Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed, 10, drags his school bag up a dirt road on his way in Tayyibah.
Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed, 10, drags his school bag up a dirt road on his way in Tayyibah.

The long wait for promised homes



TAYYIBAH // Home for Mohammed Saeed Abduli is a room tacked on to his father's house. It is a bedroom, living room and study - not what he had in mind when he was planning his life after marriage. "No single house here has just a single family living in it," said Mr Abduli, 22. "It is not fair, as we live in a rich country that can afford to give all its citizens housing."

Mr Abduli's extended family of 15 live in a one-storey, three-bedroom house. They are typical of the 75 families in Tayyibah, a small village in Fujairah, who are demanding new government housing because their 30-year-old homes are crumbling. Roads in the village are still unpaved. Forty young families are forced to live with their parents in already-crowded houses. And newlyweds and young families say they are fed up with the wait for new housing.

"We need our privacy and a place for our own future children," Mr Abduli said. His father, Saeed, placed a request in 2003 for housing with the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program on behalf of his now-adult children, but has not heard back. Cracked walls are visible in most homes and water shortages are common due to overcrowding. Residents claim their homes contain asbestos too, as their houses were built before its health risks were known.

"I want a better life for my children and their children, especially when I see how other Emirati families live in the other emirates," said Um Khaled, whose three grandchildren share her bedroom. "There is nothing to do here, so at least if we are comfortable in our homes, we wouldn't mind living in isolation," she said. The closest place for shopping and recreational outings is Dibba or downtown Fujairah - both at least half an hour away.

Jassim Mohammed, the deputy head of northern emirates housing development at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, called for patience from the village. "We conducted a massive study of all the villages in the northern emirates and assessed which ones are in greater need, and set up a list of which villages need new housing more urgently," Mr Mohammed said. "The more deserving, such as widows and the unemployed or those with great debts, will get their new governmental housing before anyone else," he said. "We have to be fair and assess each housing request carefully."

There is an understanding that Emiratis get new housing after 20 years to accommodate adult offspring starting their own families. But Mr Mohammad said that is not set in stone. The "more deserving" could get new houses much sooner. "Each village's turn will come up eventually as we continue to build new homes," he said. For the residents of Tayyibah, it is not just the lack of adequate housing that makes their lives difficult.

The unpaved dirt roads become a serious problem during the rainy seasons and are a nuisance the rest of the year. Every day, since Mohammad Abdullah Mohammad was four, he and other children in the village have had to drag their school bags up a dirt road on their way back from school. "My kandura always gets dirty whenever I leave my house, as the school bus can't reach my home and I have to walk up and down this road everyday," Mohammed, now 10, said as he dusted off his bag and clothes.

"I can't invite over any of my friends from outside the village as it would be too embarrassing for them to see our house," he said, pointing to a one-level traditional home with cracked walls and peeling paint. "I don't want to live here when I am married." rghazal@thenational.ae

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?

The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.

Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Company%20Profile
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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.

The Pope's itinerary

Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport


Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial


Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

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The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre V6

Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km

Price: Dh179,999-plus

On sale: now 

Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships

2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds

2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58

2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified

2012 London Olympics 9.63

2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77

2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79

2016 Rio Olympics 9.81

2017 London World Championships 9.95

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.

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.

Company%20Profile
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RESULT

Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')

Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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