ABU DHABI // Al Gharbia will become the next frontier for investors and a "new economic hub", a business conference was told yesterday.
Mohammed al Mazrouei, the director general of the Western Region Development Council, encouraged potential investors to focus on the area, formerly known as the Western Region, as the Government develops its infrastructure.
He was addressing an audience at the MEED Abu Dhabi Conference 2008 yesterday in the National Exhibition centre.
"We've done the pearl diving part, and then we went to agriculture and oil. Tourism is there, too," he said. "What's next?
"You're going to tell me."
The region, which comprises 70 per cent of the country and more than 83 per cent of Abu Dhabi emirate, has just eight per cent of the country's population.
As the ancestral home to the country's founding Al Nahyan family and the target of Dh98 billion (US$26.7bn) of government investment, Al Gharbia is set for major development.
The Government's financial commitment should entice investors, Mr Mazrouei said.
"Looking back, it's amazing to think that just 30 years ago, Abu Dhabi emirate was one of the least developed areas of the world," he said. "Today, thanks to great leadership and the abundance of resources... we're a well-known place on the world map that people are interested in learning about and visiting."
By 2005, Al Gharbia, with its abundant oil reserves, was contributing more than Dh115bn to the emirate's yearly GDP.
"We're 100 per cent sure that in the next statistics, it's going to be more than this," Mr Mazrouei said. "We welcome anybody with interest to develop something in Al Gharbia."
He reminded the audience that Al Gharbia was not limited to the oil and gas sector and that there was potential to develop new sectors.
Mr Mazrouei said Al Gharbia was vigorously moving towards building infrastructure to make the area a future tourist destination.
He spoke of plans to build three-star and four-star hotels in the Madinat Zayed area, the region's administration centre.
Both hotels are expected to be completed within 18 months.
"As investors, we offer you... undulating deserts and 300km of pristine and untouched coastline."
Marine and desert resorts, as well as the newly opened Sir Bani Yas island wildlife sanctuary and Dalma island, are expected to draw in a quarter of a million visitors a year. A new airport link will help shuttle them to and from the rest of the emirate.
"There are also some studies to see if we need airports," he said. "Since we're talking about roughly 10 per cent of the population, at the moment we don't need an airport, but we're looking at developing the desert islands and there would need to be an airport there."
Building rail lines to connect residents to other GCC countries may come next. "There are a lot of projects flying around but this has the green light."
mkwong@thenational.ae
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
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Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
