uae updates

Graphic by Joaquin Kunkel

UAE Updates

What happened in the UAE this week?

Mar 9, 2019

Qasr Al Watan to welcome visitors
Beginning March 11., Qasr Al Watan, a building in the Presidential Palace compound will open its doors to tourists and visitors. Qasr Al Watan will feature exhibits about the history, governance and political structures of the UAE. Opening daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., visitors will be able to get an all access ticket for 60 AED or a garden only ticket for 25 AED. Visitors can book tickets and tours on the official site.
The Presidential Palace hosts the meetings of the UAE Cabinet and the Federal Supreme Council and is where the official welcome of visiting foreign dignitaries is conducted. The offices of the President, Vice President, as well as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi are also housed in the Presidential Palace.
Tighter regulation on fishing nets
The UAE has banned using nets that catch fish indiscriminately. Gargoor nets are traditional dome shaped cages that trap wandering fish. Cages are typically deposited at a specific site and harvested later. However, cages can be forgotten or lost, causing an accumulation of cages that trap and ultimately lead to the death of endangered species in the Gulf.
Last year, six dugongs were found dead after they were ensnared in abandoned fishing nets. Gargoor nets were responsible for catching 75 percent of vulnerable fish species such as hammour and farsh.
Emirati institutions rise in trust ranking
Trust in UAE institutions has risen for the second straight year according to the Edelman Trust Barometer. In terms of trust in the government, the UAE scored second to only China.
The gap between social classes in terms of trust afforded to different sectors, such as the government, the media and NGOs is at an all-time high. University educated populations are 16 percent more trusting than the general public. 86 percent of respondents in Germany, Japan and the UK said the system was not working for them.
Khaled Alhosani is News Editor. Email him at feedback@thegazelle.org.
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