ALGIERS // Tomorrow Abdeslam Alilou will skip presidential elections and go, as he always does, to a plywood shack in the heart of Algiers to play dominoes and smoke hashish with his friends.
"I smoke to be calm," said Mr Alilou, who is 30 and unemployed. "I smoke because there's nothing else."
Algeria's president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, is calling on young Algerians like Mr Alilou, who form the bulk of voters, to support his bid for re-election to a controversial third term. But years of chronic unemployment, rising costs of living and disillusionment with their country's politics have turned a generation off of elections altogether.
Mr Bouteflika is widely expected to win the contest, but is racing to avoid a predicted low voter turnout that would sap credibility from his mandate.
"If the Algerian people want to prove that they care about their country's politics, let them say it clearly on April 9," Mr Bouteflika told his final campaign rally on Monday, geared towards young people.
Attendees at the rally burst regularly into applause and cheering. But at a national level, Mr Bouteflika is facing a tougher crowd.
"The political system leaves young people no means of expressing themselves," said Hocine Zehouane, president of the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights. "They no longer believe in anything."
In November, Algeria's parliament lifted presidential term limits, a move seen by many as a manoeuvre to allow Mr Bouteflika to keep his job. The president's supporters argue that no one matches his ability to ensure order in a country struggling with high unemployment, a housing crisis and an Islamic insurgency left over from a devastating civil war that killed about 150,000 in the 1990s.
But opposition parties have accused Mr Bouteflika of eroding Algerian democracy and seeking to become president for life. One major rival after another has renounced tomorrow's election by refusing to take part in it and calling for a boycott, leaving Mr Bouteflika virtually unchallenged.
"There has never been an opposition that could assert itself," said George Joffe, director of the Centre for North African Studies at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. "The boycott is to demonstrate that opposition parties are in tune with people."
Critics of the government have predicted that disillusionment will keep many Algerians home on polling day, as happened in legislative elections in 2007. Official figures put voter turnout then at just 35 per cent - a record low.
Keen to avoid a repeat, Mr Bouteflika has crisscrossed Algeria in recent weeks to make stump speeches, while his campaign team has covered towns with posters bearing his image and mobilised the block of parties that support him.
"But whether it can mobilise significantly more than 50 per cent of voters is an open question," said Hugh Roberts, an expert on Algeria and the former director of the North Africa Project at International Crisis Group, a think-tank in Brussels.
Since his first election as president in 1999, Mr Bouteflika has won praise for re-establishing the role of civilian leaders following military dominance after civil war broke out in 1992. He was re-elected in a landslide in 2004 on pledges to bring peace to Algeria through a programme of amnesties for militants.
But for many Algerians, Mr Bouteflika is increasingly identified with ossified politics and elusive prosperity.
The country's booming hydrocarbons industry has not eased an unemployment rate that the government puts at 13 per cent, while government targets to produce one million new jobs and housing units have so far not been met. Mr Bouteflika has promised to spend US$150 billion (Dh550bn) of surplus oil revenues on development.
That sounds good to young people like Naramine Ouahabi, 19, a student who attended Mr Bouteflika's rally on Monday at a stadium outside Algiers.
"I'm definitely voting Bouteflika," said Ms Ouahabi, who is pursuing a degree in international trade. "I'm confident he'll ensure that jobs are created."
Unemployment has soared among Algerian youth in recent years, pushing increasing numbers into drug use and emigration, said Mr Zehouane, from the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights.
"Algeria has given me nothing, so I've never voted," said Hocine, 28, a rally attendee who slipped illegally into France eight years ago seeking work and did not wish to give his surname. "But if Bouteflika's programme seems sound, I may vote for him."
"In 10 years, not one of you will be idling in bed," Mr Bouteflika told the packed stadium, sending up a burst of cheering and whistles.
But at their shack in Algiers, Abdeslam Alilou and his friends are unimpressed.
"He's already had 10 years," Mr Alilou said. "Now it's too late."
Outside, the fading light of the sun washed over the crumbling houses down the hill and, on the heights above, the gleaming presidential palace.
The men, most unemployed like Mr Alilou, clacked dominoes on to a table and talked of the things they do not have - health insurance, wives, paycheques - pausing to take drags on a hashish cigarette.
Mr Alilou lives with his mother, brother and niece in a matchbox apartment nearby, while his sister lives in Switzerland. Four years ago he visited her.
"When I was there, for the first time I didn't smoke," he said. "Because for the first time I felt happy."
jthorne@thenational.ae
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC
2009 Finalist
2010 Champion
Jan 2011 Champion
Dec 2011 Semi-finalist
Dec 2012 Did not play
Dec 2013 Semi-finalist
2015 Semi-finalist
Jan 2016 Champion
Dec 2016 Champion
2017 Did not play
Fixtures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWednesday%2C%20April%203%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EArsenal%20v%20Luton%20Town%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EManchester%20City%20v%20Aston%20Villa%2C%2011.15pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThursday%2C%20April%204%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELiverpool%20v%20Sheffield%20United%2C%2010.30pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20653hp%20at%205%2C400rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20800Nm%20at%201%2C600-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E0-100kph%20in%204.3sec%0D%3Cbr%3ETop%20speed%20250kph%0D%3Cbr%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20NA%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Q2%202023%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20results%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EIreland%20beat%20UAE%20by%20six%20wickets%0D%3Cbr%3EZimbabwe%20beat%20UAE%20by%20eight%20wickets%0D%3Cbr%3EUAE%20beat%20Netherlands%20by%2010%20wickets%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EUAE%20v%20Vanuatu%2C%20Thursday%2C%203pm%2C%20Zayed%20Cricket%20Stadium%0D%3Cbr%3EIreland%20v%20Netherlands%2C%207.30pm%2C%20Zayed%20Cricket%20Stadium%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGroup%20B%20table%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1)%20Ireland%203%203%200%206%20%2B2.407%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Netherlands%203%202%201%204%20%2B1.117%0D%3Cbr%3E3)%20UAE%203%201%202%202%200.000%0D%3Cbr%3E4)%20Zimbabwe%204%201%203%202%20-0.844%0D%3Cbr%3E5)%20Vanuatu%203%201%202%202%20-2.180%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
