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UAE residents still have to apply for regular visas 6 months in advance for appointments.

The self-driving vehicles can accommodate up to three passengers.

Ten self-driving taxis will be deployed for public use in Jumeirah area by the end of this year, with fares comparable to limo taxis, a senior official at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has exclusively confirmed to Khaleej Times.

Khaled Al Awadhi, director of Transportation Systems, Public Transport Agency at RTA, said the RTA will add more autonomous taxis in the same area next year until the gradual deployment of 4,000 driverless cabs across Dubai by 2030.“The fare is not yet finalised, but it will be comparable to what is currently charged by limo taxis, which are usually 30 per cent higher than regular taxis in Dubai. The self-driving taxi can sit up to three passengers at the back, with no passenger allowed in the front,” noted Al Awadhi in a phone interview on Wednesday night, following the announcement by the RTA that US-based self-driving technology company Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), has started digital mapping of the Jumeirah 1 area.

RTA and Cruise have earlier joined forces to run autonomous taxi services in the city, making Dubai the first non-US city to commercialise Cruise self-driving cars that are all-electric and emission-free. Dubai will exclusively have only Cruise taxis until 2030.

Bolt taxis

The car model of the 10 self-driving taxis is Chevrolet Bolt, the same self-driving sedans deployed by Cruise to conduct data collection and testing of technology for traffic signals, signages, and drivers’ behaviour in the Jumeirah 1 area. It is equipped with a suite of sensors, including LiDAR (laser sensor that uses near-infrared light to detect the shapes of objects), cameras, and radars to determine the distance of objects.

Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, earlier said in a statement: “Data collection and testing is a crucial phase in Dubai’s quest for excellence in smart mobility and advanced technology. The work being done will ensure Cruise’s advanced generalisable AI (artificial intelligence) and autonomous driving systems safely adapt to Dubai traffic conditions.

He added: “The launch of autonomous vehicles will bring a positive impact on Dubai’s transportation landscape and wellbeing… The rollout of autonomous vehicles will alleviate traffic congestion, lower the number of traffic accidents, and cut harmful emissions.”

For tourists and residents

Meanwhile, Al Awadhi said the choice of the Jumeirah area in the initial rollout phase is because of its strategic location and historic tourist attractions.

Initially, the 10 self-driving Cruise taxis will only operate within the confines of the Jumeirah area, meaning pick up and drop off are limited in the same area. “The route is between Etihad Museum and Dubai Water Canal,” Al Awadhi shared.

But the route is not only limited to one road, as the 8km stretch between Etihad Museum and Dubai Water Canal starts from Sheikh Zayed Road to the beach side in Jumeirah, meaning commuters will enjoy riding a driverless taxi when they go to La Mer Beach, Mercato Mall, Coca Cola Arena, City Walk, Galleria Mall, Box Park or any of the numerous restaurants and cafes along Jumeirah and Al Wasl roads.

They can also take the driverless taxis when they move around the consular offices of South Korea, Kenya or Morocco; or when they go to Jumeirah Archaeological site, Four Season Resort Hotel, Mandarin Oriental, Dubai Ladies Club, Al Wasl Park, Iranian Hospital or Canadian University Dubai; or when they visit friends and families living in the residential flats and villas in Jumeirah.

Al Awadhi added that Bolt taxis will follow the same speed limits in the Jumeirah area, which is 70kph both along Al Wasl and Jumeirah roads.

More to come

Aside from the three-passenger Chevrolet Bolt EV (electric vehicle), Al Awadhi said Cruise will also roll-out in Dubai its shuttle-like Cruise Origin that can accommodate up to six passengers.

Origin is the product of a multi-year collaboration with parent company GM and investor Honda that is designed for a ridesharing service. According to Cruise, “the shuttle-like vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals, and is designed to travel at highway speeds. The interior is roomy, with seats (that can sit up to three passengers on each side) facing each other.”

“Seats have personal USB ports and digital displays are located above to give travellers information about their rides.”

Now in its sixth edition, the DFC has played a tremendous role in influencing several people’s fitness journeys

When the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) was launched, the mission is to transform the emirate into the world’s most active, dynamic city. Every year, it gets closer to its ultimate goal, but something more incredible is happening along the way: People have started turning their lives around.

