AL AIN // Police in Buraimi have begun randomly stopping and inspecting vehicles bearing Emirati licence plates to see whether the drivers have the required liability insurance to drive in Oman. Almost half of them do not.
"There is a huge problem in Buraimi with Emiratis and expatriates driving across the border from the UAE that do not have insurance," said Sgt Walid al Balooshi of the Sultanate of Oman traffic police. "Almost half the vehicles coming in from the UAE are not insured in Oman. This is a huge problem considering that 20 per cent of accidents occurring in Buraimi involve drivers driving UAE-registered vehicles, almost half of which are not insured. We do the random checks from time to time, but with the summer beginning, we have been increasing our efforts to get motorists from the UAE insured."
According to Sgt al Balooshi, the fine for driving without valid insurance is higher than the cost of purchasing liability cover for a year. "The fine for driving without insurance in Oman is Dh500 (US$136)," he said. "Liability insurance costs only Dh350 for the year, a small price to pay that will provide motorists protection, peace of mind and confidence. It is well worth it."
At the National Life and General Insurance Company at the Madheef border crossing in Buraimi, an insurance agent said that uninsured motorists involved in collisions in the town risked fines and imprisonment.
"Many have been jailed after having an accident because they don't have money to pay for either hospital bills or repairs following a crash in which it was determined they were at fault," she said.
"Many people think that their Emirati insurance will cover them in Oman, but that is not always the case. Some Emirati insurance companies will insure their clients while driving in Oman, some cover them only in Buraimi, while some don't cover them at all outside the UAE."
Motorists entering Buraimi from Al Ain encounter no permanent Omani police checkpoint at either the Mudheef or the Hilli crossings. After clearing immigration on the Emirates side, motorists simply drive into Buraimi unchecked.
People continuing on past Buraimi on the road towards Muscat, Sohar and Hatta are required to stop at the Wadi al Jizi checkpoint 40km down the highway. It is there that they go through immigration and customs checks, and where Omani police ask to see an insurance certificate.
Drivers of hired cars face particular problems because of a surge in thefts of vehicles that are taken across the border never to return.
Rental companies in the UAE are now warning motorists who plan trips to Oman or Saudi Arabia to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOC) from them beforehand, as border officers are getting tougher with the rules requiring proof of rental registration, Oman car insurance, and the permission letter. Some companies will not provide insurance for travel outside the UAE, leaving it up to the drivers to obtain coverage independently.
The Dhofar Insurance Company office at the checkpoint on the road to Muscat is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and charges Dh100 for 10 days of personal liability insurance.
Seven out of 10 motorists driving Emirati-registered vehicles surveyed in Buraimi by The National this week said their UAE insurance covered them while driving in Oman. Most said they had paid about Dh500 extra for this cover.
In addition to levying fines for lack of insurance, police are also checking the level of tint on cars' windows. As in Abu Dhabi, it is illegal in Oman to tint car windows more than 30 per cent. In Abu Dhabi the rule is rarely enforced, but in Oman fines of Dh100 are regularly imposed.
ealghalib@thenational.ae
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
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Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
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
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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%20SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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