ABU DHABI // A dark maze of cavernous tunnels is unfolding in the capital, unseen and largely unknown to the residents above.
It is one of the country’s largest building sites but since construction began in September 2009, only a handful of civilians have seen the country’s new 84-kilometre sewer system.
The Dh5.7 billion Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme (Step) is growing under and across the island of Abu Dhabi.
The main lines run down Khaleej Al Arabi street towards the E22, across the growing suburbs of the Abu Dhabi mainland towards a pumping station that will be built at Mafraq to process 1.7 million cubic metres of waste a day by 2030, at a rate of 30 cubic metres a second.
After its completion in 2015, the gravity-fed system will be maintenance free until 2095 – all but forgotten by the millions of people who will use it every day.
Contractors completed 33 of the 41 tunnel access shaft excavations this week. There are a further 43km of small-link sewers that will lead to the main system in the works across the city.
The project employs 2,400 people and construction continues 24 hours a day.
Men such as Peter Steven Lloyd, a Step tunnel manager, ensure this construction is all but invisible on the surface. Over 30 metres underground, at his worksite near the Armed Forces Officers Club, he works in a growing maze of dripping water, mud and darkness.
“In any tunnel there’s danger,” Mr Lloyd warns visitors. “Anything that moves can kill you.”
Mr Lloyd has drilled through the Himalayas, under the English Channel and below the city of London for the Olympics. “I’m like a mole,” he said. “I get everywhere.”
In Abu Dhabi, he works in tunnels that are 5.5 metres in diameter – about three times the height of a dromedary camel.
The project will use 45,000 cubic metres of concrete – 10 times the amount used for the Burj Khalifa and enough to fill 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Locomotives run to one of the drilling sites, where a 110m long, 7m wide, 750-tonne tunnel boring machine (TBM) claws and drills into rock. One section, or “ring” of 1.4m produces 40m of mudstone and gypsum.
After excavation, the TBM operator controls a 3m long robotic arm to place 2.5 tonne steel-reinforced concrete segments around the circumference.
The TBM at Lloyd’s site averages 22 rings, or about 33m, a day.
Each boring machine is served by two locomotives with two “muck cars” that carry out eight cubic metres of excavated mudstone and gypsum in two cars, and bring in the concrete segments.
No ring can be more than 5 millimetres different in height than the last. “If we went 5mm off line, we’d know,” said Lee Pearson, a construction manager on the project.
azacharias@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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.
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Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
AIDA%20RETURNS
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Take Me Apart
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(Warp)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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