A team of Emirati volunteers, including jet ski racing champions and scuba divers, have been recognised for their role in helping stranded residents when the country was hit by its worst storms on record.
The 40-strong group of men and women came together to navigate flooded roads and streets to help bring food and medical supplies to people in waterlogged homes.
The grass roots response was mobilised by an impassioned plea for support sent out on WhatsApp when the country was lashed by nearly two years of rain in a single day last Tuesday.
“We have never had rain like this and I’m shocked like everyone, but to be honest, I’ve learnt that we can handle anything and whatever happens, we will be ready for it.
Jamal Al Janahi
Jet ski competitors Jamal Al Janahi, 33, and Saud Al Nuaimi, 37, both from Ajman, were determined to use their sporting prowess to help others out.
“I’ve always loved to help. Ever since I was young, if anyone’s car was stuck anywhere, I would get my car and help pull them out,” said Mr Al Janahi.
The father-of-three also used his off-road SUV to battle through rough terrain made largely inaccessible by the unprecedented deluge.
“Helping others is what I have always done and want to die doing,” he said.
“It isn’t only about being Emirati; it's about being human.”
Flood threat
The quickly-assembled group pinpointed the Al Suyoh district in Sharjah, which was among the worst hit.
“I knew that there were areas that would be difficult for the armed forces and military vehicles to reach easily, so I put out a call to all my friends to ask everyone who owned a jet ski or a boat to help the residents,” said Al Janahi.
“There would be hundreds if we didn’t stop. Everyone wanted to be part of it; everyone wanted to be with the government while they were assisting others.”
The small army of helpers worked for three days on boats and jet skis, travelling as far as Ajman and Dubai.
“Some needed their medications or their phones. We made sure they had what they needed,” he said.
Rising to the challenge
“We have never had rain like this and I’m shocked like everyone, but to be honest, I’ve learnt that we can handle anything and whatever happens, we will be ready for it.
“This is a desert country that has experienced more rain in one day than most countries experience in a month, and in less than a week, everything has gone back to normal. We unite during hardships and we come back stronger,”
The group included divers who descended into the floodwaters to open doors jammed due to the heavy rain.
Fellow jet ski rider Mr Al Nuami works for Dubai Police, but offered his support as a volunteer and not in his official capacity.
'We were all united: UAE nationals, expats, men and women, both young and old. We were a family who wanted to help one another. This is humanity and the love of your country," he said.
'We wanted to be side by side with the police, the civil defence, and the army while they did their job. Everyone wanted to contribute and help in their own way.”
His priority was to ensure lives were not lost in the treacherous weather, even if property fell by the wayside.
“If there was one goal, it was that no lives were lost in all of this because everything else can be replaced,” he said.
For the families who wanted to go back to their homes to retrieve belongings, Al Nuaimi would first ensure the house was safe for them to enter.
He would then accompany them inside and transport them back to their temporary accommodation.
Show of solidarity
Abdulrahman Al Hammadi's family, including his 65-year-old mother, leapt into action when the intense rains hit in Al Suyoh. They offered food, blankets and towels to residents – including young children who were shivering in fear.
Mr Al Hammadi received a frantic call from his sister, telling him her house was flooded.
“When I made sure my sister and nephews were safe, we got our boat and started to see if anyone needed help,' he said.
Mr Al Hammadi helped evacuate stricken residents on his boat, handing them over to armed forces members who will able to provide shelter in hotels.
Mr Al Hammadi helped evacuate a heavily pregnant woman who was in her last term.
"The bottom floor of her house was flooded, and I was worried that she would slip, and I knew it would be hard for her to climb up on to a boat, so we made a trail of tables that she could walk over until she reached the boat,” he said.
The team also got calls to come to the aid of pets caught up in the floods.
"We had so many calls from residents who wanted their cats or birds and even fish. For me and my family, we wanted not only to help evacuate but for everyone to be as comfortable as possible."
He remembers a young girl, aged about nine, who cried out to him, fearing she would die.
"I told her that nobody was going to die and lifted her up on my shoulders and put her on the boat,” he said.
"I didn't want us to lose any souls because that is the one thing that can't be replaced. I really didn't care about my own safety or all the damage or anything else.”
His sister, Hanan Al Hammadi, said it was a natural Emirati trait to give your all to help others.
“Helping others is an instinct that is in Emiratis and our family,” she said.
“If my father wasn't bedridden, he would be outside with us helping everyone.
“This is Emirati; we are here for one another; we sacrifice ourselves for others, and we unite.”
Sharjah hit by severe storms – in pictures
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
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Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
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You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
New schools in Dubai
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
Company%20Profile
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
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
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)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The%20specs
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match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham (Alli 61'), Davies (70')
Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
