A more pedestrian-friendly Abu Dhabi would deter walkers dicing with traffic on Sheikh Zayed Street. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National
A more pedestrian-friendly Abu Dhabi would deter walkers dicing with traffic on Sheikh Zayed Street. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National

Make capital more pedestrian friendly



For some people, walking is their only means of getting around. For others, it’s a part of a healthy lifestyle. And, even if your daily routine involves a bus, taxi or private car, each trip begins and ends on foot. In a city the size of Abu Dhabi, there are tens of thousands of walking trips every day – and nobody should be afraid of the simple act of crossing the street.

Yet, according to the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, pedestrian deaths account for 29 per cent of all road fatalities in the emirate. We clearly need to do better in terms of pedestrian safety.

As The National reported yesterday, in the absence of a pedestrian bridge over Sheikh Zayed Street, formerly Salam Street, hundreds of people risk their lives every day during peak traffic hours. In a half-hour period, our reporter counted 26 instances of people crossing six lanes of traffic from the Lulu Centre to the Royal International Hotel in Al Zahiyah (the former Tourist Club area).

A crossing next to the Adnoc petrol station was closed when roadworks began in 2007 and the centre of the road was barricaded. Those barriers still remain, meaning that the option for pedestrians is to take a lengthy detour or run across the dangerous road. “There is virtually no pedestrian access across Salam Street between Hamdan Street and the Corniche,” noted Glenn Havinoviski, an associate vice president of transport systems at the US traffic-management company Iteris.

The capital’s roads have generally been built for the convenience of motorists and public transport, but the authorities need to pay equal attention to pedestrian safety. Better road design will help create the more walkable city that Abu Dhabi aspires to become.

There is little doubt that the authorities are addressing these concerns. That is evident in the nine new footbridges that have been built at a cost of Dh35.2 million, as well as in the fence dividing the motorway in Musaffah. But the city also needs underpasses and pedestrian-controlled crossing points. Creating walking routes will not only add to Abu Dhabi, it will help make us all safer and healthier.

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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding

The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
​​​​​​​Princeton

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Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)

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SPEC SHEET

Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD  dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz

Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core

Memory: 8/12GB RAM

Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB

Platform: Android 12

Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW

Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps

Front camera: 40MP f/2.2

Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare

Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC

I/O: USB-C

SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano

Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red

Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

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Business Insights
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The biog

Name: Timothy Husband

Nationality: New Zealand

Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney

Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier

Favourite music: Billy Joel

Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia

The specs: 2018 Genesis G70

Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000

Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

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Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D 
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India

RESULTS: 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - EUROPE

Albania 0 Italy 1
Finland 2 Turkey 2
Macedonia 4 Liechtenstein
Iceland 2 Kosovo 0
Israel 0 Spain 1
Moldova 0 Austria 1
Serbia 1 Georgia 0
Ukraine 0 Croatia 2
Wales 0 Ireland 1

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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