Out for a walk on Saadiyat Beach the other morning, I did my usual rubbish collection, scooping up the flotsam and jetsam of modern life, the plastic bottles and chunks of styrofoam that bobbed in the shallow water. I realise I’m fighting a losing battle – there is always more plastic than I can pick up – but I tell myself that every little helps, so I keep at it.
I have since found out those who do the same have started a trend with its own moniker: plogging. It seems that the Swedish word “plocka", meaning to pick up, and "jogging" have combined to produce the term. It's inevitable such a trend would start in Sweden, where I imagine everyone is fit and eco-conscious. I’m surprised they even have enough rubbish in public places to pick up.
Maybe, though, I'm ahead of the curve because I even gather debris when I am kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding, which I guess would have to be called plockayaking. One of my favourite ways to unwind from the stress of a busy week involves renting a kayak or a paddleboard to glide through Abu Dhabi's eastern mangroves and head out into the bay, with nothing but the sound of water across my paddle for company. Over time, I have become quite dexterous at plockayaking: with my paddle, I can scoop whatever I find out of the water – jellyfish-like plastic bags, water bottles, even the occasional flip-flop.
When I am out in the mangroves, I sometimes imagine I can hear the city breathing, drawing in the thick salty air and scent of fish. It's the city's watery oasis; a world we can visit but is not ours. The other morning, I drew up close to a mudflat and watched a flock of flamingos industriously sieve the water in search of food. They paid no attention to me, nor did the crabs scuttling around in the shallow water beneath me. I tell myself on these occasions that the creatures are probably grateful for my plockayaking but somehow I think none of them have a clue.
My meditative waterborne rubbish collection was recently interrupted, however, when I almost bumped into a line of rusty pipe that stretched snake-like from a dredge parked in one of the mangrove inlets. No water moved through the pipes and no noise came from the dredge: it just sat there, its funnels poking up above the mangroves like small chimneys.
“They’re building a bridge,” the man in the kayak kiosk told me. “From Al Salam Street to Reem island.” He waved his hand at the mangroves. It seems that the legs of this bridge will march close to the mangroves while the bridge will span the marsh, creating a wide ribbon of permanent shade.
It raises the dilemma of urban planning, I thought to myself as I sorted my findings into recycling bins. On the one hand, I have spent more time than I would like to admit in the snarl of traffic on Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street at the Reem island exit. During rush hour, cars bottleneck, jockeying for position, sidling so close to one another that if the windows are down, I can sometimes smell the cologne of the guy in the car next to me. There is no doubt that having another point of access to the island will alleviate that congestion.
On the other hand, the hush of the mangroves will be lost in the sounds of traffic whizzing overhead, as will the sense of floating in an oasis at the centre of the city's asphalt sprawl. Selfishly, I'd prefer the oasis and I'd be willing to take a longer route home (or sit in traffic), if it were up to me. But perhaps for those who live on Reem or Al Maryah islands and have no choice but to take that choked exit every day, a bridge is the better answer.
When the bridge is built, the flamingos will no doubt adapt and find themselves a new set of mudflats; the bridge pylons will become home to crabs and barnacles. And perhaps the shade cast by the bridge will be welcomed by those who forget their sunscreen before they hit the water.
Until that happens, I will keep plockayaking, combining exercise and eco-consciousness with each dip of my paddle.
Deborah Williams is an associate professor of literature at NYU Abu Dhabi
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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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.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
