Once upon a time, cash ruled my world. And that was a pretty normal way to live in the UAE circa 2008, when everybody expected to be paid in cash, including the guy who’s side hustle was washing your car every other day. “Cash only, ma’am,” he would say when it came time to pay him at the end of the month.
Then there was the Persian carpet seller, who’d come knocking on my door once a month with a treasure trove of musty smelling, but beautifully handmade rugs slung over his shoulder. I bought a few of those – but always in cash.
He’d let me try them out on my floors for a month at a time and he’d be back to seal the sale and collect his cash – or not, but not before talking me into trying out another carpet for another month until he eventually made a (cash) sale.
Those were the early days of my time in the Emirates, when I would try to plan my expenses for the week and make sure I had a steady supply of cash on me. Inevitably, though, I’d find myself making a mad dash to an ATM at odd times of the day or night because I’d run out of money.
Those days, of course, are long gone.
By the time the Covid-19 movement restrictions were introduced in March last year, I remember having just Dh25 ($6.80) in my wallet. While my reliance on cash had been waning for quite a while as contactless payments became more widely accepted, it accelerated once I started working from home.
I actually used that Dh25 to pay Emirates Post after they delivered a package to my home in April last year. At the time, I didn’t realise just how important that moment was: not only was it the last time I used cash, but it also marked the last time I set eyes on a banknote.
The realisation that I’d been living a completely cashless life hit me just the other week, when I was moving apartments. The building management company wanted me to pay cash for the property registration fee and the security deposit.
Once upon a time, I would have been embarrassed to say I didn’t have any cash to pay for something. But after explaining to the building management company why I didn’t have any cash, they were happy to accept an online transfer. Now all I have to do is convince them that four rent cheques a year should be replaced with automatic quarterly transfers, but that’s easier said than done (and another story).
Of course, I'm not the only one to avoid using cash because I'm worried about the spread of infection through banknotes and coins. Millions of others have also switched to digital payments and e-wallets and are opting to go cashless, according to a March survey by moneytransfers.com.
The survey, which used YouGov data to rank 21 countries that are likely to accept a fully cashless economy, found that consumers in India, the UAE and Indonesia were the most likely to opt for digital payments.
So it's no surprise then that consumer spending through digital wallets will hit $10 trillion in 2025, up from $5.5tn in 2020, a report by the UK-based Juniper Research said.
Meanwhile, another study by Standard Chartered last September found that 64 per cent of respondents expect the UAE to be a fully cashless society by 2030.
Once upon a time, I would have been embarrassed to say I didn't have any cash to pay for something
So it seems that our cashless lives will continue. Do I miss cash? No, I don't. But to be honest, I haven’t thought about it – and remember, it took me a while to even realise I hadn’t seen a banknote for more than a year.
But I do wonder how those people with the side hustles are faring, like the guy who used to wash my car. Does he run around with a card reader in his back pocket now? Or perhaps these days, he’s got an e-wallet and can accept instant transfers from his customers.
I know I don’t miss cash – in fact, I manage my money better these days as I’m more aware of when I spend it, particularly as I do everything online now, from paying bills to buying groceries, furniture, clothes and gifts.
My cashless life, however, would be complete if I could convince my landlord to finally accept automatic transfers. That said, I won't give up hope that the UAE’s rental market will one day catch up with the rest of the country and embrace 21st-century modes of payment.
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
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Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
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Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
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- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
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All%20We%20Imagine%20as%20Light
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
