ABU DHABI // Three adventurers are kayaking from Kuwait to Oman to raise awareness of the need for greater marine environment protection and joint conservation efforts across the GCC.
Having left Kuwait almost two months ago, the Kayak4Kuwait trio – Bashar Al Huneidi, Mansour Al Safran and Colin Wong – arrived on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.
During their journey, the kayakers witnessed sites of pristine environments the like of which they thought they would never see in the Gulf, but they also noted widespread pollution.
“The Arabian Gulf is under immense pressure and pollution and neglect has been ruining it for 30 or 40 years. Finally, there’s been a kind of environmental awakening,” said Mr Al Huneidi.
The journey from Kuwait began in November and has had its challenges. Aside from their support boat capsizing and gruelling encounters with customs officers, the expedition requires the trio to kayak non-stop for up to 10 hours a day, burning 5,000 calories, before resting in tents along the Arabian Gulf coastline and then travelling on.
“It’s a psychological journey more than it is a physical one,” said Mr Al Safran, 25. “The most important thing is to keep the goal in mind.”
The three arrived in the Eastern Mangroves in Abu Dhabi yesterday with 800 kilometres left in their journey up to the Musandam peninsula in Oman.
“I suppose it’s hard work but the places and people we’ve met along the way are just unbelievable. We’ve seen everything from turtles to dolphins,” said Mr Wong, a 32-year old Irishman.
The kayakers said that the most serious problem they saw was the extent of coastline pollution.
The balance between economic development and the environment is the most pressing question that the GCC needs to deal with, said the kayakers. “Perhaps some people think there’s nothing worth saving but, in every country we’ve been in, we’ve seen different wildlife, different environments that are in need of conservation,” Mr Wong said.
But having met dozens of fishermen and environmental authorities, Mr Al Huneidi is convinced that the majority of residents of the GCC are invested in protecting the oceans.
“We hear the same story from people who are connected to the ocean, fishermen and seagoers, they compare what it was like 30 or 40 years ago and now,” he said. “You think that fishermen don’t know but they know more than anyone who is responsible for the damage and who needs to make it right.”
However, the three did say that they had seen a lot more fish in the sea off the UAE than in any country along the way.
The kayakers will continue today towards Dubai and then Ras Al Khaimah before completing the final leg into Oman, stopping along the way to meet authorities and fisherman to promote their message, although they have no exact timetable for their trip.
“The minute we decided to start, there was no stopping. We don’t know how to quit, both the message and the journey,” Mr Al Huneidi said. “Some people see the sea and they think nothing of it, they think it’s a dumpyard. But the sea is alive, it’s a creature and it’s giving us life.”
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Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
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Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
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8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
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9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections:
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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
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Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
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MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
