ABU DHABI // Zahid Khan cradled his burnt and bandaged left hand and described how he first saw the unconscious woman when he fought his way through the choking, black smoke of a fire that ripped through his apartment block.
"She was lying on the stairs. I don't know if she was dead. She wasn't moving," said the 27-year-old, still shaken by his experience.
"I wanted to help her but there were so many people. I was coughing. I couldn't see. I wanted to, but - " his voice trailed off and he shook his head.
As he wrestled his way through the throng of people gathered at the bottom of the stairway to escape the fire, he reached out and grabbed the handrail.
"It was very hot. I burnt my hand. It is very painful. At least I got out."
The fate of the woman is not known.
An air-conditioning technician from Pakistan, Mr Khan was one of dozens forced to flee their homes in the early hours of yesterday morning after a blaze swept through the Saif Hashed al Qubaisi building in the capital's Tourist Club area.
Two people were killed and 32 were injured as panicking residents leapt from balconies and windows to escape the fire, which began soon after midnight.
Witnesses reported people screaming for help while others made makeshift ladders and ropes to escape to neighbouring buildings only metres away but separated by precarious drops. A number of those who were admitted to hospital yesterday had suffered broken bones after jumping several storeys to the ground.
The occupants left behind apartments where they often lived toe-to-toe with others. The eight-storey apartment building was home to as many as 300 bachelors living in shared rooms of between five and 11 people each room costing around Dh2,500 (US$680) a month in rent. Workers ran the gamut from electricians to accountants to cleaners.
The building had not been cleaned or maintained in almost two years, residents said, adding that the lifts broke down almost a year and a half ago and had never been fixed. Paint was peeling and balconies were crumbling.
The building was also home to several small shops and restaurants, including an abandoned butcher's shop that was thigh-deep in styrofoam cups and plastic bags. Its window panes were broken and graffiti reading "UAE" had been painted on the outer walls.
Residents of the first floor said an empty room that was used to store rubbish and abandoned furniture was also home to the electrical fuse box. Some residents said they suspected an electrical shortage caused the fire as they first noticed flames coming from that room. Abu Dhabi Police said the fire had started on the third floor, however,
"I'm sleeping and then suddenly the lights went out," said Raja Afzal, 40, from Pakistan, who was serving as an impromptu representative of the tenants.
"Then I heard shouting," he said. "Many people were jumping and broke their legs. People were afraid, they saw no solution.
"They were seeing smoke coming in all their rooms."
Nisar Ali, 33, an electrical engineer from Islamabad who shared a room with Mr Khan, was awakened at about midnight by the smell of smoke.
"I was sleeping. I woke up because of the smell and then I heard the screaming and shouting." Mr Ali said. "I went to the balcony and looked out and I could see police cars.
"People were shouting up to me to get out of the building but I didn't want to go through the smoke.
"I called my friend who lives in the same building but lower down. He told me there was a lot of smoke and it was dangerous to come down the stairs. He said there were too many people so I stayed on the balcony and waited.
"I told Zahid to stay but he wouldn't listen. If he had stayed he would not have hurt his hand. He is all right. He is just upset at what happened. He is thinking about the woman he saw. The police came and rescued me after about half an hour."
Several hundred onlookers gathered outside the building as the fire spread.
Faisal Mohammed, 18, a public relations assistant born in Bangladesh who has lived in the UAE since he was three, said: "I saw people shouting from their windows for help. It was very frightening.
"One man was climbing down a plastic drainpipe to get away.
"He got out of a balcony on the fifth floor and started to climb down but then the pipe started to break.
"I thought he was going to fall but he managed to get to another balcony on the second floor before it broke.
"There were other people on the sixth and seventh floor who were crossing into other buildings. They were using ladders and wooden planks to walk across."
Asim Latif, 25, from Pakistan, was asleep in his first-floor flat and woke to see flames on the ceiling. "We went to wake up our friend in the other room," he said.
He escaped by the stairs. "Some people came out [through the balcony] by rope or by wire - Too many people, 40 or 50, were jumping."
Those who took the stairs after he did, did not fare as well. "One person had fire on his hand, another by his mouth."
Mr Afzal said he first feared a problem when he smelled smoke in his room. "There was no oxygen. The smoke was coming and everybody went to the balcony outside. People were just trying to save their lives. Money, passports, everything inside."
Those who escaped and those who were rescued returned to the building later yesterday, although entering their apartments was not an option. In fact, few options were available. Many huddled outside the scorched apartment block after spending a night in hospital or on the street. Nearby, a crane removed the two bodies from the eighth floor.
Police told the residents they would not be able to collect their money, passports or documents for another four days. Many of them, still wearing their nightclothes, said they had nowhere to go. Others said their companies had arranged alternative accommodation
One group of Bangladeshi cleaners who had been discharged from hospital broke into an abandoned storefront to sleep. They had suffered minor injuries such as broken ankles and rope burns after attempting to jump from the second-storey flat where they slept 10 to a room.
Two of them were sleeping on the store floor with bandaged feet. One was propped up on a plastic patio chair, his left leg in a white cast.
"I am all right, but not my friends," said Musharif Hussein, 20, gesturing towards his sleeping companions.
"The first floor was on fire. We were on the second floor so we jumped."
One flatmate had a bandaged left hand. He had grabbed a rope while trying to rappel from the second floor and had suffered a rope burn.
They had managed to save a few possessions and had stowed them in bags and bin liners next to the shop.
Their company had leased two rooms for 20 men. "All 20 people jumped," Mr Hussein said. "Seven were in hospital. All are all right."
The north side of the building remained cordoned off yesterday and the adjacent alley was strewn with clothes, bags and abandoned belongings. Foam mattresses and sheets littered the street.
"Fire. It is a big problem," Mr Hussein said.
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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
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
