Jet skiers driving Abu Dhabi residents around the bend

The most frustrating aspect is that many jet skiers are pursuing their hobby in areas where they have no right to be, a resident said.

Residents living in the Al Raha Beach area of Abu Dhabi say they are sick of the noise of jet skiers. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // Noisy jet skiers are a particular bugbear for many residents.

Liz Smith, who lives in Al Raha, said that while the noise that emanates from waterborne sports may be “trivial to some”, it is not for many others.

“It is actually frustrating and depressing when you have the same disturbance every single weekend, sometimes for hours,” she said.

The most frustrating aspect, she said, is that many jet skiers are pursuing their hobby in areas where they have no right to be, including Al Raha Beach. “They are not allowed in the waters around here,” she said. “But nobody seems to care.

“Even if the coastguard chases them off, they are back again as soon as they leave.

“I believe that until proper action is taken against them and their machines are confiscated, we will have to endure this constant assault on our peace.”

Fellow resident Carol Goodey agreed, saying the serenity of Al Muneera has been “ruined” by jet skiers, with the noise deterring people from sitting on their balconies.

“They ride around at high speed in an area they are meant to be banned from — and this is every night of the week,” she said. “Sometimes they are chased off but there have been times when we have asked the coastguard to take action and they have questioned what we expect them to do, even when we have given registration numbers.”

For resident DL, the jet ski situation has reached the point where he has decided to say farewell to Al Zeina. “I’m moving out,” he said. “I knew about the nearby airport and racetrack when I moved here but it’s a much noisier place now.

“While I’ve been lucky in not being subjected to noisy parties or construction traffic, the jet skis are the bane of our lives, and regular complaints have been to no avail.

“Riders who modify their engines and exhausts to make their jet skis louder are breaching so many laws but nothing has been done, and I won’t pay high rent levels to have every afternoon and evening spoilt by them constantly revving their loud engines in an area where they are prohibited from being.”