With regard to John Dennehy's article The man who turned the UAE's desert green (December 29): kudos to David Pryce and the UAE capital. It was interesting to read about Mr Pryce's mission four decades ago to turn the desert into a beautiful green place. It is evident that he made the capital green with his hard work and dedication.
I am sure citizens appreciate his effort. Apart from Mr Pryce’s work, the visionary leaders of UAE have made the desert into a lush landscape.
The legacy of UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, has continued to inspire the next generation and helped put the country on the map.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru
The Greening the Desert Project was successful and the living proof is the city of Al Ain.
Kenji Todoroki, Al Ain
Smart move: new salary scale for Abu Dhabi government employees
With reference to Alice Haine's report Abu Dhabi issues new salary scale and increases pensions for government employees (December 31):
This is very good. I hope similar good news will be announced soon by the Dubai government.
Qassim Abdulla, Dubai
I hope they drop the taxes on private university tuition.
Mohammed Hassoun, Abu Dhabi
Seeking solutions for the Abu Dhabi toll website impasse
With reference to the report Abu Dhabi road tolls: everything you need to know before January 2 launch (December 23): it's good to hear but unfortunately from the last two weeks I am trying to register my vehicle via the provided link but the link does not work.
I also tried to call the concerned authority but the call centre number is busy. There are lots of people in the Al Dhafra Region who are unable to register. We are unable to decide whether to travel to Abu Dhabi because the fines are steep.
Imran Iqbal, Abu Dhabi
Here’s the problem for lots of people trying to register: if the phone number the police have on record for you is different to the one you use then the required code is sent to the wrong number. Nobody seems able to offer an alternative method.
Kevin Hackett, Abu Dhabi
Dubai registered company cars can’t be registered on the Abu Dhabi toll system. We’ve been trying.
Tim Ansell, Dubai
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 banned).
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.
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
Company%20profile
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Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
