Members of the Dubai Off-Roaders Club on the way to the degree confluence near Liwa.
Members of the Dubai Off-Roaders Club on the way to the degree confluence near Liwa.

To the nth degree



When the steep-faced dunes of the Empty Quarter halt the convoy of four-wheel drives, the seven occupants get out and hike the final few hundred metres to their destination. Is this to a palm-fringed oasis? Some landmark of early UAE history? A Bedouin encampment? For the Dubai-based businessman Ahmed Pervez and his companions from the Dubai Off-Roaders club, there is nothing visible west of the Liwa crescent, to explain why they travelled more than 300km to visit it.

Instead, the cause of their quest is displayed on the screen of their global positioning system (GPS), which reads: N23°00.000 E55°00.000 In reaching the point where the 23rd line of latitude north of the equator intersects with the 55th line of longitude east of the Greenwich meridian, Pervez has joined a movement that started as a bored American techie's whim 14 years ago and has grown into a project involving nearly 200 nations.

Since 1996, more than 12,000 similar trips have been made all over the world, all for the purpose of visiting degree confluences, as such intersections of latitude and longitude are known. Since the activity caught on in the UAE around 10 years ago, it has been the justification for dozens of journeys into the desert, up rocky wadis, and, on one memorable occasion, wading into the Gulf while towing a 101 Dalmations inflatable raft for safety.

For Pervez, after 12 years of off-roading experience in the UAE, visiting the country's degree confluences has added an extra purpose to his journeys into the desert, not least because the visits compel him to visit areas that he would have otherwise avoided. "Desert trips are always exciting. We have five cars and the area has very high dunes, sharp ridges and treacherous sand bowls," he explains.

"It was very challenging to both navigate and drive to the point, and we had to leave the cars some 300 metres away and walk the last stretch to the confluence point. "Now that we've started, I plan to visit all the degree confluence points in the UAE." If he achieves that aim, he could be the first to do so because only 10 of the 11 degree confluences in the UAE have been visited up until now. The exception is in the Gulf about 100km north of Ruwais (a degree confluence must either be on land or in sight of land), between a couple of modest islands administered by the UAE.

Degree confluences manage to be simultaneously definitive and spectacularly arbitrary. When the Abu Dhabi Government established a regional media hub for businesses in television, radio, film, publishing, online, mobile, music, gaming and animation, the name TwoFour54 came from the nearest degree confluence to Abu Dhabi: N24° E54° The reason the 54th degree of longitude runs near Abu Dhabi is because a Briton once arbitrarily decided that Greenwich, then the headquarters of the Royal Navy, ought to be the site of 0 degrees. The 24th degree of latitude was labelled by an equally arbitrary decision - the northern hemisphere was divided in to 90 equal increments between the equator and the pole.

This arbitrariness was all part of the appeal to Alex Jarrett, who unwittingly founded the Degree Confluence Project in 1996 while musing about potential uses for his newly acquired GPS. At the time the satellite navigational system had only recently made available for civilian use. "I liked the idea of visiting a location represented by a round number such as N43°00.00 W72°00.00," he said. "What would be there? Would other people have recognised this as a unique spot? I hoped to encourage people to get outside, to places they would never normally go."

That 43°N 72°W location was near his home in New Hampshire and he and a friend set off on a cold February day in 1996, cycling 16km and then walking nearly 2km through a snowy forest to the otherwise indistinguishable swamp-side site that the failing batteries of the early-model GPS identified as the confluence. "We kept expecting there to be a monument saying '43N/72W' but no such luck," he says.

"I visited several confluences of my own and posted them to my personal website. Before long others found the site and visited confluences of their own, and it just snowballed from there." The website became www.confluence.org, listing more than 10,000 degree confluence visits from 181 countries. With the UAE's supply of technically literate residents with time on their hands, it was inevitable that the movement would reach the country.

Despite the remoteness and difficulty of access of the 23°N 55°E confluence reached by Pervez's group, their journey was not the first. Three others had preceded them to the site. The first, Alasdair MacKenzie, had already made a reputation for himself in degree confluence circles by the nature of his visits. Instead of the pleasant early-winter temperatures Pervez's group had, MacKenzie went in the middle of summer.

