DUBAI // Fireworks are not child's play - and are illegal to sell without a licence, police have warned in advance of Eid.
Celebrations at the end of Ramadan often involve the hisses and bangs of fireworks, but beyond the calls for increased penalties against illegal traders, their use is a public safety risk, officials said.
"Issuing fines does not present a real deterrent to traders who target youth by increasing the sale of such items during the holiday periods," said Maj Gen Mohammed Al Mansoori, the director of the Dubai Police Facilities Protection and Crisis Administration department. "The current penalties do not match the potential danger of these products."
According to Brig Abdullah Al Ghaithi, the deputy director of the department, the Government is studying the criminalisation of the illicit sale and import of consumer fireworks.
"Shops and traders are regularly inspected, the fines they receive vary between Dh1,000 and Dh5,000," he said.
It is illegal for anyone not licensed or qualified as event organisers, to have fireworks in their possession. However, it remains a major "phenomenon during Eid celebrations", according to Redha Hassan Salman, the director of the Public Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality.
One simple mistake, he said, can turn a celebration into an unthinkable tragedy.
"We, along with the police, have implemented strict surveillance regarding this issue, but parents also have a big responsibility," Mr Salman said.
"They should advise their children on the dangers of fireworks and to inform the police immediately of where they got them from."
Brig Al Ghaithi added: "If a person is caught selling or using fireworks we not only fine them, but we refer them to prosecutors who then charge them the cost of destroying these products."
This year, a team from Dubai police's CID, the Department of Economic Development and Dubai Municipality made 407 inspections in shops around the emirate, he said.
Forty-five shops were found illegally selling fireworks and were fined. Although no specific law bans trading in fireworks, a Ministry of Interior decree in 2003 ordered municipalities across the country to bar their unregulated sale. The ministry now regulates the trade, said Brig Al Ghaithi.
Between 2003 and 2006, 30 tonnes of illegal fireworks were seized by police in Dubai. In 2007, 30 tonnes were seized, and in 2008 the figure was 31 tonnes, and police in Ras Al Khaimah recently seized a "large quantity" of illegally imported fireworks in advance of Eid, officials said.
Brig Al Ghaithi said the vigilance paid off, as less than a tonne of fireworks were seized in Dubai in 2009 and 2010.
"The rise was registered mostly at port seizures. These products were previously imported as toys and children's items and since the introduction of toy safety decrees these items were seized," he said.
But illegal imports continue because fireworks are in such high demand, especially this time of year, he said. "Over the years children have evolved from playing with simple firecrackers to creating bigger and more explosive fireworks through what has been offered to them in the markets by rogue traders," he said.
Parents have to be more vigilant and aware of the dangers of these items, Brig Al Ghaithi warned.
A statement from Brig Gen Mohammad Saleh Badah Awadi of the Ministry of the Interior, echoed those concerns, saying parents should take care not to buy any toys - especially fireworks - that could prove harmful during Eid.
"We have discovered that parents who bring their children with burns to hospitals often register them as burns originating from home to conceal fireworks as the cause," Brig Al Ghaithi said.
A recent incident, according to the Ministry of Interior, involved a young boy who suffered serious injuries from a bottle rocket that shot into his neck after he lit it.
"The kind of firecrackers and fireworks now are more dangerous, and young children do not understand that," Brig Al Ghaithi said.
"Some rockets employ a delay mechanism after they are sparked, inciting the child to come close to see why [it did not launch], resulting in their injuries or even deaths.
amustafa@thenational.ae
*With additional reporting by Maey El Shoush
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs
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How%20I%20connect%20with%20my%20kids%20when%20working%20or%20travelling
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THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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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
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.
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
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
