“Congratulations, you have been pre-approved for a Dh500,000 personal loan without any salary transfer. This offer is valid only until the end of the month, so hurry up and register now on this link for a callback.”
Hands up how many people in the UAE – and indeed farther afield – have answered one of these unwanted sales calls at one point or another.
They can come at any time of the day, and whether you have an Etisalat, du or Virgin phone number, they are almost always guaranteed to interrupt an important meeting or family time.
So, how do you stop this menace of unwanted cold calls? The National explains.
What is cold calling - and where do unwanted calls come from?
Unwanted calls can be telemarketing calls, where the caller is trying to sell you products or services, illegal recorded messages for services that you have not subscribed to, or spam calls.
Increased use of Voice over internet Protocol, through which a single computer can make thousands of calls, or companies selling customer databases, has led to an increase in these sort of calls.
In 2021, The National found that batches of phone numbers and other personal data were routinely sold to various people, including estate agents.
What are the laws in the UAE?
In 2011, the UAE's Central Bank put a ban on cold calling. This prevented banks and finance companies from offering loans and services to people who had not sought out their business.
But the practice is widespread in various forms – often under the guise of prompting people to accept deals and special offers.
In real estate, it is widely used to promote rentals and properties for sale.
In January 2022, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority launched a service called Kashif, which shows people where a call originates from – a bank, a telecom company or an insurance firm.
The aim was to reduce the number of anonymous calls residents receive. By the end of that year, all private companies had to have registered their phone numbers under the Kashif service.
What can individuals do?
The Do Not Call Registry feature can stop all unwanted calls. It has been in place since September 2022 and that month, telecom providers started sending out messages to increase awareness.
All telemarketers must now get consent from individuals to make promotional calls. They are advised not to make calls to the phone numbers listed in the DNCR directory unless they have the prior consent of a customer to do so.
People who do not follow the rules will have their numbers revoked and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
How does it work?
It's simple. To register your mobile number, send an SMS message reading ‘DNCR’ to 1012. This applies to home, business, and mobile phone numbers. The registration is free and does not expire.
Once registered, your number is immediately updated in the registry and you will stop receiving unsolicited promotional calls, starting within 30 days from the date of registering.
If you still receive a call from a telemarketer without consent, you can raise a complaint by calling Etisalat customer care on 101 for personal numbers or 800 5800 for business numbers.
People who have a du number can raise a complaint by calling 155/188 or emailing customer.care@du.ae for consumers and care.business@du.ae for businesses.
You can unblock calls by sending an SMS ‘UDNCR’ to 1012. You can also send an SMS to 1012 with ‘Check IDNCR’ to inquire about your number’s status.
How to block spam phone calls through your device setting
You can block phone numbers, contacts, and emails on your device.
You can also filter iMessages from unknown senders and report iMessages that look like spam or junk.
If you have an iPhone, tap "Recents", then tap the "Info" button next to the phone number or contact that you want to block. Scroll down, then tap "Block this Caller".
For phones that use Android platforms, such as Samsung, you can block calls using the Smart Call feature, which will recognise numbers that are not in your contact list and then give you the option to block or report the calls.
A version of this story was first published on November 16, 2022, written by Shuchita Gautam
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The five pillars of Islam
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Persuasion
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Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
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