When clean water was more precious than oil in the UAE


James Langton
  • English
  • Arabic

It had been a long voyage from damp, grey Hartlepool on England’s North Sea coast, through the Suez Canal and Red Sea until finally rounding the Strait of Hormuz.

Now the Nigaristan, one of a fleet of cargo steamers owned by the Strick Line and named after Persian provinces, rocked gently at anchor a little way off the beach at Abu Dhabi.

Viewed from her decks, the town buzzed with energy and new construction in anticipation of the coming oil boom. There was no port yet, so pontoon barges pulled along the ship, collecting the cargo and delivering it on to the sand.

They sat there, a collection of wooden crates whose contents were eventually assembled into a device no one had seen before, a massive rectangle of machinery with a tall chimney and pipes that ended in the sea.

It was 1961, and Abu Dhabi was about to get its first taste of fresh drinking water.

Just about.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, stands in front of Qasr Al Hosn. Courtesy National Archives
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, stands in front of Qasr Al Hosn. Courtesy National Archives

The desalination plant had been ordered by Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, from Richardson & Westgarth and was one of the first of its kind. But what worked well in West Hartlepool did less so in the conditions of an Arabian Gulf summer.

For starters it did not function above 26°C. It was also technically complicated and required constant maintenance.

To improve output, the Ruler ordered a second machine, this time from a supplier in Kuwait. The Bennis Thermoflash was reported to have cost £200,000, the equivalent of over Dh18 million today, but was missing several vital components, including storage tanks, for which another £27,000 was demanded.

As Sheikh Shakhbut and the supplier argued over the contract, the Thermoflash sat idle on the sand.

Still, it was better than what had gone on before. For decades, the people of Abu Dhabi obtained their water by digging pits in the sand. The liquid at the bottom was brackish and barely drinkable. After a few days it was fit only for animals and then washing. So another pit would be dug.

As the Emirate prepared to export its first oil in 1962, workers began to flock to Abu Dhabi from all over the world. Offices, banks and apartment blocks began to spring up around old arish palm fronds and coral houses. Even the alternative to pits, importing water in barrels from Dubai, was no longer enough.

Desalination at least offered a solution. By the time it was working properly, by September 1962, the Richardson & Westgarth plant was producing 50,000 litres of fresh water a day.

It was collected in metal cans and distributed across the town by a network of donkey carriers, sold at the equivalent of a dirham per gallon, or 4.55 litres, at a time when the market price of gallon of crude oil was 70 fils.

Water delivery using donkeys passing in front of Qasr al Hosn in the early 1960s. Sea water was refined using a desalination plant on the beach and distributed to homes and offices for around a dirham a gallon. Courtesy: John Vale
Water delivery using donkeys passing in front of Qasr al Hosn in the early 1960s. Sea water was refined using a desalination plant on the beach and distributed to homes and offices for around a dirham a gallon. Courtesy: John Vale

The previous decade had been driven by the hunt for two precious liquids that would determine the future of what is now the UAE. One was oil. The other was water.

The seven emirates would thrive with the first. But they would die without the second. And so providing a plentiful supply of fresh, clean drinking water became a priority.

Water could be found in what was then called the Trucial States, but from the perspective of economic development it was mostly in the wrong place; deep inside the mountains of the Northern Emirates and around Al Ain, then a collection of villages known as Buraimi.

It was here that Sheikh Zayed, appointed governor of the Eastern Region by his brother Sheikh Shakhbutin 1946, made improving the water supply one of his first acts.

The ancient falaj, man-made channels that carried water from underground sources to irrigate crops and supply the inhabitants, were cleared and restored on Sheikh Zayed’s orders.

By the mid 1950s, Britain was supplying Sheikh Zayed with money and resources to expand them further.

“The improvement to the falajes, which have resulted in a spectacular increase in the flow of water to the gardens in Buraimi, have impressed the inhabitants, more than anything else we have done,” the Political Agent Peter Tripp reported in 1956.

More remarkable than the flow of water, was London’s sudden interest the welfare of the people of the emirates. Overlords of the Arabian Gulf for more than a century, Britain’s sole concern had been to pacify and protect the sea routes to its Indian Empire.

During the 19th century the British had imposed a series of treaties, or “truces”, that effectively gave them full control of the emirates’ dealings with the rest of the world. Internally, they would interfere only if they felt the stability of the region was threatened.

So why the sudden interest in water supplies? With India and Pakistan’s independence in 1948, Britain’s priorities for the Gulf had changed. The focus was now on oil and gas, vital to the UK economy.

Into this mix came the rise of Arab nationalism. The Suez Crisis of 1956 ended in humiliation for Britain and France, as Egypt’s charismatic new leader, Gamal Abdel Nasser led the call for Arab people to cast aside their imperial bonds.

