Rashid Al Oubad says poor maintenance at Al Rugaylat Fishermen’s Port is leading to accidents. Reem Mohammed / The National
Rashid Al Oubad says poor maintenance at Al Rugaylat Fishermen’s Port is leading to accidents. Reem Mohammed / The National

Fujairah’s fishermen call for improved safety and capacity at main port



FUJAIRAH // Fishermen have claimed that their port in Fujairah is not fit for purpose – that unsafe walkways cause frequent accidents and skippers struggle to find mooring spots for their boats.

A 53-year-old fisherman with 30 years’ experience said he was injured recently at a poorly maintained bridge that leads to the dock at Al Rugaylat Fishermen’s Port.

“I was going to the dock early in the morning when I slipped on the bridge,” said Rashid Al Oubad. “I had severe injuries in my right leg and all of my things, including mobiles [phones] dropped into the sea.

“I was treated in the hospital and it took me one month to get back on my feet and start fishing again. The surgery didn’t cost me anything because the Government took care of it, but I suffered financially and didn’t have any source of income during that period.”

He said: “The bridge needs to be repaired. This is the second time I slipped and injured myself.

“It’s not only dangerous to us, it also threatens the safety of the port’s visitors and tourists.”

Abdullah Saeed, 62, a fisherman for 20 years, said: “Going up and down the bent bridge is not an easy process, especially if you are carrying fish boxes or pushing a 200-kilogram trolley.

“So many men have been injured because of it and somebody should solve the problem immediately, before there are more incidents.”

According to Mr Saeed, since the port was built in 2010 the number of boats had increased and their sizes had changed – leading to further problems.

“When they first constructed the port they made all the docks and mooring for boats that don’t exceed 27 feet in width, but now we have boats of 30 feet in width that take the space of two, and the rest of the boats are kept without any place to be docked in.”

Salem Obaid, manager of the Fujairah Fishermen’s Association, has also raised concerns from members about the lack of safety at the emirate’s main fishing port.

“When the tide lowers and the sea leaves, it becomes very difficult for fishermen to reach their boats or even sail them outside the port.

“The bridge that allows the fishermen to access the port becomes a slope during the low tide, and many men have slipped and injured themselves.”

Mr Obaid added that getting boats in and out of the fishing port had become difficult because of the shallow water caused by low tides.

“The boats can also get stuck in the sand and this causes serious damage to the engine and disrupts the sailing journey. This delay would definitely affect the fishermen’s work process and cause financial loss,” he said.

The fishermen also said there were not enough docking spaces to meet demand.

“We have almost 30 boats with no place to moor them. Either they wait for someone to take off and use their berth, or they pull their boats out of the water. Both solutions are considered time-consuming,” said Mr Obaid.

The fishermen’s association has filed several requests about the issues to the Ministry of Public Works, but was still waiting for action to be taken.

The ministry could not be reached for comment.

rhaza@thenational.ae

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Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m

Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m

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8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

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Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Liverpool 0

Stoke City 0

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Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

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