UBAI // Shahbaz Hussain crosses the Creek for the fifth time since starting out, using a rudimentary wooden rudder to guide his chugging single-engine abra into a berth near Bur Dubai's Old Souk.
He calculates that he will be required to make 16 trips across the narrow stretch of water by day's end, ferrying up to 320 commuters. Abras have plied the turquoise waters of the Creek for more than 50 years, in increasing numbers starting around 1980, when merchants began to migrate from the "old town" in Deira to Bur Dubai.
Two modern bridges and a tunnel have been introduced since then, but Mr Hussain says there are no shortage of passengers.
"The majority of people don't drive because the bridges are too far," said the 35-year-old from Pakistan. "An abra ride is cheaper and takes about 20 minutes less time."
For those who live near the station in Bur Dubai, and work on the opposite side of the Creek, the abras are a lifeline. "I've been taking them every day for the last 10 years," said Shreeram Agrawal, a 39-year-old garment shop manager from India, who had just crossed to the Deira side.
"I live 500 metres from the Bur Dubai station and work 500 metres from here. I have a car, but I never use it."
On a weekday, as many as 80 per cent of people use the abras for commuting to and from work, according to a recent government-sponsored study by UAE University.
The abras are rough diamonds compared to the more polished waterbuses, which berth nearby. The study of 500 passengers found that 75 per cent of abra users were low-income blue-collar workers, while 79 per cent of waterbus customers were professionals or postgraduate educated.
A waterbus ticket costs Dh4, while an abra ride is just Dh1 and there are no paper tickets. Fares are collected by the driver before the journey starts.
Ten passengers sit on one side of the boat, 10 on the other. If a driver miscounts and has even one more person on board, he can face penalties of Dh210, according to Mr Hussain.
The majority of the 149 abras running on the Creek are owned by local partners, who then either rent them to operators, or employ drivers directly.
Mr Hussain is paid Dh1,000 by a local owner and is expected to work from 5am to 11pm, six days a week. One day off is allowed, he said, but not Friday - the busiest day for abra drivers.
"I like this work, but the salary is quite low," said Mr Hussain, who is a father of three. "It can be hard work too, especially in the summer."
Others hire a vessel and work on a freelance basis. Mohammed Islam Muneer Zaman, 23, from Bangladesh, is employed by his father - who in turn rents the abra from a local owner for Dh1,000 a month.
They typically make enough to save Dh2,500 a month. However, profits are often eaten into by the need to service the vessel every four months, to clear off the barnacles that accumulate on the underside.
Such maintenance repairs can often cost Dh3,000 to Dh4,000, he said.
Mr Zaman lives in Ajman in a villa with his immediate family of six, but says the drive to work at 4am is quick because there is so little traffic on the road.
He works every other day and rotates with another abra driver, who earns a comparable salary. He was born in the Emirates and has not once been to his father's homeland of Bangladesh.
"My home is here now," he said. "By the sea."
mcroucher@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Company%20Profile
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Company%20profile
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
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.
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
More from our neighbourhood series:
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
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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.
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
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)
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
