Jordanian Hana Yazbek, 25, drives through the streets of Abu Dhabi. Hana, a driver for eight years, believes that women need to be more decisive when it comes to dealing with traffic.
Jordanian Hana Yazbek, 25, drives through the streets of Abu Dhabi. Hana, a driver for eight years, believes that women need to be more decisive when it comes to dealing with traffic.

Female driver 'not typical'



Despite the widespread perception that women are more conservative drivers than men, Hana Yazbak believes she is an exception.

Ms Yazbak, 25, from Jordan, said she "definitely" did not drive like a girl. Women who lacked confidence posed a threat on the road, she said.

"There are so many accidents because women can't make up their mind. They want to go, they want to stay - make up your mind and move. You often see this when women approach a yellow light," she said.

As Ms Yazbak travelled along the Abu Dhabi roads, her drive filled with sharp turns and forced lane changes, it became clear she knows how to handle her car. Such driving tactics were necessary for surviving the streets of the capital, she said.

"If you don't drive this way, you'll never get anywhere. You have to blend in with traffic, otherwise you'll stand out and you're more likely to get into an accident."

With nearly eight years of driving experience, she has never received black points and was involved in an accident once - it was not her fault.

"I was waiting at a red traffic light and a guy drove up and rear-ended me out of nowhere," she said. "He threw me into the intersection."

Whether Ms Yazbak's knack for evading car accidents was due to luck or skill, she was not sure.

But as she checked her BlackBerry for "important" messages, sipped her coffee, flicked through her iPod, and did her make-up on a drive from work, luck seemed to be in play.

However, last week Ms Yazbak experienced a scare. "My car is under my father's name, and he received a text message that the vehicle had been recorded for reckless driving and that he must go to the traffic police," she said. "They didn't fine us or give us a penalty, but they gave him a warning."

Now, Ms Yazbak said, she was especially cautious, adding that her driving had improved significantly since she first received her licence.

"Back in the day I was much worse. At least now I recognise red lights."

* Manal Ismail

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

 Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Scores in brief:

Day 1

New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38

Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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