NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL
Blackouts may force Sharjah residents out
Abdrahman Pariyadra, right, takes an order from a customer in his dimly lit restaurant during a power cut in the Rolla area of Sharjah in August. Stephen Lock / The National
SHARJAH - SEP. 16: Continuing power outages have left Sharjah residents wondering how much longer they can bear to stay in the dark – or even whether they will stay in the emirate.
Blackouts yesterday hit six industrial areas and residential neighbourhoods such as Al Nahda, Al Qasimia, Yarmouk, Ghuwair for as long as three hours during the middle of the day.
On Monday, Rolla, Al Nabaa, Butina, Makhmour were without power between 9.30am and 4pm.
Power failures have plagued the emirate for more than a month, and for some residents, they represented the last straw.
Ahmed Ibrahim, an owner of the Dirham Real Estate agency in Al Nabaa, said five clients refused to renew their tenancy contracts, saying they were looking for a house where electricity was guaranteed.
“The problem is this electricity issue has been miscommunicated,” he said. “Residents don’t know who is responsible and who is not. They keep on coming to our offices quarrelling with us, but what can I do?”
Ayman al Sharqawi said he was planning to leave Sharjah for Dubai if he could find a house with power within his budget.
“I have already asked my wife to start checking the classifieds and make some calls,” he said. “My tenancy contract is due next month and I don’t think I would renew it with these power problems.”
Mr al Sharqawi said he had been in Sharjah for 27 years but had never witnessed problems such as these, even in the old days when development was slow.
“If they can’t meet the power demand now, would they be able to meet it in future with the rapid development under way?” he asked.
Abdul Aziz Baluk, who lives in a Sharjah industrial area, said he was considering moving to Ajman if the electricity problem was not resolved.
Mr Baluk works in Dubai, and had left a Dubai apartment two years back because of the skyrocketing rents there.
“I am not certain how I will be driving from Ajman to work. It’s quite a long route, and daily, but it’s better than staying in a non-air-conditioned house,” he said.
Many residents say they understand the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) has a power supply problem but are unhappy with the way the crisis has been handled.
“They should at least make a clear schedule and inform the public of the timings they would have electricity and when not.”
“Power just goes off abruptly and disrupts all our daily programmes,” said another, Ausi al Baghdad.
Mr Baghdad said his six-year-old daughter came home from school and had to climb the stairs up to the 15th floor.
Her mother, who is seven months pregnant, was already breathing hard after coming down the stairs to collect her.
They stayed in the building reception for about an hour and started to climb back up, sitting for about 10 minutes to rest every after three floors.
Another concern for residents is the lack of people to take calls at SEWA emergency numbers. A SEWA official said the emergency line was jammed with calls whenever there was an outage and the staff there could only take so many.
Mansour al Mashaari, a resident of another industrial area, complained the situation was unfair since he paid his electricity bills on time.
“There are days when the power goes in the middle of the night and returns after hours and there are days when the power goes continuously for days; we don’t know what to expect each day,” he said.
On Monday, officials at the Dubai Islamic Bank branch in Al Nabaa announced that power had gone off and asked about 50 people waiting for services to leave. Several clients had been waiting for about an hour.
Rashid Bakkar said it was the second time in less than a month he failed to make his telebanking transfer because of the power crisis at the branch.
“Every time I come to transfer some money to my wife’s account in Egypt the power in this bank stays for only a few minutes and it goes.
“Last week I didn’t send and this time I have to find a taxi and go to King Faisal main branch because I can’t keep postponing.”
Traffic lights were not functioning Monday and yesterday in Industrial Area 4 and traffic was moving at a snail’s pace in the morning. Sharjah Police had to intervene on some intersections and close some roads with barricades. They advised motorists to use alternative routes.
Eid holiday begins Saturday, regardless of moon
ABU DHABI/UAE - SEP. 16: Regardless of when the new moon is sighted, the public sector will observe Eid holidays beginning on Saturday, the government news agency WAM reported yesterday.
The moon-sighting committee charged with declaring the start of Eid al Fitr will meet after sunset prayers on Saturday, it said.
Eid and the month of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar, will begin when the committee determines the new moon is visible to the naked eye. Astronomers predict the new moon will not be visible in the UAE until Sunday. Work in the public sector will resume on the fourth day of Shawwal.
