Clacton's hardest-working immigrants feel the heat of a migration election


Tariq Tahir
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  • Arabic

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Launching an informal tour of the town where Nigel Farage is expected to triumph as an MP, Rewa Ahmad reels off a list of the successful small businesses and the countries that are the homeland of their owners.

“I’m Kurdish – Turkish, Vietnamese, Bangladeshi over there – Cypriot, Iranian … and if you go further down the street there’s a Turkish-Kurdish restaurant,” the 32-year-old, also known by his adopted English name of Jay, told The National.

“So how much business are we bringing into these streets? Let's say if we all go, this street will be dead.”

I told him if you keep all the foreigners out, this country is going to collapse. They don’t see that we make businesses and make money. They only see your face, that’s it.”
Rewa Ahmad,
local barber

Mr Ahmad’s BazCut Barbershop sits in the centre of Clacton-on-Sea, a town about two hours from London on the coast of the county of Essex. Mr Farage has put cutting immigration at the heart of his national comeback campaign with Reform UK and his local battle to represent the town and constituency.

As final laps of general election campaigning are run, The National visited the town to see where people who live and work there stand on the thorny issue of migration and how they feel about living in a town which has become the focal point for Reform, the upstart right-wing party set to take votes from the Conservatives but which stands accused of being racist.

The constituency is a mixture of leafy countryside and neat suburbs mixed in with real pockets of poverty. The village of Jaywick, a few minutes’ drive along the coast from Clacton, was named the most deprived in England.

It is one of the left-behind areas of the UK that lined up behind Brexit and ranks third in the areas that most heavily backed the Leave movement. Its population is also the sixth oldest, the demographic that was strongest in the Brexit vote to leave the EU.

Not only must he put seven failed attempts to be elected to Parliament, including a previous loss in Clacton, behind him, but Mr Farage's prospects may have been dented after Reform campaigners were secretly filmed making offensive comments about immigrants and Muslims.

UK net migration reached a record high of 764,000 for the year to December 2022, figures last year showed, though latest figures show it has dropped by 10 per cent.

As well as legal migration, the issue of asylum seekers coming across the English Channel remains a concern for many voters.

According to the latest figure, 12,901 people seeking asylum have crossed so far this year, passing the previous six-month record of 12,747 in 2022. Polling by YouGov shows immigration of all kinds consistently in the top three issues of concern for voters.

Mr Ahmad, who is from near Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdish region of Iraq, has some advice for politicians keen on cutting migration.

“I saw one of my customers, he was on TikTok talking about Nigel Farage,” he said.

“He said Farage was good on British values and I told him if you keep all the foreigners out, this country is going to collapse. They don’t see that we make businesses and make money, this is the problem. They only see your face, that’s it.”

Mr Ahmad was speaking rising from his seat outside his barbershop, where was enjoying a vape and a can of Red Bull. They are the two items that are standard issue for Kurdish barbers, he jokes.

He exchanges “all right mate” greetings with local men, with whom he appears to be on excellent terms, though that was not always the case.

“When I first opened the shop, people walking past, they would say nasty things, which I just ignored,” he said.

Nowadays, the genial Mr Ahmad said he gets on well with people, even if they are backing Mr Farage.

He added that two doors along is “an English lady who is Reform and has a poster in her window and I’m friends with her”.

David Aean, Clacton-on-Sea resident, showing off one of his collection of vintage Vespa scooters. The National
David Aean, Clacton-on-Sea resident, showing off one of his collection of vintage Vespa scooters. The National

Mr Ahmad touches on the subject of migrants crossing in small boats, much of it organised by fellow Kurds.

“I mean some of them, they just want to come here for a better life. If you look at the youngest people, they have nothing to lose. No wife. No kids. I mean, I came here when I was 17.”

As well as the line of shops, a care home around the corner shows the dilemma the UK is facing over migration.

Health and care is the main industry driving net migration, along with students, and the sector is increasingly reliant on overseas recruits to fill vacancies that are unappealing to British workers.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage plays in an amusement arcade in Clacton-on-Sea. AP
Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage plays in an amusement arcade in Clacton-on-Sea. AP

One member of staff, who asked not to be named, told The National that “nearly all” the staff are from overseas and it would be impossible for the home to operate without them.