With the fitness frenzy ongoing in its sixth edition, Khaleej Times caught up with a number of people who have found inspiration and decided to make changes to their lifestyles — all thanks to DFC.One such person was Dr Krishnadas Nanath, associate professor and head of data science programme at Middlesex University Dubai. “My weight was touching almost triple digits,” he recalled.“I decided I needed to do something about it and that is when last year’s fitness challenge rolled around. I had read that it takes 21 days to make a habit so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try out that hypothesis.”

For 30 days, Krishnadas did 30 minutes of exercise and once the month was over, he just kept going, taking up running and cycling regularly.

“The one thing about Dubai is that if you want to be fit, there are so many events throughout the year,” he said. “I started to participate in many runs and races. This gave me constant goals to keep working towards.”

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The Dubai resident has now dropped over 26kg and is the fittest he has ever been. “People ask me how I find time for fitness,” he said.

“It is all about priorities. If I watch a movie, no one is going to ask me how I find time for it. It takes less time than that to complete your exercise. I have now started taking my 3-year-old son to events. I want fitness to be an integral part of his life as he grows up.”

Fat turned fit

For Husam Mohamed, the challenge was a turning point. Obese, diabetic and battling high blood pressure, the Sudanese national decided to use the DFC as a wake-up call.

“I was inspired by how our [Dubai} Crown Prince [Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum] was calling everyone to get fit and healthy,” he said. “I was always a big fan of his. So I decided to take up the challenge.”

In a remarkable feat, the Dubai resident lost over 50kg. “I could barely walk a few steps without stopping to catch my breath,” he said.

“Today, I have run a full marathon, participated in the Spartan World Championship and I am now a crossfit and nutrition coach. The DFC was the biggest trigger for my life’s fitness journey.”

Similarly, at one point in his life, Sandeep Sathyan weighed all of 118kg and shied away from even posting his photos on social media fearing ridicule.

However, when the Dubai Municipality began the ‘Your Weight in Gold’ campaign, he was motivated to lose weight.

Soon after that, when the Dubai Fitness Challenge began, he used it as an opportunity to get his fitness levels up. “I was still learning about exercise and diet at the time,” he said. “That one month was a great start for me to get committed and regular in my exercise.”

Today, the Dubai resident weighs 70kg and couldn’t be happier. “My health and self-confidence have transformed drastically,” he said.

“I think DFC has been a game-changer in my life. From 2017 onwards, friends and I participate in various activities around town during the month. Instead of doing our usual gym and games, we check out new activities. I love how suddenly fitness becomes everyone’s focus. Most of us in my friends’ group manage to keep the momentum of that month throughout the year.”

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Picking up a new sport

In 2017, Jeena Jacob had just given birth to her first child and was feeling overweight and unhappy. When the fitness challenge began, she took it up as a sign and decided to get fit.

“There was all this messaging about getting fit and staying healthy, so I got motivated by it,” she said. “I had always enjoyed sports and was looking for something like football or basketball.”

After searching around for a while, she found a club, but they only offered free rugby classes. “I had never even seen a rugby match ever in my life,” she said. However, that proved to be a much-needed turning point in her life. Rugby became her solace as she navigated through difficult life situations.

The body holds cues to the emotional story inside.

Fed policymakers believe beating back inflation may require just one more interest-rate hike this year.

Gold prices edged higher in Dubai on Thursday morning after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates by an expected 25 basis points, and signalled it was on the verge of pausing future hikes, given the recent turmoil in the financial sector.

Spot gold was up 0.34 per cent at $1,976.4 per ounce, as of 9.30 am UAE time.

The precious metal prices inched higher in the UAE in line with the global rates on Thursday. According to Dubai Jewellery Group data, the 24K opened higher at Dh239.5 per gram on Thursday morning, as compared to last night’s close of Dh239.25. Meanwhile, 22K, 21K and 18K were trading at Dh221.75, Dh214.75 and Dh184.0 per gram, respectively.

The yellow metal prices jumped two per cent on Wednesday after the Fed raised interest rates, but indicated it might pause further increases in borrowing costs after the recent collapse of two US banks.

Fed policymakers believe beating back inflation may require just one more interest-rate hike this year, but less easing next year than most thought would be appropriate just three months ago.

Plant-based milk alternatives may be nutritionally inferior to cow’s milk, recommends FDA.

