Call us the Fast and the Envious. Drivers in the Emirates are unrivalled in their desire for speed and in their envy of friends with better cars, according to a survey of car owners in 18 countries. Fifty-nine per cent of UAE motorists admitted they liked to break the speed limit, the survey found. That is more than double the global average of 26 per cent and far more than the next most speed-obsessed country, India (47 per cent).
A penchant for robust engines and a desire to flaunt horsepower may contribute to the problem 63 per cent of UAE car owners said they were "jealous of friends who had better cars" than them. Only 16 per cent of those surveyed in other countries felt the same way. "The findings show traffic authorities in the UAE have a challenge on their hands despite all the well-publicised campaigns to promote safe driving," said Kurt Thompson, an executive with Synovate, the market research firm that conducted the survey. It covered 18 countries and 13,000 car owners, including 629 in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.
Masood Khonji, 30, says he speeds sometimes when he is late, but finds it nerve-racking to share the roads with cars whizzing by at 160kph. "I don't like this speeding," the Iranian manager of an auto repair shop said. "I'm trying to go lower with my speed with the policies of the road, but some people will go more than 160 and that's very crazy. We're afraid." Mr Khonji said the fastest he will speed is 20kph or 30kph above the posted limit. He said speed cameras and steep fines were a major deterrent.
The survey showed UAE drivers were more emotionally attached to their cars than people in other countries, Mr Thompson said. Sixty-one per cent of UAE car owners agreed with the statement "I want a car that will turn heads", compared with 27 per cent in other countries. On the other hand, he said, "there's a real tug-of-war between wanting to be environmentally conscious and taking pleasure from showing off or even speeding in your car".
Fifty-seven per cent of car owners said they would prefer "green cars" to their "dream cars" if price were not an issue the same as the global trend. Among the other findings of the survey, conducted in July, was that the UAE has the highest rate of single-car households. France topped the list in terms of overall ownership, with 95 per cent of families owning one or more cars, but the UAE led the way in one-car households at 67 per cent.
Tighter spending due to the economic crisis may have something to do with the UAE figures, Mr Thompson said. "There are a large number of expat households in the UAE, and most of those have one primary income earner," he said. "Even though car prices are relatively low compared to the rest of the world, those households with only one working person may decide they can get by with just one car." mkwong@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
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (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
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
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
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
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.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now