Clacton is a seaside town like many in the UK with the pier and Ferris wheel the focal point of a long beach, which attracts healthy number of visitors on a hot summer’s day, even during the week.

Visitors typically eat fish and chips and buy ice creams at the seafront cafes.

The town itself is in need of a makeover with many of the shops in the main areas run by charities, though the side streets have a bit more life to them with pleasant cafes and a supermarket selling goods from all over the world.

A few minutes’ drive out of town lies the home of David Aean, whose England flags draped over a boat and Reform sign in the front garden are hard to miss. In the window are posters of the ever-grinning Mr Farage.

The retired tiler, who is 77, took time off from working in his garden to share his views with The National.

“I’ve never been into politics in my life. I’ve had some very good years but these last 11 years, things have gone down and down,” he said.

Asked what he thinks Mr Farage should make his top priority. he answers with one word: “Immigration.”

“We need people to come into our country but they should come here legally,” he said.

“That’s no problem whatsoever. But if they don’t come here legally, then they shouldn’t be here.

“I also think that people who come to this country and want to live here should learn to speak English. That’s all I would ask and they would be more than welcome to move next door to me.”

A Kurdish flag on the wall inside Rewa Ahmad's barber shop. The National
A Kurdish flag on the wall inside Rewa Ahmad's barber shop. The National

Until last year, those crossing the English Channel were not technically illegal migrants if they were claiming asylum, but last year’s Illegal Migration Act has prohibited anyone who arrives by irregular means from seeking refugee status.

In common with many people who share his views on migration, Mr Aean is adamant he is “definitely not” a racist and has friends of “all colours and backgrounds”.

Talk of politics takes a back seat for a moment, though, as he invites The National to look at his beloved collection of Vespa scooters, stored in a specially made shed in his large garden.

Mr Aean explains he was a Mod in 1960s, a group known for their stylish dress sense who drove Italian scooters.

The shed is a shrine to that way of life, with pictures of The Who, the band beloved of the Mods, adorning the walls.

Back out front as he shows off his boat, which he takes out fishing twice a week, Mr Aean details what he hopes Mr Farage will achieve.

He wants him to “put a spanner right in the works and stir things up”, though he admits “I don’t think he would ever run the country”.

Reform has based itself in a first-floor office among the amusement arcades that characterise many British seaside towns.

Clacton-on-Sea residents Steven Page and his mother Ann. The National
Clacton-on-Sea residents Steven Page and his mother Ann. The National

Staff there are friendly and upbeat over their chances of winning, though are wary of speaking on the record.

Migration is far from the only subject that voters are raising, one volunteer helping out with the canvassing operation insists, with the economy also high on the agenda.

“We’re also getting young people supporting us, through TikTok,” he said.

For Steven Page, 54, who spoke as he walked towards the seafront with his mother Ann, migration and more money from the government are the priorities.

“All the seaside resorts on both sides of us, they’ve had money but we’ve had nothing,” he said.

He is supporting Mr Farage, though wishes the Reform party leader would express his views in a less confrontational way. The politician recently faced criticism after claiming Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose parents are East African Indians who migrated to the UK, does not care about “our culture”.

“For the most part I think he says the right things. He just says it the wrong way. But if he can bring money into Clacton, then yes, I’ll vote for him.”

A Reform banner outside secure accommodation in Clacton. The National
A Reform banner outside secure accommodation in Clacton. The National

Not all local people are impressed by Mr Farage.

One man, who votes for the Conservatives, said while the scale of immigration was a “massive” problem for the country, Mr Farage was not the man to deal with it.

He said “Clacton is an easy target” for the Reform party leader who was “stirring things up” by standing in a less ethnically mixed constituency.

“It was the same last time with Brexit, wasn’t it? That was his big bolster with Brexit – immigration,” said the man, who asked for his name to be withheld.

“But here we are eight years later and it’s worse and he’s blaming everybody else. Now he’s saying the Conservatives have messed it up.

“I don't think anyone could have lied more about Brexit, He never knew what would happen about Brexit. He never knew how we could cope with it, not a clue.

“But he was happy to jump on the bandwagon, wave the flag, run it and when Brexit happened, yeah, he was the first one to disappear.”

How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers

Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.

It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.

The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.

Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.

Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.

He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.

AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”

A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.

Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.

Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.

Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.

By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.

Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.

In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”

Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.

She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.

Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.

