ABU DHABI // Residents of the rural communities of Al Wathba and Al Nahda who complain of deserted buildings and no public amenities are to have at least some of their gripes addressed.
As well as unsightly abandoned homes, some residents are fed up at the lack of a phone signal, and at having no petrol stations or ATMs in the areas, which are on the road to Al Ain.
"Due to these old and deserted homes, different kind of insects home there then they creep into our homes," said Emirati Abu Mohammed, who has lived in Al Nahda for 33 years and works in the Armed Forces.
"In the evening, children play outside and they get close to such houses so it could invite a bigger problem; it needs solved before anything happens."
Mr Mohammed added there was no bakery or pharmacy and it takes an hour to drive to Baniyas to buy bread or medication.
Abu Dhabi Municipality announced on Wednesday that it had demolished 78 abandoned buildings across the city as part of an ongoing campaign to rid neighbourhoods of old and abandoned housing.
The municipality's director of external centres, Ahmed Fadil Al Mazrooie, said: "The buildings demolished in Abu Dhabi city were 10 commercial buildings, 33 residential villas, eight Government buildings and 27 Portakabins, all of which had been abandoned for lengthy periods.
"The municipality will move forward with the project of demolishing and removing abandoned buildings."
No timescale was given for individual areas.
In March, the municipality announced that it was launching a Dh3 billion scheme to build community centres in neighbourhoods across the capital.
Both Al Wathba and Al Nahda will benefit from a neighbourhood centre, which will contain convenience shops, leisure facilities and government services.
One problem that concerns residents in both areas is bachelors.
Abu Dhabi Police worker and Al Wathba resident Eid Al Minhali said the main problem in his area are bachelors and the labourers who visit the place from the nearby worker's accommodations. He said sometimes items are stolen and there are scuffles.
Another Al Wathba resident, Hamdan Mohammed, said: "These bachelors roam in the area in the evening and our children play outside, so we feel uncomfortable.
"I do understand the country is the safest place but, still, we fell hesitant and keep a close watch on them."
anwar@thenational.ae
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Honeymoonish
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
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Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
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