Dubai’s transport authority opened the Al Khawaneej Roads Improvement Project on Saturday, cutting journey times on some roads by more than 15 minutes.
Motorists travelling between Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road will now spend nine minutes on the journey, instead of 25.
The waiting time at the junction of Al Khawaneej road and Al Khawaneej roundabout has also been reduced, from 5.5 minutes to 45 seconds.
The project, which is intended to reduce congestion on some of the emirate's busiest roads, has also doubled capacity at the Al Khawaeej junction from 8,000 cars to 16,000 cars per hour.
Mattar Al Tayer, director-general of the Roads and Transport Authority, said the improvement works will create better links between Dubai and Sharjah - a route with heavy traffic during peak hours.
“The Improvement of Al Khawaneej Roads Project is one of the key strategic projects for improving the links between Dubai and Sharjah through the improvement of vertical roads linking with the Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road up to the Airport Street,” he said.
“It also halves the waiting time at the intersection of Al Khawaneej and Al Amardi roads, which has been upgraded from a roundabout to a surface junction, from 120 seconds to 60 seconds.”
As part of the project, a tunnel was constructed, consisting of three lanes in each direction, that extended 680 metres at the intersection of Al Khawaneej road with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan road.
Works also included the construction of a surface junction with singals to ensure free and safe traffic flow on Al Khawaneej road, and surface repair works on the existing roundabout at the intersection of Al Khawaneej and Al Amardi roads.
"The intersection of Al Amardi-Emirates Roads has also been upgraded to a flyover of two lanes in each direction extending 201 metres above the Emirates Road in the direction of Al Awir," Mr Al Tayer said.
A footbridge near Arabian Centre at Al Khawaneej road is under construction.
Service roads extending 23km along Al Khawaneej and Al Amardi roads are being upgraded, and three junctions at Algiers Street will be upgraded to signal junctions.
Other construction under way include streetlights, rainwater drainage system, directional signs, road markings, and protection works for road safety.
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South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
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Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
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2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
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2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
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3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
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War and the virus
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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.
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Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
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Wed, Aug 29:
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Thu, Aug 30:
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Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
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But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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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.