Private sector workers will take a two-day Eid break on the first and second days of Shawwal, said Saqar Ghobash, the Labour Minister.
Hasan al Hariri, the head of the Dubai Astronomy Group, said the new moon would be easily visible to the naked eye in South America and the southern portion of Africa on Saturday. In the UAE, an optical aid would be needed, according the Islamic Crescent Observation Project. By Sunday, however, it will be clearly visible.
Meanwhile, the financial debts of 221 prisoners who received early releases by a presidential clemency during Ramadan will be paid by the Zayed Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Works.
Eid holiday begins Saturday, regardless of moon
ABU DHABI - SEP. 16: Regardless of when the new moon is sighted, the public sector will observe Eid holidays beginning on Saturday, the government news agency WAM reported yesterday.
The moon-sighting committee charged with declaring the start of Eid al Fitr will meet after sunset prayers on Saturday, it said.
Eid and the month of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar, will begin when the committee determines the new moon is visible to the naked eye. Astronomers predict the new moon will not be visible in the UAE until Sunday. Work in the public sector will resume on the fourth day of Shawwal.
Private sector workers will take a two-day Eid break on the first and second days of Shawwal, said Saqar Ghobash, the Labour Minister.
Hasan al Hariri, the head of the Dubai Astronomy Group, said the new moon would be easily visible to the naked eye in South America and the southern portion of Africa on Saturday. In the UAE, an optical aid would be needed, according the Islamic Crescent Observation Project. By Sunday, however, it will be clearly visible.
Meanwhile, the financial debts of 221 prisoners who received early releases by a presidential clemency during Ramadan will be paid by the Zayed Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Works.
Drivers take the illegal road
DUBAI - SEP. 16: Motorists are taking an illegal shortcut over a flyover that has not yet been opened to avoid ongoing traffic at The Greens.
Drivers, frustrated by heavy congestion at the traffic hot spot, are moving barriers and cones to access a bridge over Sheikh Zayed Road that will link the area to Internet City, Media City and the Marina, residents say.
Sandra Glover, 33, an Australian resident at The Greens who witnessed the reckless driving yesterday morning, said drivers were so angry at the delays to road developments that they were flouting the law and taking great risks.
“I had been queuing for around 20 minutes when I saw that a driver was getting agitated and waving his arms in anger,” she said.
“Then he just pulled his car over to the side of the road, pushed the barrier blocking the entrance to the flyover aside and sped into the distance. He was so angry that I’m not sure he cared whether it was completed or not.”
She added: “Traffic in The Greens has been an issue for over a year, and there have been so many delays that people’s patience is at breaking point. It has caused this reckless and irresponsible behaviour.”
The Roads and Transport Authority and the police were unavailable to comment.
Entering a prohibited road and entering a road dangerously are both violations, punishable with a fine of Dh600 (US$160) and four black points.
Shanwar Shamshudeen, an official with Emaar, the developer responsible for The Greens, said security guards had witnessed the flyover being used and had notified the police.
A large sign was put up yesterday at the entrance to the bridge saying that no unauthorised personnel should proceed beyond that point.
“The flyover has been completed for three weeks but has not been opened due to delays in payment of the construction company,” he said. “The flyover cannot be used until signage is erected and traffic lights on the approach to the bridge have been activated.
“We are aware of the problems our residents face with traffic congestion. Originally the development was built with only a single lane access to Sheikh Zayed Road. We recognised that this was insufficient and have been pressuring the RTA for an additional lane for over a year.”
The flyover, intended to clear congestion by providing direct access to Media City and the Marina, was meant to be completed in March.
Kevin Poyntor, 27, an Irish resident of The Greens, said: “It is not acceptable that this problem still hasn’t been solved when work began in 2006.
“People are late for work and children are late for school because of this. Solving it should have been a priority. While I don’t condone what these drivers are doing, I admit that it must be tempting to use an empty stretch of road rather than be stuck in traffic. People pay a lot of money to live in this area and deserve better infrastructure.”
Last Ramadan the traffic situation became so bad, with drivers facing queues of more than an hour just to exit the area, that The Greens residents’ committee launched an online petition to force Emaar into action.
The residents’ committee has repeatedly demanded that Emaar provide access to Sheikh Zayed Road through the company’s business park, which can be accessed only by using an electronic pass issued to staff. The requests have been denied.
