Roads clogged across Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI // Motorists are spending more time in rush-hour traffic because of changes in school and work schedules during the holy month, police and residents said yesterday. "When it's not Ramadan, some of the jobs start early, some at seven, some at eight," said Major Ahmed al Neyadi,spokesman for the Abu Dhabi Police traffic and patrols department. "Now, all of them are finishing at the same time." The increased traffic during Ramadan rush hours has led to accidents, Major Neyadi said, and those in turn caused more congestion. "Drivers should drive carefully, leave proper space between them and other cars and be patient, even if they are fasting," he said. He warned that roads were also crowded from 5pm to 6pm and some drivers might drive recklessly as they rushed home for evening prayers and iftar. A Department of Planning and Economy report this summer warned that the economy was losing Dh5 billion (US$1.4bn) a year because of traffic congestion. Among the report's proposals was that starting and finishing times for Government, private businesses and schools be staggered. Those are recommendations that Rashed Mohammed, a former police officer, would like to see implemented quickly. "Why the school and work start at the same time?" he said yesterday around 1.15pm as he waited for his car to be fuelled at a petrol station on Airport Road near Delma Street. Outside the Rosary School near Abu Dhabi Media Company around 1.30pm yesterday, parents double-parked their vehicles and blocked school buses on a side street as they fetched their children. "The traffic is not only bad, it is painful and drastic," Mofid Hakoum said as he waited for his daughter. "Everybody wants to rush and they want priority over the others. No one is respecting the road." Mr Hakoum said his travel time to the school was doubled during Ramadan because parents all went to the schools around 8am and again at 1.30pm. People hoping to catch taxis are facing increased competition during the busy hours this month. Huda al Kaabi,a communications officer for the Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cars, advised passengers to leave home and work earlier if they wanted to avoid traffic congestion. More than 2,500 taxis were available to passengers, she said, but during Ramadan, when everyone seems to need a cab at the same time, there is huge pressure on the service. "This is traffic month," Capt Haji al Bloushi said last week. Beginning on Monday, 25 patrol cars from a private company will start responding to and making reports on minor accidents, which police said would free officers to concentrate on more serious accidents and to patrol. mchung@thenational.ae

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

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On Women's Day

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Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

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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

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo

Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm

Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km

On sale: December

Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)

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

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

More on Quran memorisation:

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Airev

Started: September 2023

Founder: Muhammad Khalid

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: Generative AI

Initial investment: Undisclosed

Investment stage: Series A

Investors: Core42

Current number of staff: 47

COMPANY%20PROFILE

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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Explained

Who are the bidoon?

The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS

Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0