DUBAI // Residents who use the Sharekni car-pooling scheme will now be able to find their way around thanks to a geographic information system.
Locations across Dubai and other emirates are being uploaded to the online programme by the Roads and Transport Authority.
“Linking the Sharekni programme with the GIS system has made it very easy for users to identify the name of their final destinations or geographical locations,” said Eisa Al Hashimi, the director of planning and business development at the authority’s Public Transport Agency.
“The GIS system plays an important role in helping users, especially new ones, to find other subscribers.
“This step is intended to facilitate the use of the Sharekni programme for customers such as car-poolers and passengers interested in a shared use of a car to access their final destinations.”
Users used to have to search for a destination by keying in specific areas and locations.
Sites already uploaded include government and semi-government institutions, hospitals, hotels and landmarks, Mr Al Hashimi said.
Sharekni was launched by the transport authority five years ago to encourage people to share driving and reduce the number of cars on the roads. Vehicle owners are issued with electronic permits that entitle them to car-pool in Dubai or other emirates.
“The Sharekni programme helps ease traffic congestion, reducing the number of vehicles at peak hours, relieving vehicle parking worries at workplaces, saving transport costs and reducing psychological and physical stress resulting from driving in traffic congestion,” Mr Al Hashimi said.
The number of electronic permits issued reached 1,725 this year. They are free and can be obtained by registering on the online portal, www.sharekni.ae.
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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 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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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.