AL AIN // Police in Buraimi have begun randomly stopping and inspecting vehicles bearing Emirati licence plates to see whether the drivers have the required liability insurance to drive in Oman. Almost half of them do not.
"There is a huge problem in Buraimi with Emiratis and expatriates driving across the border from the UAE that do not have insurance," said Sgt Walid al Balooshi of the Sultanate of Oman traffic police. "Almost half the vehicles coming in from the UAE are not insured in Oman. This is a huge problem considering that 20 per cent of accidents occurring in Buraimi involve drivers driving UAE-registered vehicles, almost half of which are not insured. We do the random checks from time to time, but with the summer beginning, we have been increasing our efforts to get motorists from the UAE insured."
According to Sgt al Balooshi, the fine for driving without valid insurance is higher than the cost of purchasing liability cover for a year. "The fine for driving without insurance in Oman is Dh500 (US$136)," he said. "Liability insurance costs only Dh350 for the year, a small price to pay that will provide motorists protection, peace of mind and confidence. It is well worth it."
At the National Life and General Insurance Company at the Madheef border crossing in Buraimi, an insurance agent said that uninsured motorists involved in collisions in the town risked fines and imprisonment.
"Many have been jailed after having an accident because they don't have money to pay for either hospital bills or repairs following a crash in which it was determined they were at fault," she said.
"Many people think that their Emirati insurance will cover them in Oman, but that is not always the case. Some Emirati insurance companies will insure their clients while driving in Oman, some cover them only in Buraimi, while some don't cover them at all outside the UAE."
Motorists entering Buraimi from Al Ain encounter no permanent Omani police checkpoint at either the Mudheef or the Hilli crossings. After clearing immigration on the Emirates side, motorists simply drive into Buraimi unchecked.
People continuing on past Buraimi on the road towards Muscat, Sohar and Hatta are required to stop at the Wadi al Jizi checkpoint 40km down the highway. It is there that they go through immigration and customs checks, and where Omani police ask to see an insurance certificate.
Drivers of hired cars face particular problems because of a surge in thefts of vehicles that are taken across the border never to return.
Rental companies in the UAE are now warning motorists who plan trips to Oman or Saudi Arabia to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOC) from them beforehand, as border officers are getting tougher with the rules requiring proof of rental registration, Oman car insurance, and the permission letter. Some companies will not provide insurance for travel outside the UAE, leaving it up to the drivers to obtain coverage independently.
The Dhofar Insurance Company office at the checkpoint on the road to Muscat is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and charges Dh100 for 10 days of personal liability insurance.
Seven out of 10 motorists driving Emirati-registered vehicles surveyed in Buraimi by The National this week said their UAE insurance covered them while driving in Oman. Most said they had paid about Dh500 extra for this cover.
In addition to levying fines for lack of insurance, police are also checking the level of tint on cars' windows. As in Abu Dhabi, it is illegal in Oman to tint car windows more than 30 per cent. In Abu Dhabi the rule is rarely enforced, but in Oman fines of Dh100 are regularly imposed.
ealghalib@thenational.ae
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
The biog
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Europe’s rearming plan
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