Members of a local team of rescuers were called into action to salvage a car that had been swept out to sea and pulled underwater.
UAE Rescue received a message for help on its Instagram page from a man who said water was seeping into his car due to a rising tide at Ghantoot, on the border of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
When the team arrived to offer assistance in Sunday's incident, they saw the situation had quickly escalated.
“On arrival to the location, I saw the car fully underwater," said Ahmad Hiskol, a volunteer from the rescue team.
The car owner was staying on the beach, where he was camping with friends. The car had been parked close by while they slept.
"They were surprised in the morning seeing the tide surrounding the car. They couldn’t drive it away,” Mr Hiskol said.
“Half of the car was under the water in the first picture they sent to me but after one hour the car was fully under the seawater.”
Mr Hiskol realised he would need back up and called a senior member of the rescue team for assistance. Both parked their vehicles on the beach and decided to use winches in their vehicles to pull the submerged car from the water.
“The car was very heavy as it was fully underwater. The cable snapped on first try as the weight of the car was about seven to eight tonnes,” Mr Hiskol added.
Another team member joined the rescue operation and placed another cable into the submerged car.
After three gruelling hours, the volunteers managed to pull the car slowly to land, while the car owner called a recovery service to pick it up.
“It was non-stop hours of work to pull the car out of the water," Mr Hiskol said. "It was the first time we got such a distress call but it's another challenge accomplished."
Senior rescuer Ayham Takouz said the team receives more than 200 calls each week from across the UAE.
“Anyone needing help can send a request through the team’s app, set the location, send photos of the car and a contact number," he said. "The request will be received from our end and anyone near to the location will respond."
Rescue history
The UAE Rescue Team was established in 2018 to save people in rough terrain but later started operating at sea. The team has expanded to more than 230 volunteers.
“I’m a resident in the UAE since 2012," said Mr Hiskol, an operations assistant manager for a private company. "I joined the rescue team last year during the heavy rainfall and floods. I have a passion to go off-roading and rescue people in the desert."
Despite their growing numbers and advanced operations, the team insists the service will remain free of charge.
“I love helping people and doing something useful for the community," Mr Hiskol said. "This is my second country and my home for over 13 years. My dream is one day to get the UAE Golden Visa."
UAE Rescue consists of skilled professionals, including divers, paramedics, doctors and firefighters. Some members even use gliders to conduct aerial searches for missing people in the vast desert.
The team says anyone can join if they have the passion and time to help people in need.
Every volunteer undergoes specialised training to ensure they are fully equipped for rescue operations. They are taught how to handle emergencies and what gear to carry when responding to distress calls. So far, the team has trained 3,000 people and responded to more than 200,000 calls.
Watch: The National joins UAE Rescue out in the desert
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
