UAE weather live: Emirates hit by severe storms
Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road is no stranger to heavy traffic but usually motorists do not have to navigate several feet of water as well.
However, due to the excessive rainfall that engulfed most of the country on Tuesday, many drivers had no choice but to abandon their waterlogged vehicles and take their chances on foot.
Traffic remained at a standstill on Wednesday due to the treacherous weather that left the city and other parts of the country reeling.
The UAE was hit by more rain this week than it would expect to receive over more than a year, official figures revealed.
“I tried to get to work very early today but there was just too much water on the roads and the driver refused to move,” said Joseph Kimani, a mall retail sales worker, who was travelling in a bus provided by his employer.
“Vans and cars are parked on the side with people sitting inside for many hours.
“I decided to walk. Hopefully I will reach by evening.”
Traffic was at a standstill across many sections particularly near the Al Manara exit and Umm Suqeim areas.
Drivers kept to a single file in the fast lane to avoid cars stalling in the water that blanketed both sides of the motorway.
The extent of the water logging forced many motorists to make a U-turn weaving past incoming traffic seeking to reach the nearest exit.
Authorities removed the central barricade in several areas to allow cars through to the opposite side of the motorway.
In a sight rarely seen on the motorway, several men and women walked inside the median which divides the north and south stretch of the motorway.
Others said they had walked for long distances in knee-deep water.
With many vehicles breaking down in the extreme weather, they had little choice but to walk.
People gathered outside metro stations on Sheikh Zayed Road desperately trying to find a ride.
Stuck for hours
Some were on the roads for hours on Wednesday.
A Dubai resident spent five hours on Al Khail Road on Tuesday night trying to drop relatives to Dubai International Airport.
“The street lights and traffic lights were not working and there is only so much you can see with the headlights,” said the woman, who would only give her name as Mourvi.
“In 22 years that I’ve lived in Dubai, this is the first time I have seen the roads flooding like this.
“I was praying the water would not come into the car or we would be stranded like others.”
However, that was exactly what happened, leaving her and her sister-in-law, who was driving, no choice but to abandon the vehicle.
“She asked someone on the road for a lift to the airport but when they got there, the road to the airport was blocked and people were not allowed in,” she said.
Her family had no choice but to change their plans and went to Abu Dhabi on Wednesday where they flew out from to India.
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The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
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Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
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Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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