After one false start thwarted by a huge series of dunes, he linked the easy driving of the interdune sabkhas and managed to drive almost to the confluence without even having to deflate his tyres. "We managed to drive to within 400m of the confluence and walked the last bit," he explains. "The shade temperature was 45°C, so this last part was a bit unpleasant." MacKenzie went one better than dune-bashing in midsummer when he attempted the UAE's westernmost confluence, which is 1,500m offshore in the tepid waters of the Gulf.

His first attempt, with Martin Kelly in early 2003, ended ignominiously when they took their children with them on what they expected to be an easy wade. "We gave up after walking 800 metres, when the water came up to our chests," he says. "We timed our second attempt to start two hours before low tide. We expected to have to swim for a kilometre in each direction and so took along our supply of buoyancy aids - a 101 Dalmatians boat and Lion King ring, borrowed from the children who this time were left as emergency back up team with their mother on the beach.

"We walked into the water 1.5km from the confluence point and were pleasantly surprised to find that the depth was shallower than on our previous attempt, not getting above knee height at first. "After about 400m we spotted some flamingos ahead and were pleased to see that they were standing rather than swimming. "We carried on and finally reached the confluence after 30 minutes of walking. There is not much to see from the confluence - you can just see land to the south, and to the east there's a sandy spit which could have cut down on the wading if we'd waited for low tide."

The first recorded degree confluence visit in the UAE was in 2001, five years after the start of the project in the United States. Stefan and Martina Beck, with their then one-year-old Alex in tow, headed for the confluence just north of the Dubai-Hatta Road, believing that every one of the country's degree confluences remained unvisited. "This was an unvisited spot according to confluence.org and we were in very high hopes to be the first ever on the spot, because it is really in the middle of nowhere," he explains.

They were able to drive to within 350m of the point and walk the rest of the way, only to have an experience similar to the one Captain Robert Scott had in 1912 at another degree confluence - the South Pole, at 90° south - by finding rival adventurer Roald Amundsen had got their first. "We easily reached the confluence spot, and were disappointed, because it seemed that someone had already been there and marked it with stones and put his initials or name there, called: JETT, so we have to say Jett - who ever it is - was there before us.

"Anyway, these things happen probably more often, and who knows, perhaps Jett is busy putting landmarks everywhere. So at least we are busy following Jett's footprints and confluence marks. We will head out soon to visit more confluences and will not be surprised to find Jett's marks again." The mystery was solved in 2007 when Jett, now living in Australia, made contact. "Hi, I'm Jett. It was my Dad who marked the confluence with my name in white stone.

"At first we didn't know why he was looking for the spot where he did this. He was driving around looking at his GPS." Four weeks later, Stefan Beck gained his degree-confluence first by visiting 24°N 55°E in the dunes south of Al Khatim on the Abu Dhabi to Al Ain motorway. Twice on the journey the vehicles were bogged and eventually he continued on foot for the final kilometre. He describes the point as "very desolate" and doubts that anyone had ever even passed close to it.

By the time Rainer Mautz, Elionora, Imade Widana and Chikati Ravikunar arrived in the UAE in 2006, all the land-based confluences had been visited so they went for 26°N 56°E, which is located 8km off the coast of Ras al Khaimah. After a day of failed attempts to charter a boat, they befriended the head of the Ras al Khaimah customs and port department who arranged for a boat to take them to the site, which proved to be a waiting zone for cargo ships and oil tankers.

In the four years since then, no one has reached the final unvisited UAE confluence in the Gulf 100km north of Ruwais. That could change because Pervez said it is on his list, now that he picked up the confluence bug. "Maybe this has to wait until we start boating," he says.

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The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

Results

2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m

Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.

3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m

Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.

4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m

Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m

Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m

Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.

Company%20profile
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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results:

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi

6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia

7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Four tips to secure IoT networks

Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:

- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version

- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number

- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently

- Always create a different guest network for visitors

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

Closing the loophole on sugary drinks

As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.

The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
 

Not taxed:

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

Dubai World Cup factbox

Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

THE BIO

Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place

Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai

First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group

Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business

Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne

Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia

Family: Six sisters

The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is  ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The five stages of early child’s play

From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:

1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.

2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.

3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.

4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.

5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.

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