So concerned was London about the influence of Cairo in the Gulf that a letter was sent to the British Embassy in Khartoum that year asking for help in recruiting Sudanese for a variety of posts from engineers to schoolteachers “as a more desirable source of supply than Egypt.”

Clearly if Britain wanted to keep Arab nationalism out of the Gulf it would have to do more for the local population than act as the policeman.

A first step was the Trucial States Development Fund, with a five year modernisation plan announced in 1955 and a budget of £450,000, worth around £12 million today or Dh57.7 million.

Policing, education and health were the priority, but it was clean water that was the most complex problem to solve.

Drilling equipment was ordered from Britain, along with workers to operate it, and shipped to Dubai in late 1954. The 1955 budget was set at £25,000 (£660,000 today) and included two windmills, improvements to Al Ain's falaj system, but with over half allocated for well drilling.

Records show that Sheikh Zayed was increasingly anxious to see a better life for his people. After a meeting with the UK representative in July 1958, the Political Agent sent an urgent message to London marked “confidential”, warning of “growing pressure from the more progressive elements in the area.”

By the start of the 1960s, the five year plan was showing results. Drilling had produced enough wells to supply Dubai and the Northern Emirates with clean water, including Sharjah.

For Dubai, this involved a 40 kilometre pipeline from the well at Al Aweer, to the west of the city which began operating in 1960, with the first water piped directly into homes and offices beginning in 1965.

Abu Dhabi, though, remained a problem. There was literally not enough water for the growing town. Unusual, even eccentric, alternatives were considered.

A diviner was hired, using a technique called dowsing that claims to discover water underground using “earth vibrations” that make a wooden rod twitch when held over the source.

Water diviner Colonel Keith Merrylees in conversation with local people in Abu Dhabi in the 1950s. Despite the promise of a large reward if he was successful, Col Merrylees failed to detect any water sources. Courtesy: National Archives
Water diviner Colonel Keith Merrylees in conversation with local people in Abu Dhabi in the 1950s. Despite the promise of a large reward if he was successful, Col Merrylees failed to detect any water sources. Courtesy: National Archives

Col Kenneth Merrylees duly wandered across the island and surrounding areas, but despite what he believed would be a £100,000 reward for success - nearly Dh2 million in today’s prices - his rod did not detect any water.

The good news, the colonel told the Ruler, was that he believed he had discovered two more oil fields nearby. The response, as noted in a British report from 1962, was “(Sheikh) Shakhbut said that he had enough oil for the time being.”

That left the desalination plants as the sole source of Abu Dhabi water. A more radical plan was implemented, with a 128-kilometre concrete pipeline laid from new wells drilled outside Al Ain directly to a massive water storage tank in Khalidiya.

Abu Dhabi's first desalination plant, which was located on the beach before the building of the Corniche. The plant, built in Britain, could produce around 50,000 litres of fresh water a day in 1962. Courtesy: Bp Archives
Abu Dhabi's first desalination plant, which was located on the beach before the building of the Corniche. The plant, built in Britain, could produce around 50,000 litres of fresh water a day in 1962. Courtesy: Bp Archives

Water began to flow from Al Ain in 1965, with the systems capacity estimated at 400,000 gallons a day – almost ten times the existing supply.

In the end, though, it was improvements in desalination technology that would solve Abu Dhabi’s water problems. The huge candy striped towers of the city’s plants that can be seen from the Sheikh Zayed Bridge today are a far cry from the those that sat in the beach in 1962.

Although no longer in use, the water tank in Khalidiya survives. It can be seen, sitting on a low hill in a residential area just behind Khaleej Al Arabi Street; a reminder of a time when a bottle of spring water was not so much a fashion accessory but more a matter of life and death.

Six large-scale objects on show
  • Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
  • The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
  • A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
  • A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
  • Torrijos Palace dome
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

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Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

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Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?

Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
 

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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Profile of Udrive

Date started: March 2016

Founder: Hasib Khan

Based: Dubai

Employees: 40

Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):

Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE

Match is on BeIN Sports

Types of bank fraud

1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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6026 – Dh 200

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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)

Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses

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 

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Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.

Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.

Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.

Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.

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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

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
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Results

3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m; Winner: Dhafra, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Al Ajayib, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel

4pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Ashtr, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Majed Al Jahouri

4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Falcon Claws, Szczepan Mazur, Doug Watson

5pm: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Al Mufham SB, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Badar Al Hajri

5.30pm: Sharjah Marathon – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,700m; Winner: Asraa Min Al Talqa, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi

Results

3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).

3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.

5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.

5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

Results

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).

7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m

Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m

Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

RESULTS

2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)

2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi

3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne

4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi

4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

ALL THE RESULTS

Bantamweight

Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.

Catch 74kg

Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.

Strawweight (Female)

Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.

Featherweight

Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.

Lightweight

Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.

Welterweight

Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.

Bantamweight

Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.

Lightweight

Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.

Lightweight

Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.

Welterweight

Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.

Featherweight title bout

Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.