A new partnership with Chinese retail company Alibaba will help the Roads and Transport Authority to monitor passenger movements and improve public transport systems.
The authority will use the online shopping company’s artificial intelligence platform to help develop Dubai’s expanding public transport system.
An agreement was signed at the Dubai World Congress for Self Driving Transport on Wednesday.
Data collection will begin with bus users and then be extended to include taxis and "last-mile" mobility solutions such as e-scooters and bikes.
We want to capture as much data from people and passenger movements to help us plan and respond to the needs of commuters in the city
Ahmed Bahrozyan,
executive at Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority
“Alibaba already has a sophisticated platform specifically for mobility and transport,” said Ahmed Bahrozyan, head of the public transport agency at the authority.
“We want to capture as much data from people and passenger movements to help us plan and respond to the needs of commuters in the city. It is very promising technology.”
Data collection and Alibaba’s AI software will tell the authority where people need stations and bus stops by monitoring the flow of passengers.
The deal came after Dubai put in motion its 2040 Urban Plan, which predicts that the population will rise from 3.3 million to 5.8 million in 20 years.
Driverless cars allowed on Dubai roads by 2023
An agreement was also signed with logistics services company Evocargo to aid distribution within specified areas.
Although Evocargo's driverless delivery vehicles are not designed for open roads, they can be used at airports, manufacturing sites and ports.
It is the latest step in Dubai to increase the use of self-driving transport, with 25 per cent of all journeys expected to be self-driving by 2030.
In April, the authority signed an agreement with US company Cruise to introduce self-driving taxis in Dubai by 2023.
Cruise Origin taxis operate without a driver and they don't have a steering wheel. The 15-year agreement will start small before being expanded to eventually include thousands of taxis in Dubai.
“As a government, we must issue regulations that allow these vehicles to be used,” said Mr Bahrozyan.
“By 2023 these vehicles will be allowed to operate on the street. We can develop these regulations relatively quickly, it is why these companies want to work with us.
“We can already conduct full trials on roads; the next step is for actual commercial operations and we are at quite an advanced stage with all the authorities. I expect it to be in place by next year.”
China and Russia win self-driving delivery competition
During the conference, Chinese company Neolix and Yandex from Russia were declared joint winners of a year-long competition to design delivery robots for use in the city.
The competition, which was backed by the authority, called on private enterprises and universities to develop autonomous logistics solutions.
Entries were tested at Dubai Silicon Oasis under different weather to assess how they navigate obstacles and road obstructions.
The Neolix bot is a vending machine on wheels that can also deliver goods. It won the industry pioneers category.
Neolix machines are already widely used in Beijing and Shanghai, but the first driverless delivery vehicles are now being used by Noon in the Dubai Mall Fountains area.
Another vehicle will be used at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai from January.
“Neolix has three functions – retail as is being done by Noon, as a food delivery bot as it can heat and cool food and also for security patrols,” said Jason Wang, Neolix's country manager.
“They have been very successful in China. The car is surrounded by sensors and has an auto-braking system.
“It takes about three to four hours for a full charge and it can operated for up to 10 hours.
“It has a maximum speed of 55 kilometres per hour but it is limited to around 20kph, and it can travel as far as 150km.”
Dubai’s autonomous strategy aims to slash transport costs by Dh900 million a year and save Dh1.5 billion annually by reducing environmental pollution by 12 per cent.
Speaking at the event, Sebastian Thrun, Stanford University professor, founder of Google X and chief executive of drone delivery company Kittyhawk, said Dubai was leading the way in autonomous transport.
“It is exciting to see the RTA in Dubai open the regulatory pathways to adopt this technology for the benefit of people,” he said.
“Traffic is a journey and it evolves through technologists and regulators. There is nothing more important to a growing an economy than transport.”
Jumanji: The Next Level
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
Stamp%20duty%20timeline
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
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
Draw
Quarter-finals
Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)
RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)
Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Ties to be played August 12-15 in Lisbon
Mobile phone packages comparison
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Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
The biog
Name: Dr Lalia Al Helaly
Education: PhD in Sociology from Cairo
Favourite authors: Elif Shafaq and Nizar Qabbani.
Favourite music: classical Arabic music such as Um Khalthoum and Abdul Wahab,
She loves the beach and advises her clients to go for meditation.
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
The years Ramadan fell in May
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Afro%20salons
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MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
More from Armen Sarkissian
Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
