ABU DHABI // The report by the National Election Committee helps to answer the key question on the minds of ministers after September's FNC elections: why did turnout fall by so much?
Although the electoral roll was 20 times the size of the list for the 2006 elections, with about 130,000 Emiratis eligible to vote, the turnout was much lower - 28 per cent, compared with 70 per cent in 2006.
The NEC was wary before the polls of putting a figure on the turnout it hoped for, but the report reveals it was expecting it to fall to about 60 per cent.
The committee has since been examining voting figures to work out the reasons for such a huge drop in the hope of increasing turnout next time.
There were two key demographic indicators: age and gender. It had been hoped that a greater number of women on the rolls would result in more women winning seats.
But only one, Sheikha Eisa Ghanem in Umm Al Quwain, was successful. She has since been joined on the 40-member council by six appointed women.
Many candidates went for the youth vote through social media and canvassed more men than women, based on the misconception that women would vote only for female candidates, and because young people made up one of the larger groups in the electorate.
The report revealed that although almost half of the registered voters - 46 per cent - were women, they were substantially less likely to vote, with a turnout of 19 per cent compared with 33 per cent of men.
The difference was greatest in Ajman where only 28 per cent of registered women turned out to vote, compared with 48 per cent of registered men. But in Umm Al Quwain the figures were skewed the other way, albeit slightly. It was the only emirate to elect a woman, with 57 per cent of women going to the polls, compared with 53 per cent of men.
Ms Ghanem said this proved that what many had suggested after the election was incorrect.
"They said that women did not want to vote for women," she said.
Ms Ghanem's popularity in her emirate was not only among women, but also among men and young people, she added.
She said that it was the sole factor in her victory and that she ran reluctantly, because other people wanted her to.
"But that doesn't mean I do not want or deserve to be in the FNC," Ms Ghanem said.
Analysing the turnout by age gives another clue as to where candidates may have miscalculated.
Some focused on winning over younger voters but, as in many countries, they were the least likely to vote, despite comprising a third of registered voters. The turnout among voters aged between 20 and 29 was 24 per cent.
Those most likely to vote were aged 40 to 49 and 50 to 59 (both 31 per cent), 60 to 69 (28) and 30 to 39 (27).
This may explain why many of the winning candidates were those who used their own connections, visited families and contacted the leaders of tribes to ask for their support.
"We were not guided, we had to rely on our personal contacts and our own hard work to reach voters," one successful candidate said during a public debate.
That frustration was shared by voters. The report's authors asked 816 registered voters why they thought the turnout had been so low, and half said it was because there had not been enough information about candidates.
Fifty-four per cent said there was not enough information on the electoral process, and another 54 per cent said they were unhappy with the electronic polling machines.
There was also apathy, with 28 per cent saying they did not think the FNC was important enough for them to bother voting, a reason echoed by registered but non-voting Emiratis who spoke to The National.
"We did not vote," said Amna A, from Al Ain. "Our family was on the list but we didn't know about the FNC. There was information out on the elections but none on the FNC during that time. There was not enough awareness."
On elections day, Al Ain polling station, even after suffering a technical hitch that left voters waiting for hours before they could vote, was the second busiest in the country, recording 47 per cent of the votes in Abu Dhabi emirate.
It recorded 4,791 votes, second only to the Dubai Airport polling station, where 5,185 people voted.
There were also pronounced patterns in voting times, too, with peaks in every emirate just before midday and again after 5pm.
osalem@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
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)
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Company%20profile
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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.
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.
Hamilton’s 2017
Australia - 2nd; China - 1st; Bahrain - 2nd; Russia - 4th; Spain - 1st; Monaco - 7th; Canada - 1st; Azerbaijan - 5th; Austria - 4th; Britain - 1st; Hungary - 4th; Belgium - 1st; Italy - 1st; Singapore - 1st; Malaysia - 2nd; Japan - 1st; United States - 1st; Mexico - 9th
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
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.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Community Shield info
Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)
Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Referee Bobby Madley
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
Company%20Profile
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