Small traders fear they will be squeezed out of downtown Abu Dhabi as millions of square feet of retail space in shopping malls are built. Modern shopping centres in the capital offer a variety of shopping options, free parking and air conditioning, leaving the smaller players struggling for their survival. "We used to be the place where people came to shop but now many are no longer coming to us, they go to the malls," says Khamis Hussain, a jewellery trader.
The gross leasable area for shopping malls in the emirate is expected to jump 253 per cent, from 398,800 sq metres at the start of this year to 1.4 million sqmetres by 2012, according to the Colliers MENA region property report for this year. The report says two of the largest shopping centres being built will be completed within two years. Danet Mall, with a gross leasable area of 185,000 sq metres, is expected to be finished next year and Yas Mall, with a gross leasable area of 296,000 sq metres, is expected to be completed in 2012.
Before the arrival of big malls in the capital, the retailing needs of the city were met by the small traders in street-front shops. Certain streets in Abu Dhabi became known for selling specific goods, such as Defence Street for mobile phones, Elektra Street for electronics and Hamdan Street for jewellery. "It was like one business starts somewhere and it succeeds, then everybody else establishes the same kind of business in that location hoping for the same kind of success," says Mahmoud Gaber, a long-time resident of the capital.
Mr Gaber says these small businesses played a vital role in the growth of Abu Dhabi. "Now we are losing out because they go to big malls which are fancier than us," says Mahmoud Salim, an electronics retailer in Elektra Street. Some Abu Dhabi residents say they appreciate the role small businesses played in shaping the city, but think they have outlived their relevance. "I think the idea of driving to four or five different places to do your shopping is becoming outdated," says one resident, Salma Hamid.
"So I now prefer a one-stop shopping in the mall where I find everything I want, free of commuting here and there and free of increasingly bad traffic." Maryam Yousef, another resident, says: "I think it's more stylish, especially for us young people, to go to a mall where we can hang out, shop, eat and do other things rather than going to Hamdan Street or Defence Street. "Those places are not cool for us. They don't even have amenities."
Abu Dhabi's wealth of new malls is attracting much interest abroad. "The expansion of shopping centres had just begun to take off in Abu Dhabi and it is expected to increase further," a retailing report by Euromonitor International said this year. "The development and opening of shopping centres is expected to put Abu Dhabi firmly on the global retailing map." Despite the ambitious expansion plans and the rapid migration of their customers to the malls, the capital's small traders say they hope to keep some loyal customers who will continue to value their historic role.
"So we will continue to stay open for them and to preserve our part of the city's heritage," says Muhammed Qasim, a jeweller in Hamdan Street.
business@thenational.ae
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
