DUBAI // Municipality chiefs are considering introducing indoor smoking areas on Dubai's beaches and in parks as part of plans to prevent people lighting up in public.
Ahmad Al Shammari, the director of the Public Health Department at Dubai Municipality, said that designated zones would be set aside for smokers in open-air public areas such as Jumeirah Open Beach and Safa Park.
"There will be areas for smokers still within these areas and one option will be to have indoor areas," he said. "But the committee will meet and decide exactly what will happen very soon.
"You can't completely stop everyone from smoking. Just like shopping malls now have special smoking areas, similar areas would be provided at all places where the smoking ban is imposed."
Mr Shammari added that it was too early to say if or when other smoking bans would be brought in, such as on the street or in bars.
"The committee will decide what is next, but with regard to smoking on the street, if you look at Europe that still goes on," he said. "Fines will be given for leaving cigarette stubs, as with any litter."
Abu Dhabi Municipality yesterday confirmed a smoking ban would be introduced within two months, covering all public places in the capital. Three of the five main malls in Abu Dhabi have already introduced partial smoking bans.
On Jumeirah Open beach in Dubai yesterday, meanwhile, many people welcomed the idea.
"The cleaners get loads of cigarette butts all over the beach each day," said a lifeguard. "This is not good for families who come here to enjoy the beach. I have even seen children play with cigarette butts instead of the sand."
Erna Baines, a legal secretary from South Africa who has been a smoker for 28 years, said: "Banning smoking outdoors is nonsense, really. As long as smokers act responsibly and pick up their butts, I don't see what the problem is, it's outdoors.
"I think smokers should stop being treated like lepers. It is a disgusting habit, but there should be some sort of freedom provided we act responsibly."
John Flaherty, who has been in Dubai for three years and who quit smoking in April, said: "I'm glad they've banned smoking indoors in places like malls and some restaurants, but somebody smoking at the beach wouldn't bother me that much, apart from the discarded cigarette butts that seem to be everywhere."
Banning smoking on beaches and in parks is the latest stage in Dubai Municipality's commitment to make the city smoke-free.
Initially banned in all government offices and shopping malls, smoking became outlawed in all hotels and restaurants last year. On July 1 this year, the ban was extended to all entertainment and recreation venues, such as pool and snooker centres, internet cafes and computer-game arcades. Shisha cafes in residential areas have received final warnings to shut down and relocate.
The municipality has also signed a deal with the Dubai Sports Council to regulate smoking at clubs and stadiums. So far, 25 restaurants have been fined between Dh5,000 (US$1,360) to Dh10,000 for violating the smoking ban. However, no individual has been fined so far as most have been let off with a warning.
Cutting the number of smokers in the country has become a top priority for health officials - particularly among children. A Ministry of Health study revealed a quarter of those aged between 12 and 16 in the UAE were full-time smokers.
The United Arab Emirates Global Youth Tobacco Survey, carried out by the Ministry of Health, polled all high-school children.
Aside from the 24.9 per cent of regular child smokers, a further 22.4 per cent had tried some form of tobacco at least once, with 10 per cent trying cigarettes. The report has caused such concern among officials that a series of tough new laws and antismoking camps aimed at children will be launched this year.
A 2002 World Health Organisation report said GCC countries were seen by tobacco companies as a prime market because the Middle East was more tolerant to smoking.
In June, a new fatwa warning people to obey recent anti-tobacco laws declared that smoking in public places was forbidden under Islam because it harmed others.
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Publisher: Activision
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Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Brescia 1 (Skrinia og, 76)
Inter Milan 2 (Martinez 33, Lukaku 63)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
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Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
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Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
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