I wish to post my opinion on Sultan Al Qassemi's article Nothing should be ambiguous about what's indecent (March 21). For those who are working and living in the UAE, I think people must be aware of the Arabic and Islamic values because they have chosen to come here. They should respect and follow the rules as would be expected in every different culture and society.
For those who are visiting, I am sure they may consider their actions as normal. We are very tolerant of other cultures and beliefs. The immigration department across the UAE should conduct a campaign or provide warning leaflets upon arrival, making sure that visitors are well aware of our cultural constraints.
Ghalib al Maskeri, Abu Dhabi
You are absolutely right, Sultan. I have lived in the UAE for 30 years so am fairly well versed in what one can and cannot do.
I do find the sight of tourists walking around in shorts on the streets and in malls not exactly offensive, but inappropriate in a Muslim country. I also agree there should be clear guidelines as to what is considered inappropriate in terms of kissing or touching.
Will I, for example, be reported for kissing (in the Arab manner) a member of the opposite sex three times on the cheeks, when I am greeting someone in a restaurant? I would have said no, until this recent report of the couple in JBR. Clear guidelines can only be the right way forward for everyone who lives in or visits our country.
Lizzie English, Dubai
Such a public conversation for many expats would be welcomed. I consider myself as being respectful of Emirati values regarding public displays of affection, yet am unsure whether walking hand in hand with my wife is considered acceptable.
I have just welcomed back my daughter from university in the UK, but wonder whether in my excitement to see her, the hug and kiss would have overstepped the mark.
In my opinion, Emiratis are pretty tolerant and in general would accept this behaviour as long as it is not overtly suggestive. Perhaps I am wrong.
Tim Crowe, Dubai
It is interesting that all these so-called anti-Zionist comments are being made as the US tries to secure support for attack against Iran, US military moves towards a harder line against Israel (March 18).
Until and unless the US shows with action that it is serious about dealing with Israel in the same way it deals with Iran, the world is not going to be convinced.
Arab governments and people should not fall for the same old statements and instead rely on actual evidence and action. Until the US policy makers break away from the yolk of Zionist influence, people on the street are never going to see them as friends but rather as instruments of Zionism and imperialism in every form.
JB, Britain
Immersed in India: The Kumbh Mela festival (March 20) painted a beautiful picture with its descriptions. Previously I didn't have much information about the festival.
But the article lacked just one thing: photographs. The photographs did not explain the whole situation.
Faisal Kamal Pasha, Pakistan
Finally something is happening, Hand-held radar snares 400 drivers in capital (March 20). The only other problem I see are the bus drivers. Every morning between 6am and 6.30am at Salam Street in the construction area, the bus drivers confuse the street with the racing circuit on Yas Island.
They are racing against each other with speeds from 100 to 120kph. Where are the police with the radar? I never see anybody there to stop this dangerous behaviour. Every day you read about horrible accidents where busses are involved. It is time to stop them.
Brigitte Peetz, Abu Dhabi
204kph! I certainly hope this person has been given some time to think about this - in a jail cell for three to four months. This person endangered the lives of hundreds no doubt. If a person can get jail time for threatening someone's life, why wouldn't they get it for this?
Donald Glass, Abu Dhabi
In reference to Traffic 'Disneyland' to teach children (March 15), in Canada there are a lot of projects that involve fun and education to make a difference in the amount of accidents and deaths by vehicle.
If you have not tried anything positive to change, then why criticise a project that might make a difference.
Liv Schwenzner, Canada
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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.
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
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
