ABU DHABI // Sweeping changes to the city's streets could place pedestrians and cyclists on an equal footing with motorists and make the streets more walkable.
Among the proposals in a new street design manual to be released to government planners and private developers in the next two months, are new pedestrian crossings and crossroads, widened pavements shaded by trees and other landscaping, and narrower roads.
"Because all trips begin and end with a walk, walking should be made as comfortable as possible all year round," said Falah al Ahbabi, the general manager of the Urban Planning Council (UPC), which discussed the manual yesterday.
The first changes will be seen on Khalifa bin Zayed Street, which will undergo significant modifications next year. Two other streets, Zayed the First and the aboveground portions of Salam Street, are also being considered to test other options.
The modifications are part of the UPC's goal of turning the capital into a world-class city under Plan Abu Dhabi 2030.
A major element of the plan includes urban design and transport solutions such as a tram, metro and long-distance rail network that would rival those of many European cities.
Traditional avenues with three lanes of traffic in either direction could be shrunk to two lanes apiece as pavements are widened to accommodate bicycle lanes and landscaping.
Bader al Qamzi, a manager of integrated planning at the Department of Transport, which is working with the UPC on the plans, said he hoped walking would increase from 14 per cent of all daily trips today to 35 per cent by 2030. "We consider bicycles and walking as valid transport modes," he said.
Meanwhile, the divides on many streets will be removed to make way for rail corridors.
New amenities for pedestrians will also include enlarged corner pavements, as the planners eliminate the dedicated right-turn lanes that drivers use to bypass traffic lights without stopping for pedestrians.
The moves represent the first real changes to Abu Dhabi's streets since they were built decades ago in an age dominated by the automobile.
The biggest change could be alterations to Abu Dhabi's "superblocks", which are longer than standard city blocks and bounded by multi-lane arterial roads. They could be broken up by adding mid-block intersections as well as the extra zebra crossings, allowing better access and flow for both pedestrians and cars.
The straight, wide multi-lane roads, which encourage high speeds, are one of many factors contributing to an unusually high rate of traffic accidents in the country, officials say.
According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation, 1,056 people were killed on UAE roads in 2007, a death rate of 37.1 for every 100,000 people.
This compares unfavourably with a global average of only 18.8, suggesting the nation's roads are only slightly safer than those in Iraq or Afghanistan.
With the new rules, more rights of way should be provided to pedestrians, said Ibrahim al Hmoudi, an associate transport manager at the UPC.
"We plan to create a clear street hierarchy, which is missing at the moment," he said.
The new guidelines could be implemented on Abu Dhabi island in the next few years, when construction on tram and metro projects will result in many streetscapes being torn up, giving the agency an opportunity to revamp them.
"Over the next five to 10 years, you will see a revitalisation of the existing central business district area," said Bill Lashbrook, a UPC transport planning manager.
The new zebra crossings and crossroads will be designed to take into account the habits of city dwellers in accordance with a street-by-street study by the UPC.
"Left to their own devices, it looks like people want to cross every 108 metres," Mr Lashbrook said. "It tells you that they want to take a direct path, especially when the temperature is 50C."
The new measures may be felt immediately, however, in Abu Dhabi's new communities, being built by private developers on surrounding islands and on the mainland.
The urban design manual will also apply to street planning in Al Gharbia and Al Ain, and will replace all existing standards, the UPC said.
The manual was created after the agency reviewed more than 80 street design guidelines from various countries, including Germany, China, Japan and Canada.
igale@thenational.ae
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
