The announcement of new traffic rules late last month advanced changes to regulations regarding self-driving vehicles, made provision for the creation of a new traffic body and proposed the introduction of stronger tariffs for serious driving offences. It delivered a raft of measures designed to keep the regulatory framework moving at the same pace as technology and society.
It was a proposal about a potential change to the minimum age for young people to get their driving licences, however, that seemed to catch the attention of many.
Regulations currently allow a young person to open their UAE traffic file at 17 and a half years old and start driving lessons when they turn 18, having first completed their theory test. Last month’s federal decree “sets the conditions for issuing a driving licence, including reaching the age of 17”.
Although a final decision on whether changes will be made to the existing framework won’t be made public until March, many people interpret that reported phrase as potentially opening the way for younger drivers to legally get behind the wheel.
Abu Dhabi Police are right to focus on problem behaviours and rules transgressors if the aim is to move towards safer roads
A potential lowering of the driving age, even by a few months, is one of those hot-button topics that always draws strong opinions. Some people believe any increase in the number of young drivers equals more problems on the roads. One expert told The National that “young motorists have the feeling of being invincible and score worst in terms of pretty much all misbehaviour”.
I am not so sure. I don’t think that accident rates will increase dramatically by making such a marginal change to age limits. Why? Because the basket of road offences that contribute towards accidents on our roads include misdemeanours such as speeding, lane indiscipline, tailgating and distracted driving, which are not age-exclusive violations, but more general behavioural issues. Gender is also a key factor in collision rates.
The cause of any traffic offence may be equally related to inattentiveness or irrational decision-making, as it is to inexperience or being new to the roads. That last factor is not age limited, either.
Dubai Police documented more than 35,500 cases of distracted driving in the first half of last year. Dubai Police have previously also identified tailgating as a serious problem on the roads, citing the existence of thousands of offences in a few months in 2021.
Abu Dhabi Police HQ shared one of its periodic clips on social media this week of two accidents that were caused by “sudden deviation and non-compliance” with traffic rules.
In the first part of the clip, a white mid-size SUV can be seen travelling down a four-lane carriageway before it suddenly moves from one of the two lanes nearest the centre shoulder and attempts to exit the main road at a junction only a few metres in front of it.
The car ends up being T-boned by a minivan travelling on the lane closest to the junction, which had nowhere to go. The SUV had travelled beyond the junction that it was attempting to turn into at the point of contact and was seen facing the wrong way down the carriageway at the moment the clip ends.
In the second part of the clip, a dark-coloured saloon car attempts to leave a busy, fast-moving motorway from lane two of a four-lane road when there is no obvious gap in traffic to do so. The car ends up striking a bus before hitting a concrete barrier and flipping over.
Abu Dhabi Police made no note of the age of the drivers in their recently posted clip, but they are right to focus on problem behaviours and rules transgressors if the aim is to move towards safer roads. Several of the new traffic rules announced last month target those road users who put others at risk.
Other measures could be considered, such as more access to or incentivisation of advanced driving courses to reinforce messages and improve driver techniques and safety. The same goes for speed awareness courses, which could be used as a substitute for a fine in the event of a driver committing a marginal offence. There could also be merit in requiring drivers to refresh themselves of driving theory every few years at licence renewal time, for instance.
Recent academic studies suggest behaviour is the dominant factor in accidents, with even the “close to home” effect (collisions occurring near to familiar destination points) being a critical factor in collision and incident rates. In a study by academics in South Korea using accident data from the UK, the links between collisions and behaviour were “robustly established”.
Another recent study by academics in Alabama of dangerous driving in the US noted that there is a “dearth of studies that provide reliable insights into the question of which individuals are more prone to engaging in dangerous driving”. Their modelling was able to identify “significant correlations” between mature male drivers and the probability of driving under the influence. Male and young drivers were more prone to speeding behaviours. It may be that continued use of targeted public messaging will cut through to those groups who need them most.
All of us are to blame for bad behaviour on the roads and most of us would benefit from furthering our driving education. We shouldn’t instinctively blame younger drivers for problems that present themselves on our roads.
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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.”
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court (4pm UAE/12pm GMT)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) v Heather Watson (GBR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) v Karen Khachanov (RUS x30)
Andy Murray (GBR x1) v Fabio Fognini (ITA x28)
Court 1 (4pm UAE)
Steve Johnson (USA x26) v Marin Cilic (CRO x7)
Johanna Konta (GBR x6) v Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) v Venus Williams (USA x10)
Court 2 (2.30pm UAE)
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) v Gilles Muller (LUX x16)
Peng Shuai (CHN) v Simona Halep (ROM x2)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) v Sam Querrey (USA x24)
Court 3 (2.30pm UAE)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) v Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18)
Carina Witthoeft (GER) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)
Court 12 (2.30pm UAE)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x8) v Ana Konjuh (CRO x27)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Court 18 (2.30pm UAE)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) v Madison Brengle (USA)
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
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Fatherland
Kele Okereke
(BMG)
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
New schools in Dubai
More on animal trafficking
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
