Heavy load cargo vessel Zhen Hua 15 is on Sunday set to unload at Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, marking the inauguration of Adani Ports' 77 billion Indian rupee ($925 million) mega infrastructure project and putting India on the map for the world’s biggest container ships.
The Vizhinjam transshipment container port – India's first – is being introduced as a public-private partnership model, with funding from the local state government and private partner Adani Ports, India's largest integrated ports and logistics company and part of billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate, the port's website says.
The deep-sea water port will have a capacity of 1 million 20 foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in its first phase, with another 6.2 million TEUs to be added, it said.
The port is set to “position India as a top global transshipment hub”, with its strategic location on the international shipping route connecting Europe, the Arabian Gulf and the Far East, the company's website says.
Transshipment is when cargo is unloaded from one vessel and loaded on to another, bigger ship at a port on the way to the cargo's final destination.
India's port container throughput stood at 17 million TEUs in 2020, compared to China's container traffic that stood at 245 million TEUs for the same period, India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in February.
“The upcoming ports at Vizhinjam [Kerala] and Vadhavan [Maharashtra] have natural drafts in excess of 18 metres that would enable ultra-large container and cargo vessels to call on the ports, thereby boosting the efforts to make India the world’s factory by improving the container and cargo throughput,” the ministry said at the time.
To develop global standard ports in India, the country's Maritime India Vision 2030 has identified projects such as developing world-class mega ports, transshipment hubs and infrastructure modernisation of ports at an estimated investment of 1.25 trillion rupees, the ministry said.
The mega-port in the southern Indian state is a boost to the Ahmedabad-based Adani Group conglomerate, which faced fraud allegations by US short-seller Hindenburg Research in January.
The Hindenburg report accused the Adani Group of stock manipulation and improper use of offshore tax havens, as well as raising concerns about its high level of debt. The Adani Group has denied the allegations.
Last month, Adani Group said its financial status remained unaffected despite “misleading” reports.
Overall, India's economic growth “remains robust, driven by a large public capital expenditure push and resilient domestic demand”, the International Monetary Fund said in its Asia and Pacific Region's Economic Outlook on October 13.
The Indian economy is expected to grow by 6.3 per cent in both this year and next, the Washington-based lender said.
Structural reforms will be the key to unlock India's massive economic potential, Krishna Srinivasa, the IMF's director of the Asia and Pacific Department, said on October 13.
“If you want to really exploit the significant potential India has, then I think the need is for structural reforms. Again, there India has made significant strides, very impressive strides, in the area of digitalisation and beefing up infrastructure where the efforts have been truly impressive.
“But beyond that, there could be reforms aimed at improving the business environment, labour reforms, removing trade restrictions. All these go into building an environment which will support investor competence more – more so in India. ”
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Pathaan
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
