ABU DHABI // About 2,000 Egyptians flocked to their embassy and consulate in Abu Dhabi on Friday to be among the first to vote in Egypt's presidential election. About the same number of people were expected to turn out in Dubai.
Sixty-one thousand Egyptians in the UAE have registered to vote, almost double the number who registered to vote during elections for the shura council, the upper house of parliament.
According to the Egyptian Ambassador to the UAE, Tamer Mansour, more than 320,000 Egyptians reside in the Emirates.
He expected about 32,000 of the registered voters to cast ballots in Dubai in the week-long vote, and 29,000 in Abu Dhabi.
He expected the busiest times to be mostly at the weekend, and that all 40 embassy staff would be on hand throughout the week to ensure the voting runs flawlessly.
The voting in the Emirates is to end at 8pm on Thursday. The voting in Egypt itself will be on May 23 and 24.
"This is the most important event in history," Mr Mansour said. "This is a result of the January 25 revolution."
Even before the doors opened yesterday, a handful of Egyptians were waiting from 8am outside the embassy in Abu Dhabi, eager to be the first ones let in.
Until noon, a steady flow of people arrived, some wearing the red, black and white of the national flag. Children appeared waving large Egyptian flags and others with the flag painted on their face.
"I came early because this is a historic event," Ahmed Farouk said as he filled his paper ballot. "I have never voted before; I have been living here for 17 years, outside of Egypt."
Ahmed Ezza, on his way to vote with a friend, said they had "dreamt of this day since the revolution started".
"That is why we came here so early," Mr Ezza said, who voted for Amr Moussa. "We voted for him, because he is the only one we know."
MH, a manager from Dubai, said he voted for Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, who left the Muslim Brotherhood last year after deciding to run for president.
He chose the candidate "because he seems the most realistic," he said, adding that he was reassured of his choice after Thursday night's first ever presidential debate in the history of the Arab world.
"Amr Moussa is a fragment of the old regime; we do not want anyone from the old regime to be in power again," he said. "Aboul Fotouh seems reasonable, and he treats all members of society equally. He does not side with one segment in society."
A voter who requested anonymity said he voted for Mr Moussa for fear of the Muslim Brotherhood ruling Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood has the largest number of seats in the lower house of parliament.
"And I feel he is from my generation and he is the right person who can start up Egypt again," the Moussa supporter said. He added that if Mr Moussa did not win, he hoped Hamdeen Sabahi, the leader of the Dignity Party, would.
MM and his wife, WM, voted for Mr Sabahi "because he is neutral, a true Egyptian," MM said. "He is not with the old regime or the Islamists."
An old couple leaving the embassy said they voted for Mohamed Morsy, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate.
"He has a programme that I hope the president would have," he said. "I also wanted the president's views to be in line with the parliament, so there are no clashes."
He said if he had not voted for Mr Morsy, he would have chosen Mr Aboul Fotouh.
"He was convincing in the debate [Thursday night]," he said. "But Morsy has a party supporting him, he is not independent. All we care about is that the new president has nothing to do with the old regime."
Even with differing political views, Egyptians were keen to stick around and turn the voting into a social gathering.
"Pride filled Egyptians today," Mr Mansour said. "They are really proud to pick their own president. This is something not usual for them. Everyone is looking at us to see what happens."
Mohamed Ahmed said that he and his family came to the embassy to "fulfill their duties as Egyptians".
"Just because we are out of Egypt, does not mean we should not vote," he said. "When we come to the embassy, it is as if we are in Egypt. In the end, we are Egyptians."
Mr Mansour said it was hard to guess who would win. He said votes abroad usually did not clash with voting in the country.
Some people who were turned down at the embassy for not registering online beforehand said they might head to Egypt to vote during the election days.
The embassy's head of communications said the UAE had the third-highest number of Egyptians registered to vote, after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
osalem@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
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
BLACKBERRY
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Matt%20Johnson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jay%20Baruchel%2C%20Glenn%20Howerton%2C%20Matt%20Johnson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The years Ramadan fell in May
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 specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
The Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize
This year’s winners of the US$4 million Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize will be recognised and rewarded in Abu Dhabi on January 15 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week, which runs in the capital from January 13 to 20.
From solutions to life-changing technologies, the aim is to discover innovative breakthroughs to create a new and sustainable energy future.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young