Initial reactions to the nationwide public smoking ban imposed last night were generally favourable, with many residents applauding the law and hoteliers shrugging it off as inconsequential to business. Even some regular shisha smokers said they were not opposed to a general ban - although they hoped to continue the practice some place.
Ehab al Sebaey, 40, an Egyptian karate trainer at the Abu Dhabi Police College, said he understood the health risks of smoking. "Definitely, shisha in residential areas should be banned," he said. "Smoke goes up to the apartments and causes problems. At the Corniche it's probably better because it's open." He said it would affect his shisha-smoking frequency. "If the place is far you get lazy, whereas here it's within your grasp," he said.
Michelle Ziolkowski, who has lived in Fujairah since 2002, said the ban was good for the country. "People smoke so much up here," she said. "The worst thing I saw was a pharmacist smoking behind the desk in the chemist shop, which I've seen on a number of occasions. It threw me, as I've never seen anything like that before." The prohibition against smoking on public transport and in enclosed public spaces, including cafes and restaurants, was issued last night by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE. Tobacco companies must meet specific requirements when importing into the UAE, including the placement of clear warnings on cigarette boxes. Advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products will also be banned. The courts will be able to seize property of companies breaching the law, and can shut down violators. Offenders also face penalties of up to Dh1 million (US$270,000) in fines and jail terms of two years.
Licences will be refused or revoked for cafes or food outlets not adhering to the ban, the first comprehensive smoking prohibition in the GCC. In the hospitality industry, already geared towards providing patrons with a diverse range of preferences, the ban was viewed as mostly harmless to business. Many hotels already have non-smoking floors, and some are completely smoke-free. The new law stipulates that indoor venues must apply for special permits to have designated smoking areas.
Jean-Francois Laurent, the general manager of the Yas Hotel, said the establishment had not yet received any official guidance and would apply for a license if necessary. "Most of the hotel is non-smoking - the lobby, restaurants and all the rooms," he said. "Smoking is only allowed in the bars and outdoor terrace. It's very much the trend at the moment. There are fewer and fewer smokers, and it's in the interest of the comfort of our guests. It's uncomfortable to have to sit near smokers, particularly cigars and pipes. We haven't had any complaints about our policy."
Sharjah, meanwhile, is not likely to see many changes, hoteliers said. "We've had this legislation for over one year now, so for us this is no different," said Esmat Tahoun, the manager at Sharjah's Rotana hotel. "We have lost customers who used to come to the lobby to smoke and drink coffee, but the law doesn't stop people smoking. It only stops them smoking in public places. Of 18 floors, we have only three for non-smoking, as in private, people still want to smoke."
At the Millennium Hotel, however, the situation is different. "Most of our guests want the non-smoking rooms," said Ali Bulos, the front-desk manager. "People are following the rules, which are across Sharjah. I don't think this legislation will cause us any change or any problems." In November, Dr Wael al Mahmeed, head of the Emirates Cardiac Society, called for further measures, including taxation on tobacco products, which yesterday's legislation did not cover.
Multiple studies in the US and Europe show that a ban on smoking in public places reduces the incidence of smoking and smoking-related diseases, Dr al Mahmeed said. He also called for an increase in the price of cigarettes, which in the UAE and across the region is up to six times cheaper than in the UK and US, where governments have tried to deter smokers by making the habit less affordable. Last year, the World Health Organisation reported that more than 25 per cent of men in the UAE smoked compared with only 2.6 per cent of women. The organisation predicts that deaths from cancer will triple in the region over the next 10 years.
Many countries have proved that bans can deter smoking. In Scotland, within one year of establishing its smoking ban in 2005, nearly 50,000 people had attempted to quit, while in England, the UK Department of Health said nearly 235,000 had stopped smoking. The US has led the way in banning smoking, dating to 1990, when San Luis Obispo in California became the first city in the world to ban indoor smoking at all public places, including bars and restaurants.
Clinics to help people stop smoking have also been established, and several municipalities, including Dubai, have been enforcing their own bans. The Cabinet has called for a national anti-tobacco committee to oversee the enforcement of the new legislation, said the Health Minister, Dr Hanif Hassan. Quoted by the state news agency, WAM, Dr Hassan said the ban would help "combat diseases and harmful habits in the society" and that he hoped it would deter youths from being "seduced" by tobacco companies and lower the number of established shisha and cigarette smokers.
Not everyone, however, was confident the new legislation would have the desired effect. Rami Haider, 23, a Lebanese hairdresser in Dubai's Marina Mall, was pessimistic about breaking his nicotine habit. The ban is "not good, but it really doesn't matter, because I'm addicted to smoking anyway," Mr Haider said as he took a smoking break on the steps near the marina promenade. "I don't like smoking, and I want to stop, but that doesn't mean I can stop. The ban won't affect me."
@Email:mswan@thenational.ae * With additional reporting by Zoi Constantine, Loveday Morris, Hugh Naylor and Kareem Shaheen
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
CREW
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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THE%20SPECS
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
