As summer heat and humidity begin to fade, what could be more inviting to residents of an island city than a dip in the sea?
But finding a place to put your toes in the turquoise waters of the Gulf is becoming increasingly difficult for anyone without a wallet full of dirhams.
The closure for at least another month of the public beach on the Corniche means it is almost impossible to find open access to a patch of seafront sand in the capital.
A number of the city's best hotels offer clean sand, umbrellas and sun loungers on their private beaches, but these comforts come at a price, usually well over Dh100.
The issue of access to Abu Dhabi's beaches was brought to a head last week with the news that the only public beach on the Corniche is likely to remain closed for renovations until the middle of October.
Although barely a year old, the beach is undergoing massive reconstruction that includes adding a boardwalk, cycling and sports facilities, improving the lighting, shading, pedestrian access and adding more parking spaces.
The project, which includes bringing in less-gritty sand, began in August and has left would-be bathers and sun worshippers with few alternatives that do not involve a pricey beach club.
"I'm always searching for open water, for beach, and this is it, this is all," laments Ernest Mihailescu, 40, who has lived in the city for four years. "This is very strange. I'm European; I want a beach where I can swim, go camping, dance, make a fire. I can't find it. And this is an island, right? Strange."
Although Abu Dhabi's city coastline stretches nearly 60km, the Corniche beach takes up just 2km. The majority of the rest is owned by hotels and private individuals.
Access to Beach Rotana's stretch of sand costs Dh150 a day, unless you are a guest of the hotel.
The InterContinental charges Dh115 for guests to share the sea with yachts and sailboats.
Le Méridien charges Dh195 which includes access to its pools and spa facilities.
The Hilton Abu Dhabi charges Dh160 and has a view of the Marina Mall. The view from almost all other private beaches is of cranes and construction sites.
One popular alternative is a smaller open beach close to the Emirates Palace hotel, although in recent months most of the trees and greenery that lined the shore have been torn out to make way for a construction project. There are often almost as many cranes as people on the adjacent sand.
"I'm not interested in paying hundreds of dirhams to go to the beach," says Darryl Natulla, 29, who works at a glass factory in Abu Dhabi. Dripping after a dip in the sea behind the Emirates Palace, he said swimming here instead of at the Corniche beach was not a big problem, except there were no public washrooms or shops selling water or sunscreen.
"I don't know what their plans are for the Corniche beach, but they need more long, open beaches here. Those are better," he said.
Reja Jacob, 42, came with his wife and small child to enjoy the view of the sea from his air-conditioned car. "There's no shade here," he said. "There was at the Corniche beach. But for the time being, we'll just come here."
Mr Jacob is worried about how long the Corniche beach construction will go on. It tended to be crowded, particularly on weekends, he said, but was bigger than this beach behind Emirates Palace, which has become noticeably busier since the public one closed.
Also out of bounds is Lulu Island, at least for anyone without a boat. The ferry service to Lulu was suspended earlier this year and all facilities were closed, pending a major development of the island, by Sorouh, as a luxurious tourist resort. For the moment, private boat owners can still land and use its beaches.
A more accessible spot is a short, 700-metre stretch of sand on the south-west coast of Abu Dhabi island, bordered by 8th Street. It offers a view of tugs heading out to sea and the barren expanse of Hudayriat Island, earmarked for low-cost housing in the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan.
The sand is littered with builders' rubble and there is a solitary ghaf tree for shade, but it has a gently shelving beach, even if the water is frequently littered with plastic bags. It is free, with plenty of parking.
One last option remains. Not far from the Corniche public beach is the Breakwater and the best chance to swim in the sea near the centre of town.
The tiny beach is located just past a sign warning that Lulu Island is closed "for an indefinite time". There is no indication the site was intended to be used as a beach bathers must actually climb over a cement barrier and jump down a drop of about a metre but this small stretch of white sand may just be Abu Dhabi sun-seekers' best-kept secret.
jhume@thenational.ae
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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The view from The National
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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SPECS
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
