Safe driving should be made part of the school curriculum and learner drivers must be restricted from using powerful cars, if rules allowing 17-year-olds behind the wheel come into fruition, experts have said as sweeping new traffic laws are set to come into force from March 2025.
In the recent announcement, authorities said that a new federal decree law “sets the conditions for issuing a driving licence, including reaching the age of 17". While this does not confirm that the driving age for cars will be lowered to 17, it does make it a possibility.
The UAE's current laws state that when a person reaches 17.5 years, they are able to enrol in a driving course and start lessons when they turn 18. For motorbikes and people with special needs the legal age to start driving is 17, whereas motorists must turn 20 before they can operate heavy vehicles and tractors, and 21 to drive a bus.
Busier roads
Lowering the driving age could potentially result in busier roads while introducing new motorists who are more at risk of accidents.
Ministry of Interior data on traffic accidents showed that of the 352 road deaths in 2023, 45 per cent were of people aged 29 or younger, while government statistics also showed 16 per cent of major accidents involved new driving licence holders.
Road Safety UAE’s founder Thomas Edelmann said young people were three times more likely to be involved in fatal road accidents than older drivers, and more likely to flout the rules of the road.
“We have seen from behaviour research, that young motorists have the feeling of being invincible and score worst versus the average age in terms of pretty much all misbehaviour,” said Mr Edelmann. “This includes lower levels of seat belt use, more speeding, more tailgating, less use of the indicator and more distracted driving.
“The young driver segment is the most vulnerable one. Just lowering the legal driving age is not going to improve the situation. We need a better driving school education, which ideally must start in schools, like in many other countries with low driving age limits.”
Other control measures, such as limits on the size of engine young drivers are allowed to operate and rewards for safe driving could help to curb collisions.
“We also need a staged driving licence with limits to size and performance of vehicles and only after a certain number of years should the licence to be upgraded to a full licence, and only based on a 'clear sheet’, with no violations,” said Mr Edelmann.
“In many other countries with licensing below 18 years, novice drivers must be accompanied by an adult who has had the driving licence for a long period. Mandatory safe driving apps should be used for young drivers too, as this is place driven by the insurance companies in many countries.”
National traffic standards
Under Article 47 of the decree-law, other changes include establishing a Federal Traffic Council to align national standards. The body could bring into line more consistency with traffic signs, speed limits, the appearance of roads and national road safety campaigns.
Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs was also cited in the new regulations, with penalties given as firm monetary amounts in contrast to the past, when it would be decided by the court.
Article 35 states whoever drives or attempts to drive a vehicle on the road while under the influence of alcohol shall be punished by imprisonment and a minimum fine of Dh20,000, potentially rising to Dh100,000.
A driver’s licence would be suspended for at least three months for a first offence, six months if it is a second violation and the licence will be cancelled for a third breach.
Minimum penalties for driving under the influence of drugs are imprisonment and a Dh30,000 fine rising to Dh200,000 and a driving suspension of at least six months.
High insurance
In the UAE, you insure the car not the person, but insurers said novice drivers should still expect to pay the highest premiums for vehicles taking to the road for the first time.
Toshita Chauhan, business head for Health and Motor Insurance at Policybazaar.ae said lowering the legal driving age was likely to impact car insurance premiums due to the increased risk of accidents. “Insurers typically consider younger drivers higher risk due to lack of driving experience,” he said.
“Lowering the driving age to 17 would likely increase insurance premiums for this age group compared to older drivers as they have even less experience than those 18 and above. In the UAE, car insurance premiums for young drivers under 25 tend to be higher due to these increased risk factors.
“Insurers may adjust premiums further to account for the additional risk of younger drivers, potentially introducing specific age-related surcharges or requiring additional safety courses for those aged 17.”
Insurance premiums are likely to vary across providers based on their specific underwriting policies and risk assessments. Typically, car insurance for drivers is currently around 2.5 per cent of a car’s worth, if the vehicle value is Dh100,000 or under.
For young, newly qualified drivers the premium is around three per cent, and that could be even higher for 17-year-olds. Without any safe driving history, insurers are unable to pass on any previous no-claims discounts.
“The change in driving age to 17 introduces younger, less experienced drivers to UAE roads, a group that statistically shows higher accident rates,” said Muralikrishnan Raman, chief financial officer at Al Wathba Insurance.
“As insurers, we may need to adjust premiums accordingly to account for these factors, ensuring that younger drivers have well-balanced coverage. Road safety campaigns and mandatory defensive driving programmes are also vital in supporting this demographic’s transition to safe driving.”
The Voice of Hind Rajab
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Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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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.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
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On sale: Now
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The specs
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- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
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- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The%20specs
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
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Key facilities
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
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