In the past six months the problem has been exacerbated by the sharp rise in residents in the neighbouring Tecom district, which shares the same access roads, and by taxi drivers seeking to avoid Al Barsha Salik gate by taking a detour through the area.
Their anger has been vented through the online petition, which now has 539 signatories, and a noticeboard.
One forum member, Markus Wischy, wrote that plans and a timetable of the road improvements should have been made public and that properties should not have been sold without sufficient roads.
The longtime committee member and campaigner CK Prasad, 55, an Indian resident at the Green, said traffic problems had marred the reputation of the area, forcing prices down and causing many people to leave.
“The traffic issue is significant,” he said. “Many people have left the area due to it and it has had an impact on the reduction of house prices. What is the incentive for people to stay when they can get a flat in another area, without the traffic problems?
“I have lived here for five years and it has still not been resolved. Emaar and the RTA should have worked together on this issue, then perhaps it would have been solved by now.”
More big crowds expected on Metro
DUBAI - SEP. 16: It has been a busy first week on the Dubai Metro, and transport chiefs expect passenger numbers to continue rising over the weekend and during the Eid holiday.
“We expect a high number of passengers – I would probably say more than we had the first weekend,” predicted Peyman Younes Parham, the director of marketing and corporate communications for the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The Metro was inaugurated last Wednesday, and 67,000 people tried out the 52km Red Line when it opened to the public the next day. By Saturday night, the total number of riders reached 178,000, despite operations being marred by delayed trains and queues of up to an hour to enter some stations.
Passengers have continued to ride the world’s longest driverless rail system this week, however, and breakdowns become less frequent and queues shortened.
Last weekend, most of the passengers were drawn by the novelty of the Metro and a chance to get their first look at the massive project, which will cost Dh28 billion (US$7.6bn) by the time the Green Line is added next year.
Yesterday, some passengers were still riding the Red Line for entertainment, while others were using it to commute to work, conduct business and avoid traffic and taxis.
“I took the kids today because I heard it was busy at the weekend,” said Cindy Lee, from Hong Kong. “It is something different for the kids and the city looks so different from up here.”
Tarik Mohammad, a financial adviser from India, said the rail system has already become part of his daily life. He has been planning business meetings near Metro stations this week, he said.
“It is easier for me and usually for the people I am meeting,” he said, while on his way to the Khalid Bin al Waleed station. “I have used it every day since Saturday when I visited family in Karama. Then Sunday and Monday, I’ve been organising my meetings around the Burjuman Centre and I also met a client from Abu Dhabi in Mall of the Emirates.”
Katrina Santos, from the Philippines, boarded the Metro at the airport station with a small suitcase. “I was in Bahrain for work but now I have to go to the office in the Financial Centre,” she said. “I got a taxi to the airport yesterday but this is much cheaper to get back. Taxis have a minimum pick up fare of Dh20 at the airport and this is costing me Dh2.30.
“I like using it but I have yet to really see how good it is in rush hour. If I can get across town in 15 minutes, then I’ll take it all the time,” the retail area manager said.
Weekday passenger numbers has averaged a little more than 40,000 per day this week. In total, almost 280,000 passengers have used the system since it opened.
The RTA did not provide a breakdown of what hours of the day have been busiest, but Mr Parham said the overall high numbers reflect the public’s intention to use the Metro as a means of transport.
“We are thrilled with this uprising trend in Metro numbers. It is a strong indicator of the revival of public transport sector,” he said.
It may take some time, one expert said, before the full impact of the Metro is established and commuters’ lives are dictated by the rail system.
“I would say that a huge first-day crowd of curiosity seekers is not uncommon,” said Richard Wener, professor of environmental psychology at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
“After that initial drop-off, one might expect use to slowly build from word of mouth and, eventually, people choosing to live in areas best served by the transit line,” Mr Wener said.
Sharjah’s second innings
sHARJAH - SEP. 16: A thick layer of dust covers the seats at Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, where thousands of fans once cheered superstars of the sport.
Where television cameras once beamed images to the world, projecting images of Sharjah and the Emirates to the world, weeds now grow in cracked concrete.
The echo of cheers and celebration has long since faded, replaced by silence. The stands have fallen into disrepair and decay. This is the forlorn fate of a forgotten national treasure that is starved of investment and the international spotlight.
