Related: MV Dara, a terrorist atrocity that was never solved
Two Emirati survivors of the sunken MV Dara, the Gulf's worst maritime disaster, recalled the vessel's final journey 59 years ago as a plan to turn the site into a tourist attraction was unveiled.
The 5,000-tonne British India Line vessel was engulfed in flames after an explosion late on April 8, 1961, killing more than 230 passengers and crew and leaving more injured. Foul play was suspected.
Severely damaged by the blast – the cause of which has not been identified – the ship capsized and sank off Umm Al Quwain two days later.
As the emirate's tourism authorities planned to restore the site to allow visitors to learn of its history, the memories for two Emiratis who were children when the tragedy unfolded remained vivid.
Abdullah Al Hathboor was six years old when a relative, who was on the ship at the time of the explosion, saved his life. He lost his brother Majid, 8, and his sister Ayesha, 5, in the blast.
It was supposed to be one of the best days in my life but it turned out to be the worst
“The story happened a long time ago but there are many details that I couldn’t forget,” said Mr Al Hathboor, a 65-year-old Emirati businessman from Dubai.
“I remember being on board the ship with my mother, grandmother, three brothers and one sister, and we were travelling to India."
Mr Al Hathboor said that he was with the rest of the family in a cabin when the explosion happened.
“Men that used to know my family came to rescue us and each man carried one of us,” he said. “It was very dark, and I remember seeing a huge fire on the deck.
“The man made me wear a life jacket and carried me on his back before jumping into the water.
“I was very scared and tightly gripped his neck. He swam to a small boat, left me there and went back to save more people.
“My grandmother managed to save my 40-day-old baby brother Ahmed. My mother, and brother Jamal, 4, were also rescued, but we lost my sister Ayesha and brother Majid.”
The rescue boat transferred Mr Al Hathboor to another ship that was heading to Bahrain.
“After reaching Bahrain they arranged a flight for us to Dubai, where I was reunited with my family,” he said.
Another survivor said his grandmother died after she insisted on saving him and his mother first.
“The day was supposed to be one of the best days in my life, but it turned out to be the worst,” said Abdurrahman Al Midfa, a 66-year-old Emirati who was seven years old when the ship sank.
He was on the ship with his parents, grandmother and the domestic helper.
“We took off from Sharjah to Dubai to board the ship and travel to Bombay to visit my uncle,” he said.
“I remember the ladder that we climbed to board the ship, and the bunk beds in the cabin.
“It was late at night when my father started to shout 'fire' in three languages Arabic, English and Urdu. Then, we all went out of the room and saw the huge fire," Mr Al Midfa said.
“Many men were helping others and they offered to help us, but my grandmother refused to go first and insisted on letting us go before her.”
Mr Al Midfa saw many people jumping from the ship, and small boats capsizing because of the many people trying to get on board.
“We suddenly lost my grandmother,” he said.
“My mother was rescued first, and I stayed on the ship with my father to try to find my grandmother.
“The situation was getting worse and after two hours of searching for my grandmother, we had to jump from the ship and take one of the small rescue boats which took us to another ship that was sailing to Bahrain.”
Mr Al Midfa and his father were reunited with his mother in Bahrain and were also sent to Dubai by plane.
“For years, my father kept writing and sending photos of my grandmother to news outlets and stations abroad hoping to find her, but we never did.”
Mr Al Midfa’s cousin said that his grandmother was travelling with his uncle and his family to see her son in Mumbai when the ship sank.
“I was seven when we received the news about the ship fire,” said Turki Al Midfa, a 66-year-old Emirati retired from the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
“My uncle and his wife and son survived the accident but my grandmother did not.”
“My grandmother was with my uncle’s family when they left the rooms to take the rescue boats, but she suddenly disappeared.”
“They did not know if she was trying to get on a rescue boat and accidentally fell in the water or died due to the fire after she became frightened and walked away from them,” he said.
Mr Al Midfa said that his uncle’s wife managed to get on a rescue boat while his uncle and son Abdurrahman jumped in the water and were rescued by another boat.
“We went to check on them at their house when they returned back, after a day and a half from the accident, and we were all feeling sad for our grandmother’s loss,” he said.
The wreck of the 120-metre-long Dara sits 15 to 20 metres under water, four nautical miles off the coast of Umm al Quwain.
About three tonnes of fishing nets and cages, along with plastic waste, which accumulated on and around the wreck were removed by the Dubai Voluntary Diving Team.
The site clean-up was launched by Umm Al Quwain Tourism and Archaeology Department last year, as part of The Discovery of Dara project in an effort to restore the shipwreck site and create a tourist attraction.
Read More
One man’s search for those lost at sea: The MV Dara tragedy
A night of horror on the Arabian Gulf
"The first phase of the project's strategic and media plan includes the process of cleaning the shipwreck site of waste that was covering and hiding the shipwreck structure," said a representative of department.
The diving team removed about 90 per cent of the waste in collaboration with the Umm Al Quwain Municipality Department, the Umm Al Quwain Cooperative Society for Fishermen and Coast Guard.
Abdullah Al Balooshi, director of Dubai Voluntary Diving Team, said the group carried out 12 clean-up dives since November 2019. Twelve divers took part.
“We started in November and stopped for three month from March due to the Covid-19 and resumed this month,” said Mr Al Balooshi.
“Most of the waste found at the site was fishing nets and fishing cages, old and new, stuck on the ship’s structure, and they required some time to be removed safely without affecting the ship’s remains."
Mr Al Balooshi said that high current and bad weather were the main challenges they faced during the clean-up campaign.
“We had to cancel many diving trips, and the fact that it is a historical site and we had to be extra cautious when removing the wrapped nets,” he said.
The team aimed to complete the clean-up this month.
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20EduPloyment%3Cbr%3EDate%20started%3A%20March%202020%3Cbr%3ECo-Founders%3A%20Mazen%20Omair%20and%20Rana%20Batterjee%3Cbr%3EBase%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Recruitment%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2030%20employees%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20Pre-Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Angel%20investors%20(investment%20amount%20undisclosed)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
The%20US%20Congress%2C%20explained
%3Cp%3E-%20US%20Congress%20is%20divided%20into%20two%20chambers%3A%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives%20and%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20435%20members%20make%20up%20the%20House%2C%20and%20100%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20party%20needs%20control%20of%20218%20seats%20to%20have%20a%20majority%20in%20the%20House%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20Senate%2C%20a%20party%20needs%20to%20hold%2051%20seats%20for%20control%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20event%20of%20a%2050-50%20split%2C%20the%20vice%20president's%20party%20retains%20power%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