Profile of Tamatem

Date started: March 2013

Founder: Hussam Hammo

Based: Amman, Jordan

Employees: 55

Funding: $6m

Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media

Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
%3Cp%3ESix%20of%20the%20eight%20fast%20bowlers%20used%20in%20the%20ILT20%20match%20between%20Desert%20Vipers%20and%20MI%20Emirates%20were%20left-handed.%20So%2075%20per%20cent%20of%20those%20involved.%0D%3Cbr%3EAnd%20that%20despite%20the%20fact%2010-12%20per%20cent%20of%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20population%20is%20said%20to%20be%20left-handed.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20an%20extension%20of%20a%20trend%20which%20has%20seen%20left-arm%20pacers%20become%20highly%20valued%20%E2%80%93%20and%20over-represented%2C%20relative%20to%20other%20formats%20%E2%80%93%20in%20T20%20cricket.%0D%3Cbr%3EIt%20is%20all%20to%20do%20with%20the%20fact%20most%20batters%20are%20naturally%20attuned%20to%20the%20angles%20created%20by%20right-arm%20bowlers%2C%20given%20that%20is%20generally%20what%20they%20grow%20up%20facing%20more%20of.%0D%3Cbr%3EIn%20their%20book%2C%20%3Cem%3EHitting%20Against%20the%20Spin%3C%2Fem%3E%2C%20cricket%20data%20analysts%20Nathan%20Leamon%20and%20Ben%20Jones%20suggest%20the%20advantage%20for%20a%20left-arm%20pace%20bowler%20in%20T20%20is%20amplified%20because%20of%20the%20obligation%20on%20the%20batter%20to%20attack.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThe%20more%20attacking%20the%20batsman%2C%20the%20more%20reliant%20they%20are%20on%20anticipation%2C%E2%80%9D%20they%20write.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CThis%20effectively%20increases%20the%20time%20pressure%20on%20the%20batsman%2C%20so%20increases%20the%20reliance%20on%20anticipation%2C%20and%20therefore%20increases%20the%20left-arm%20bowler%E2%80%99s%20advantage.%E2%80%9D%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”

MATCH INFO

Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)

Evacuations to France hit by controversy
  • Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
  • It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
  • Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
  • Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Baghdad%2C%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E2.%20Manama%2C%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dhahran%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E4.%20Kuwait%20City%2C%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E5.%20Ras%20Al%20Khaimah%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E6.%20Ash%20Shihaniyah%2C%20Qatar%3Cbr%3E7.%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E8.%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E9.%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E10.%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
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Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

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Asia Cup Qualifier

Final
UAE v Hong Kong

Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am

Most%20ODI%20hundreds
%3Cp%3E49%20-%20Sachin%20Tendulkar%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E47%20-%20Virat%20Kohli%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E31%20-%20Rohit%20Sharma%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E30%20-%20Ricky%20Ponting%2C%20Australia%2FICC%0D%3Cbr%3E28%20-%20Sanath%20Jayasuriya%2C%20Sri%20Lanka%2FAsia%0D%3Cbr%3E27%20-%20Hashim%20Amla%2C%20South%20Africa%0D%3Cbr%3E25%20-%20AB%20de%20Villiers%2C%20South%20Africa%2FAfrica%0D%3Cbr%3E25%20-%20Chris%20Gayle%2C%20West%20Indies%2FICC%0D%3Cbr%3E25%20-%20Kumar%20Sangakkara%2C%20Sri%20Lanka%2FICC%2FAsia%0D%3Cbr%3E22%20-%20Sourav%20Ganguly%2C%20India%2FAsia%0D%3Cbr%3E22%20-%20Tillakaratne%20Dilshan%2C%20Sri%20Lanka%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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

Getting there

The flights

Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.

The stay

Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net 

Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama

Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com

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%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline:

Wolves 3

Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2

Arsenal 1

Papastathopoulos 80'

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal advisor

Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.

Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.

RIDE%20ON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Larry%20Yang%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jackie%20Chan%2C%20Liu%20Haocun%2C%20Kevin%20Guo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

Company profile

Date started: January, 2014

Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe

Based: Dubai

Sector: Education technology

Size: Five employees

Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.

Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)

The story of Edge

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.

It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.

Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.

Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi

Age: 23

How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them

Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need

Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman

Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs 

Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing

The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410

Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Updated: July 02, 2024, 3:41 PM`