The coronavirus has led to a radical shift in attitudes towards food waste in the Emirates, restaurants and households have said.
Families claimed the introduction of the stay-at-home order had forced them to reassess their eating habits as well as they way they shopped.
Restaurant closures, together with the ongoing practice of working from home, has disrupted the usual levels of convenience expected by customers.
Now, anecdotal evidence suggests thousands of residents have become more considerate consumers, budgeting their food shops more carefully and wasting less.
Ivano Iannelli, chief executive at Dubai Carbon, an organisation that promotes a greener economy, described Covid-19 as a “change element”.
Because of the severity of the pandemic, human behaviour has entered a state where change is acceptable and necessary
"Because of the severity of the pandemic, human behaviour has entered a state where change is acceptable and necessary," he told The National.
“Often, there needs to be a major event that puts individuals and organisations in a state where they need to adapt.
“During business as usual, people are less keen to shake up conventional practices, but an event like Covid-19 has forced us to reconsider things.”
Recent figures from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment suggest the average person in the UAE wastes about 197 kilograms of food each year.
The cause is thought to be a combination of a culture of takeaway meals in the country and a tendency by consumers to “overestimate their food demand”.
Now, however, faced with a significant change to their shopping habits, residents have become more aware of their purchases.
Until late last month, consumers in Dubai even needed a permit to go to a supermarket as part of efforts to ensure effective social distancing.
And faced with restrictions on what food was available, families are now seen as increasingly adept at “quantify serving sizes”, leading to less food waste.
“We are spending a lot more on our weekly supermarket shop and hardly ordering in at all, perhaps once a week,” said Madeline Simm, 30, an events worker in Dubai.
“That’s mainly due to the fact that we have the time to cook now and are trying to be relatively healthy.
“We’re most definitely more cautious on food waste. We try to use absolutely everything fresh we buy and use up all the sauces in the cupboards.”
Laura Morgan, a mother of two living in Dubai, said better budgeting had also become the new norm for her family during the pandemic.
She argued the current crisis was likely to have forced many in the country to understand the value of food better than ever.
“We have been spending more on supermarket shopping but less on takeaways,” she said.
“We’ve been meal planning and using up what is in the cupboards which has reduced our food waste.
“I think we’ll take it forward with us and not go for breakfast every weekend, or have a takeaway once a week.”
In the past two weeks, the UAE government has been able to relaxed stay-at-home restrictions as the pandemic has been brought under tighter control.
But rules on home gatherings and capacity limits in malls and restaurants remain in place, impacting the public’s behaviour over Ramadan.
Mr Iannelli said this had paved the way for a “positive reduction” in food waste during the holy month, as lavish iftars at restaurants and big family gatherings were no longer the norm.
According to Dubai Municipality figures last year, food accounted for 22 per cent of the total waste produced by the emirate.
That figure jumped to 55 per cent during Ramadan, with demand for iftar and suhoor buffets this year understood to have decreased by up to 80 per cent.
At Movenpick Hotel at Ibn Battuta Gate in Dubai, kitchen staff said they had seen first-hand how the pandemic had changed food consumption.
“We launched a family-style iftar set menu this year in line with regulations set by the UAE government,” said Nachwan Koukach, the hotel’s executive chef.
“As we forego the opulent buffet spread during this time and encourage advanced dining reservations, these moves have positively impacted our food and waste management.
“It has provided a clearer outline of how much food is required to be prepared, purchased and served.”
Chef Reif Othman, from Reif Japanese Kushiyaki restaurant in Dubai, also introduced an a la carte set menu for iftar this year.
“It is prepared only when a customer orders,” he said. “That has helped us in reducing our waste as we manage the preparation daily for our iftar dishes.
“I hate seeing food go to waste. If there is any, it becomes part of our staff meal.”
Earlier this week, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, said the UAE must rein in its “culture of excess”.
The Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces called for needless overspending and food waste to be tackled and the natural resources of the Emirates to be protected.
Hosting his online Ramadan majlis with Mariam Almheiri, Minister of State for Food Security, he said he believed the public would be receptive to the need to move away from unwanted habits.
“We have a habit of excess that we need to restrain,” Sheikh Mohamed said during the video conference. “If this excess or overspending is for a good cause, like charity, it is good and we support it, but overspending for no reason is bad.”
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Honeymoonish
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The view from The National
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
