ABU DHABI // Police are planning a crackdown on beggars during Ramadan as residents have reported a rise in cases.
Officers expect the number of incidents in Abu Dhabi to increase during the holy month, in line with previous years, as beggars seek to take advantage of the general air of goodwill.
However, residents say they have already noticed a marked increase in beggars, especially women, in residential areas, cafes and shops.
Police would not say how many people had been arrested for begging in recent months, but they believe many visit the UAE specifically during Ramadan to beg.
They have found that cases of begging during Ramadan make up 58 per cent of annual begging arrests. More than 98 per cent of those arrested are expatriates.
Some residents say an increase in begging may be linked to the economic downturn.
An Emirati car salesman, who only identified himself as Mr al Housani, said he used to see beggars once in a while but was seeing more now, many of whom were women.
He said whereas beggars used to operate only outside mosques or on the streets, now they were knocking on doors and entering shops to ask for money.
"At least three beggars come to our showroom every week," said Mr al Housani. "They mostly claim they suddenly went short of money and need some money urgently to either go home or fix their cars."
He said he had noticed female beggars, "especially from Jordan, Syria and Palestine, they come to our showroom.
"As for male beggars, I see them in malls and in streets. They usually dress nicely and would pretend their car has broken down. Some of them dress like Emiratis and say they live in Baniyas or al Gharbia.
"Once an Arab man came up to me in the street and started telling me his life story. He spoke for a while and then I gave him Dh10. He did not like that. He came back and insisted on more and only left me when he saw another Emirati.
"They are still seen more often in residential areas where Emiratis live, such as Al Najda."
Mr al Housani said some of the beggars used stamped documents claiming that the holder had urgent needs and should be helped.
"I don't know where they get these papers from but they carry official stamps. I am not sure if they are real or not," he said.
Police have previously called on authorities, especially the General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments, not to issue such documents.
Anas Kassabji, 28, from Syria, has been in Abu Dhabi for four years and lives in the Tourist Club area. He said it was only recently that beggars had started calling on homes.
"Of course, there are not as many as in other countries, incomparable in terms of numbers. Most of the beggars I see here are women not men.
"In other countries, you know them because they dress like beggars. Here, they use different and new forms of begging. When they ask, they make it sound like you have to give them because they look respectable.
"If you do not give to them, you would be left with a feeling of guilt. It will be worse in Ramadan when I expect even more of them."
Rezk Ahmed, a 25-year-old Palestinian who grew up in Abu Dhabi, said beggars were increasing "terribly, especially female beggars".
"There is a large number in the cafe area in al Khalidiya," he said. "The same person would come to a specific place at least every other day. One has been a frequenter to the cafe I go to for four years, the same one.
"Many of them begin with praying for you and then ask for money. Some would try to sell you little things and charge you triple the shop price. They sell things like stickers that teach sign language, or wall holders of the Quran. The latter case is rare, maybe 10 per cent of them, the rest just ask for money."
Although most of the female beggars he saw were Palestinians, recently there had been more Iraqis. Mr Ahmed said: "It is rare to find people who use their disabilities for begging but I saw some. A Pakistani man came the other day with a colostomy bag on his body and told us he needed money for the hospital."
Police consider any selling of "trivial" goods that cannot be a source of income as begging, as is faking injury or using any form of deception to "gain the public empathy".
Visitors to the UAE who beg and those who have breached immigration laws are deported and not allowed to return. Beggars who have not breached immigration laws are referred to public prosecution and have to sign a statement saying they will not repeat the offence.
The penalties for begging can include two months in jail or a Dh500 (US$136) fine.
The most recent police figures on begging can be found in a 2004 study conducted by the police research centre. It found that 454 beggars were arrested between 1998 and 2002, of whom 75 per cent were men.
Police made 106 arrests in residential areas, 80 outside mosques and 54 in shops. Most male beggars were from Pakistan, Iran and Yemen and the majority of women were from Jordan, Iran and Syria.
hhassan@thenational.ae
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
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The five pillars of Islam
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
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THE%20SPECS
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Summer special
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Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
SERIES INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
Dubai World Cup Carnival Card:
6.30pm: Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.40pm: Zabeel Turf Listed $175,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Cape Verdi Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,600m
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
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5