But this ground, which has hosted more international fixtures than any other in the world, may soon have more than memories to sustain it, with the announcement that it will host a prestigious and – crucial for its recovery – lucrative series next year.
While this could mark the beginning of a renaissance for Sharjah, its re-emergence as a major international cricketing centre is far from assured. With a lack of local investment, any prospect of renovation is reliant on attracting international teams. But will the Sharjah ground’s rich heritage and history be enough to persuade teams to return to this crumbling cricketing citadel?
Cricket's best teams have long since stopped coming to Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Amy Leang / The National
After a five-year ban on hosting international fixtures, imposed for a match-fixing scandal involving India and Pakistan teams, was lifted last year, the stadium took its first steps back in the international fold with a low-key fixture between the UAE and the Netherlands.
Since then, the Sharjah Cricket Council (SCC) and the Emirates Cricket Board have been promoting the venue across the world; last week, they announced that the lucrative Bangladesh tournament, the Port-city Cricket League, would be staged in the stadium in late March and that the Bangladeshi national team would use the stadium as a base while preparing for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup.
Mazhar Khan, the secretary of the SCC, said these developments could put Sharjah back on the cricketing map.
“Sharjah has remained an important local ground during the international ban, hosting around 150 fixtures a year,” he said.
“But in the last year, we have been striving to bring higher-profile, international teams to Sharjah. We have already hosted regional Asian Cricket Council matches and are now looking to keep our options and see the return of leading sides like India.
“Renovation of the stadium is dependent on attracting major series, as we need to generate income to pay for the repairs. We need to modernise the lighting, changing rooms, media facilities and transport infrastructure at the ground in order to make it a leading stadium once more.”
The ground is owned and maintained by the private Sharjah Cricket Club, which has kept the venue running through match fees and subscriptions but lacks the money for a renovation.
The Emirates Cricket Board receives an annual grant of US$685,000 (Dh2.5 million) from the International Cricket Council but has not released any money for restoring the stadium. And in its rundown condition, the venue is not an appealing destination for a foreign team. The Netherlands captain, Jeroen Smits, was one of the last international players to visit the ground and thinks a complete rebuilding is needed for Sharjah to be a potential World Cup venue.
“When we returned to our dressing room after the day’s play, we saw a massive rat run in front of us,” he recalled. “The showers were unusable, and you certainly wouldn’t choose to use the toilets.
“The scoreboard was out of order, and the whole stadium was very dirty. The stands can’t be trusted to hold a crowd of more than a few hundred. They are a safety hazard.”
This assessment is shared by Alawi Shukri al Braik, captain of the UAE Nationals, a development side made up exclusively of Emiratis, which competed at the recent Sharjah-hosted Ramadan Cup.
“For Sharjah to be restored to what it was will be a very long process,” he said. “Every aspect of the stadium needs to be reviewed and restored, from the seats to the pitch to the toilets.
“It is not impossible, but it will require a lot of investment. The UAE is attracting a lot of international fixtures now, so Sharjah may be considered as an option, but only if urgent changes are made to the stadium.”
AC Subramanian, a local club cricketer, believes that the ground retains a prestige that may help to attract leading teams, in spite of the amount of structural restoration that is needed.
“There are few grounds in the world like Sharjah that are imbued with memories of star players of the past,” he said. “It still has that appeal and, like Lord’s in London, is a venue where cricketers are hungry to play because of its history and heritage. But assurances must be given to prospective teams that renovation work will be carried out.”
In the past two years, the UAE’s cricketing limelight has been taken over by the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and the new, 25,000-seat cricket stadium in Dubai Sports City.
Pakistan’s national team, which adopted the UAE as its base after terrorist attacks at home, has hosted two major international series in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi venues, and will face New Zealand at both venues this autumn.
Sharjah has been left with low-key, low-yield fixtures such as the Pro-Arch Trophy, involving English county sides, and Asian Cricket Council tournaments. Rather than competing with these newer venues, however, a restored Sharjah stadium could raise the UAE’s overall profile in international cricket.
“We support the idea that the renovation of Sharjah could help the UAE in a bid for a major tournament, and even a World Cup,” said the Sharjah Cricket Council’s Mazhar Khan. “Not many countries have three world-class stadiums, and we have other advantages, too, being safe and secure and with favourable weather conditions.”