High price to pay on the roof



ABU DHABI // The shoddy construction of Anwar Hossain's illegal rooftop flat was never clearer to him than during last winter's rainstorms. The torrential downpours flooded the money-exchange worker's Hadbat al Zafranah home, perched on top of the roof of a three-storey building. "The roof is not protected. From the ceiling, there were some cracks," Mr Hossain, 38, said yesterday.

For Dh4,000 a month split with another Bangladeshi couple, he considered that he was getting what he paid for. "It's cheaper than the other place downstairs," he said. "If we lived downstairs, I think we have to pay Dh800 or Dh1,000 more." This was not always so. Mr Hossain recalled moving to the capital six years ago and finding a furnished downtown apartment for Dh800 a month. "Now if I want to move to that room, I have to pay Dh3,500 or something like that in the main city."

At his rooftop home now, his wife worries about the risk of fires or any dangers if the couple had children. The neighbours downstairs even began dumping rubbish outside their makeshift flat. Mr Hossain scrawled a note on the wall urging other tenants not to treat the roof like a dumpsite. "We warned them not to do that, but they don't care," he said. "It was their garbage - like old furniture, old benches, old mattresses."

The two couples occupying the roof must vacate it in three months before the building is demolished. They were aware the municipality considers rooftop extensions to be eyesores and they do not want to cause trouble, but rents elsewhere are high. "I would rather stay downstairs rather than on a rooftop, but if I don't get it for a good price, then maybe I have to take a rooftop," Mr Hossain said. @Email:mkwong@thenational.ae

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
MATCH INFO

Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)

Match is live on BeIN Sports

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Federer's 19 grand slam titles

Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal

French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling

Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic

US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-cylinder%202.0L%20TSI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20clutch%207-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320HP%20%2F%20235kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20400Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20%2449%2C709%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5