Abu Dhabi's rental market is currently grossly overinflated and a reduction in rents would be welcomed by the vast majorly of struggling expatriates (Rents and house prices continue downward trend in Abu Dhabi, January 2).
I have seen a reduction in rents on Reem Island.
Rachel Emmett, Abu Dhabi
Some landlords would rather see their property empty than reduce rent for current tenants. The inconvenience and cost of moving apartments keep tenement locked in with less negotiation power.
Jase White, Abu Dhabi
Don’t blame the tap water
Regarding your story The many myths of the UAE's tap water (January 29), the water in London is recycled seven times by the time you drink it. I couldn't understand why I was always sick when I went there. I would much prefer to drink UAE water.
Our overactive and stressful lifestyles and bad diet are more to blame than water.
We have been here for 22 years and we have always drunk tap water with no crazy side-effects.
Schern Hanley, Dubai
I went to a doctor and he did say that the water is one reason that can cause hair loss here.
Chris Reid, Dubai
Tap water is OK to drink (Why you should be drinking local water, February 1). The local bottled water is better and I prefer it. I wish it was possible to put more pressure on restaurants and hotels to offer local bottled water at reasonable prices.
Ginny Gilmore, Abu Dhabi
I’m tired of places in Dubai that offer only Acqua Panna bottles for Dh20.
Andrew Richards, Dubai
I don’t agree that tap water is safe for drinking. It’s better to drink mineral water.
Julie Bir, Dubai
I never touched any imported bottled water in the nearly 20 years I spent there.
I always stuck with Masafi. It would have been nice to drink the tap water, but what makes it bad is usually the pipes.
Bob Myerscough, Dubai
I have been here for the past 14 years.
I have always used the tap water for cooking or hot drinks. The only time I lost my hair is last year due to lack of Vitamin D.
Umm Firdaus Turaya, Dubai
Dog torture is appalling
I was sad to hear about the starving puppy that has been found in Dibba with a dislocated hip and two broken legs (Starving puppy with legs broken in fight for life at Dubai vet, February 2).
I hope the dog recovers both mentally and physically and gets a good life. I really can’t understand these vicious acts of cruelty against animals.
Siv Hartvigsen, Dubai
This is absolutely appalling. I hope the culprits are caught and prosecuted.
Valerie Carney, Dubai
I am absolutely disgusted and devastated. Thank God it is being looked after now.
Emma Banks, Dubai
This dog was probably used as bait in a dogfight. Disgusting.
Sangeetha Bhaskaran, Dubai
Focus on drivers to go driverless
It's good to know that the UAE is trying to bringing a revolution on its roads (A Sheikh Zayed Road without drivers? The rise of self-driving cars, February 3). But before that it should make a register of all the tailgaters, light-flashers, lane-weavers, I'm-more-important-than-yous and wanna-be race-car drivers, and give them one of these driverless vehicles. The manual option should be disabled and another car should never be registered in their names.
Dave Pryce, Dubai
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Company%C2%A0profile
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
