ABU DHABI // Scores of luxury cars and sports utility vehicles are gathering dust in the short-term car park at Abu Dhabi airport.
According to the airport's website, vehicles should be left there for no more than three days. And few would choose to with parking costing Dh240 a day.
But many of the cars have clearly been there for months - long enough for tyres to go flat and windows to become caked with sand and salt.
Beneath the grime, the marques are a checklist of luxury - BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, a Chevrolet Camaro S5 and a Jaguar XK8.
Also accumulating dust are sport utility vehicles such as a Toyota Prado, a Ford Escape, a Ford Edge and a Chevrolet Avalanche.
Others include a Kia Optima, Kia Rio, Honda Civic, Honda City, Nissan Altima and Nissan Tiida, Mazda 3, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Yaris, and a Peugeot 207.
"I've seen a few cars here that are covered with dust," said MT Hassan, a Sudanese public relations officer. "Maybe some of the owners will return, while others may have already left the country. We really don't know."
Ramesh Menon, 45, a technical officer at an Abu Dhabi government company, suspects the latter.
He visited the airport in mid-July. When he returned this week, the same cars remained parked.
"If there is a genuine owner who has parked there by mistake, he or she will claim it," Mr Menon said. "If it is deliberate, the car should be auctioned off to the public."
The flat tyres are a giveaway, he added. "Abu Dhabi airport has tight security measures. I don't think someone will go to the car park and puncture the tyres."
As on dirty cars everywhere, passers-by have inscribed messages in the dust. Some, including a black Ford Edge Sport and a white Honda Civic, bear the time-honoured "clean me", while the rear windscreen of a blue-green Hyundai Tucson claims its owner has "gone fishing".
A check on some of the number plates through the police website reveals the cars have a number of traffic and Salik fines.
One, a black Jaguar XK8 with Abu Dhabi plates, has accumulated Dh1,350 in fines - two for speeding in Abu Dhabi in June and July, and another for speeding in Dubai in May.
A grey Nissan Altima with Abu Dhabi plates had five Dubai police fines totalling Dh3,100 between December 2010 and April 2011.
A green BMW saloon, also with Abu Dhabi plates, had two Dubai fines from October 2009, and another from April 2010, totalling Dh1,900. A Kia Optima had a Dh100 fine from Oman, while a Kia Rio racked up nine Salik fines, totalling Dh450, between November 2009 and February 2010. Both cars have Dubai plates.
"The authorities should now consider removing them to allow other cars to park in this area meant for short-term parking," Mr Menon said. "These cars are eating up a lot of space and it gives a bad image to the city."
A spokesperson for the Abu Dhabi Airports Company yesterday declined to comment.
rruiz@thenational.ae
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
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
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Wonder
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20EPD%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
