

Name: Colm McLoughlin

Country: Galway, Ireland

Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free

Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clinicy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Prince%20Mohammed%20Bin%20Abdulrahman%2C%20Abdullah%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%20and%20Saud%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2025%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20More%20than%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Gate%20Capital%2C%20Kafou%20Group%20and%20Fadeed%20Investment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Anna and the Apocalypse

Director: John McPhail

Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton

Three stars

Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
  • Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
  • Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
  • Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
  • Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
  • 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
  • Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go

The flights 

Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.

The trip

The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore  offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.

The hotel

There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.

 

 

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Cofe

Year started: 2018

Based: UAE

Employees: 80-100

Amount raised: $13m

Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group 

Updated: September 03, 2021, 3:59 PM