As Dubai gears up to introducing a 25 fils ($0.07) charge for single-use bags, authorities have clarified that this is not limited to plastic bags.
From July 1, the mandatory tariff will be applied to all single-use bags — made of plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic and plant-based biodegradable materials — that are 57 micrometres thick, Dubai Municipality said on Friday.
A micrometre is one thousandth of a millimetre.
All stores must levy the charge for each single-use bag, and a different tariff can be applied to reusable alternatives, if provided by the store.
Stores are not obliged to provide free alternatives, as the goal is to push a change in consumer behaviour to protect the environment, the municipality said.
The charge is the first step towards a complete ban on single-use plastic bags in Dubai in two years. Retailers will get four months to roll out the charge.
The 25 fils fee will be added to the bill.
There will be no limit on the number of bags sold to customers at the checkout counters but staff will be trained to rationalise the use of carrier bags when packing and delivering purchases, officials said.
Dubai recommends that private sector retailers donate the money to support sustainable initiatives, either through the company or local environmental and community associations.
Disposable bags are a major source of litter and pollution in the environment.
“It should be noted that alternatives often have a larger environmental footprint than plastic bags but are easier to manage at the disposal stage and cause less environmental and health damage, provided they are used properly,” the municipality said in a release.
“For example, the production of paper bags is also harmful to the environment and leads to the cutting of a large number of trees and consumes great resources and energy, and therefore its use also requires paying the imposed fees.
“Single-use plastic bags have a lower environmental footprint than paper bags in the manufacturing stage, but their damages lie in the disposal stage.
“We need to use paper bags at least three to seven times to have a lower environmental impact than non-recyclable plastic bags.”
Retail giant Majid Al Futtaim Carrefour announced last year that it would stop providing single-use plastic bags at the checkout counters of two of its Dubai branches — Carrefour Hypermarket at Cityland Mall and Carrefour Market at Arabian Ranches 1.
A study last year found that hundreds of camels across the UAE have died as a result of eating plastic over the past decade.
Of 30,000 postmortems carried out on camels since 2008, in the field or in a laboratory by staff from Dubai’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, about 300 had died because of polybezoars — stone-like lumps of indigestible material including plastic, rope and other litter that block the digestive tract.
It means about one per cent of camel deaths in the UAE is due to the animal eating plastic waste left behind by people.
Worldwide, almost 300 million tonnes of plastic pollution is produced each year — equivalent to the weight of the entire human population, according to figures released by the UN Environment Programme.
Only nine per cent of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, dumps or polluting the environment.
The UN says that if current trends continue, the ocean could contain more plastic than fish by weight by 2050.
Alternatives to plastic bags — from canvas totes to keychain bags
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Brief scores
Toss India, chose to bat
India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)
Australia 137-9 in 21 ov (Maxwell 39, Warner 25; Chahal 3-30)
India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
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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
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice
Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying
Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
