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Algae causes stink on Palm Jumeirah

A clean-up team has been drafted on to the Palm Jumeirah after complaints from residents about strong-smelling algae collecting along its shoreline.

For the past few weeks tenants living along fronds C and D of the artificial island, where garden homes cost up to Dh12 million (US$3.27m), have complained that the substance has left the area stinking “like sewage”.

Nakheel, the developer of the Palm, confirmed that the algae had been identified at locations around Palm Jumeirah. It said the phenomenon was common in summer, when warmer waters and increased sunlight provided perfect conditions for it to grow.

One resident said: “I don’t like to whinge, particularly with the current climate and with people losing their jobs, but when you pay a lot of money for a property on the Palm you want problems like this to be sorted out… MORE

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No dancing in Dubai

Farewell to dancing dishdashes and foxtrotting abayas, with the latest fatwa on fun in the sandlands:

Dubai – Playing loud music, dancing, nudity, kissing and even holding hands in public is considered inappropriate behaviour under new guidelines laid down by the authorities of Dubai, a report said on Saturday.

But wait… what about that legendary Gulf cultural phenomenon, the breathtaking choreographed display known as stickdancing?

An entire Dubai-tourism-video-producing industry falls on its knees and weeps.

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Police Chief Suggests Greed is Bad! Wow! Haven’t Heard that in the UAE Before

The city will not become a better place to live until all sections of society address its unhealthy market atmosphere, the emirate’s police chief told a discussion group yesterday.

Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim said at the meeting, which included representatives of property, hotel and hospitality companies, that the community needed to work together to improve the quality of life for all.

“We are in the midst of an economic crisis and everyone knows its impacts,” he told the group at police headquarters, called together to discuss problems and solutions for the city.

“We have started to sense it with, for example, increasing rent prices which have created a serious source of worry for many people.

“For this, we felt the need to launch a campaign, an initiative, which will aim to have the benefit of the individual and the country at its core. When people spend all their salary to eat, drink, pay rent and educate their kids without having any savings, that is not right.

“The aim is to make Dubai a good place to live in, visit and work in and to give security to as many jobs as possible that have been affected.

“There should also be less pressure put on businesses so that they are not forced to let people go.”

Gen Tamim suggested that some business owners, driven by greed, had contributed to the economic downturn.

“What is a reasonable percentage of profit which should be gained by a trader? There has been a big case of exploitation from people and the phenomenon has become totally unnatural.

“The leap in rent prices involves not just new developments, but also old ones. This situation existed before the crisis but I have noticed that it continued even after the crisis.

“Why is it that a one-bedroom flat bought for Dh450,000 (US$122,514) needs to be sold for Dh1 million? This is a big thing. Why is Dh1m not a good enough profit for some?”

Gen Tamim said that, to create a healthier market atmosphere in the city, prices should be affordable to the masses, which would also lead to improved tourism.

“To secure a lasting trade industry, prices should be affordable and reasonable,” he said. “Dubai has many advantages that many other GCC or Arab countries do not have.

“However, under these circumstances we should work in a different manner and lowering hotel prices is key, as the entire market is linked to tourism.

“The tourist who arrives and who needs accommodation is also the one who would be renting a car and buying from shops. It’s a cycle and they are all linked.”

Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed bin Saqr Al Nahyan, chairman of the executive committee of the Dubai Economic Council, said there should be a balance between prices and services so that most members of society could benefit, not just the rich…SOURCE

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Red Tide Arrives in Ras Al Khaimah

RAS AL KHAIMAH – Red tides have hit some areas of Al Rams in the last few days and are stretching to the western coastal areas of Al Magharib in the emirate, raising fears of pollution that could harm marine life and affect the fishing trade.

Dr Seif Mohammed Al Ghais, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Department in Ras Al Khaimah, said the red tides, known as algal blooms mostly caused by natural occurrences, often hit some sea areas of the Northern Emirates every year.

Al Ghais, however, noted that the current red tides were of low concentration and had not affected the fish so far.

The worst red tide, which occurred in the recent months in Dibba Al-Husn in Fujairah, killed about 20,000 fish.

Al Ghais stressed that the environment departments in the Northern Emirates were discussing the possible measures to counter the phenomenon and committees have been set up to monitor and control the negative effects of the red tides, including marine pollution and fish deaths…SOURCE

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