The US Food and Drug Administration released draft guidance on Wednesday recommending that dairy alternatives like almond, soy or oat milks disclose that they may be nutritionally inferior to cow’s milk. Doctors, too, say plant-based milk alternatives aren’t always the healthiest choice, especially for children. The FDA guidance comes as grocers offer dairy alternatives made from an ever-expanding assortment of nuts, cereals and other plants, including coconuts, hemp, oats, peas, quinoa and rice. Worldwide sales of alt-milks are growing steadily, driven both by the needs of consumers who have an intolerance to cow’s milk and the desire of some to reduce the environmental impact.

1. What are alt-milks?

They are beverages made, generally, by soaking a base ingredient in water, often after roasting it, then sometimes blanching or steaming it. In a process called wet milling, water is added and the material is ground up, then filtered. Extras such as stabilizers, thickeners, sweeteners, flavorings, vitamins and minerals may be added, and the liquid may be heat-treated to sterilize it. Finally, the fluid is homogenized so that it approximates the appearance and mouthfeel of cow’s milk. Based on the widely used classification system known as NOVA, developed by researchers at the University of So Paulo, alt-milks fall into category 3 for processed foods or category 4 for those that are ultra-processed, whereas cow’s milk is in category 1 – unprocessed or minimally processed food. The European Union prohibits alt-milk makers from using the word “milk” to market their products, a common practice in the US. The US dairy industry has pushed for enforcement of the FDA’s “standards of identity,” which define milk as a bovine product. US courts, however, have ruled that alt-milks aren’t misbranded because they aren’t sold as actual milk. Judges have said consumers understand that almond milk, for example, isn’t really milk.

2. How are alt-milks selling?
The market for plant-based milk globally may reach nearly $20 billion this year, according to a projection by consulting company Future Market Insights. The growth rate for sales in the previous five years was nearly 8%, according to the company, which expects a rate of almost 10% for the next 10 years. In the US, while the volume of plant-based products has grown, that of dairy milk has shrunk. Alternative milk’s share of pints sold there increased from 5.9% in 2017 to 9.4% in 2022, based on data from the market research company IRI. As a share of revenue, the figures went from 9% of $16 billion to 13% of $18 billion.

3. How many people are intolerant to milk?
In a study published in the Lancet in 2017, researchers estimated that about two-thirds of people worldwide are unable to digest or fully digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and products made from it. This is usually because of insufficient levels of lactase, an enzyme produced by the small intestine. For those with the condition, consuming milk may result in cramps, nausea, diarrhea, gas or bloating. Lactose intolerance is especially common in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, less so in Western Europe and the US. Plant-based milks contain no lactose, though those made from nuts and soy aren’t suitable for people with allergies to those foods. Milk producers have introduced no-lactose and reduced-lactose versions of their product. They accounted for 7% of milk sales by volume in the US in 2022. Alt-milk sales, however, were almost 1.6 times higher.

4. How do environmental concerns factor in?
In recent years, many consumers have said they’re trying to have a positive impact on the environment, including through their purchases, and modern dairy farming is relatively rough on the planet. The main issue is that, as part of their digestive process, cows emit the greenhouse gas methane, mostly through belching. It’s been estimated that dairy cattle account for about 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions connected to human activity. In addition, decomposing manure on dairy farms can pollute water sources. Some consumers are also motivated by concerns about the welfare of farm animals, including dairy cows. Producers of almond and rice milk have been criticized for the amount of water required to grow the main ingredients for their products. However, according to research by the Food Sustainability Analytics program at Oxford University, producing dairy milk is significantly more water-intensive.

5. How well do alt-milks approximate milk?
It varies with the product and the brand. Some reviewers say that almond and oat varieties are the closest match to dairy milk. Some of the base ingredients can produce a flavour that’s slightly off. That matters less when, rather than being imbibed as a beverage, alt-milks are poured over cereal or added to tea or coffee, as milk is about half the time when consumed by adults in the US.

6. How do alt-milks compare nutritionally to milk?
Again, it varies, but generally they are less nutrient rich. That alt-milks typically contain fewer calories can make them attractive for those concerned about weight. Soy options have been found to have similar levels of protein to milk, whereas almond, oat and rice have much lower levels. Cow’s milk also contains a wide assortment of minerals and vitamins that its imitators don’t always match. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages families to mostly avoid plant-based milks other than fortified soy options, unless there’s a medical necessity. Cases of severe nutritional deficiencies have resulted from infants being fed plant-based milk exclusively.

Active people’s microbiomes can be quite different from those who rarely exercise.