ABU DHABI // While farmers say the rain of the past month has been a boon for their crops, for fishermen the unsettled weather has brought nothing but misery.
"We haven't seen rain like this in 30 years," said Yousef Qassem Hassan, a farmer in Al Gharbia for the past 15 years.
"There is much more rain than usual but it's good because it changes the quality of the dates."
His 300 date palm trees have received much-needed water, ridding them of bugs. "I hope there will be more rain because it kills diseases and insects that enter the trees' roots," he said. "It cleans the soil and gets rids of worms."
And the watermelons, melons, onions, parsley and tomatoes on his 1.155 hectare farm have thrived. "This means tastier produce," he said.
Rashid Sleem Al Kaitbi, an organic farmer in Al Ain, agreed. "There is a lot of dust and sand in the UAE so this rain just cleaned it," he said. "It's very good because it washed my whole farm."
He said 20 years ago there was generally much more rain than these days, which saved him having to irrigate so much. "It's the first time I've seen so much rain, especially so close to summer," he said. "It's weird but thank God."
The soil on his 3.35 hectare farm, which grows tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, aubergines and 300 date palm trees, has been cleansed of salt and diseases, he said. "I'm very happy."
And the rain could not have come at a better time for Naoufal Mohammad, a farmer in Al Ain. "During this time of the season, it's good, especially in open fields because it washes off the soil and balances it out," he said. "It provides clean water, collects the salt and washes it away."
He said it was the most rain he had witnessed in the past four years.
"We usually get more rain in the mountainous side of Oman, but not a lot in Al Ain," he said.
For Kamal Azzam, the manager of a 5.2 hectare farm in Sweihan, the weather has been "perfect. We haven't seen this rain in 10 years".
"There is much more than last year, by far, and we're loving it," he said.
But fishermen were more concerned with the wind. "Big ships stay out to sea for days so if there's a storm, they can't go out and they have to be careful," said Ali Al Mansouri, a fisherman and manager of the Abu Dhabi Fishermen Cooperative Society. "When there is a storm, we go to any island nearby to hide, the opposite side of the wind direction."
And it has hurt catches. "The price of a kilo of hammour last week was Dh17," he said. "This week, it's Dh34 because we couldn't get as much.
"Some boats can bring three tonnes of fish every four to five days. But with strong wind, they can stay docked for up to 20 days."
About 100 fishermen plan to go out to sea after Tuesday, when the weather is expected to be calmer.
"This is the sea, it's the most dangerous job in the world and it's very hard to predict wind direction and speed," he said.
Mohammed Al Zaabi, a fisherman in Abu Dhabi, was not too pleased with the weather either. "I can go out to sea with a wind speed of up to 20kph," he said.
"But more than that, we cannot because there are too many waves and we cannot work that way."
But Seif Saeed, a fisherman in Umm Al Quwain for about 40 years, is more sanguine. "I like this weather because there's no sun and no heat," he said. "I managed to get 200 kilograms of fish today. I have three boats, which helps, but if the wind gets stronger, it's not good for us."
cmalek@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
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Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
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Power: 630hp
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
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Started: August 2020
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Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,00
On sale: Available for preorder now
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Rating: 4 stars
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
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Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Brief scoreline:
Wolves 3
Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2
Arsenal 1
Papastathopoulos 80'
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
More from our neighbourhood series:
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES
Thursday
Dibba v Al Dhafra, Fujairah Stadium (5pm)
Al Wahda v Hatta, Al Nahyan Stadium (8pm)
Friday
Al Nasr v Ajman, Zabeel Stadium (5pm)
Al Jazria v Al Wasl, Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium (8pm)
Saturday
Emirates v Al Ain, Emirates Club Stadium (5pm)
Sharjah v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Sharjah Stadium (8pm)
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
List of UAE medal winners
Gold
Faisal Al Ketbi (Open weight and 94kg)
Talib Al Kirbi (69kg)
Omar Al Fadhli (56kg)
Silver
Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Khalfan Belhol (85kg)
Zayed Al Mansoori (62kg)
Mouza Al Shamsi (49kg women)
Bronze
Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi (Open and 94kg)
Saood Al Hammadi (77kg)
Said Al Mazroui (62kg)
Obaid Al Nuaimi (56kg)
Bashayer Al Matrooshi (62kg women)
Reem Abdulkareem (45kg women)
info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000