{"id":97831,"date":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/this-morning-flying-taxis-remote-work-might-be-the-answer-for-our-traffic-woes\/"},"modified":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T00:00:00","slug":"this-morning-flying-taxis-remote-work-might-be-the-answer-for-our-traffic-woes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2024\/11\/13\/this-morning-flying-taxis-remote-work-might-be-the-answer-for-our-traffic-woes\/","title":{"rendered":"THIS MORNING: Flying taxis + remote work might be the answer for our traffic woes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, friends. <\/strong>The news flow has slowed down from the tsunami of news from earlier this week, but we still have a meaty issue for you to dig into. <\/p>\n

Important reads this morning: <\/strong>Masdar inked final investment agreements for a 1 GW wind farm in Kazakhstan; Astra Tech\u2019s founder has exited the firm, with G42 snapping up his stake; and Landmark Group is earmarking USD 1 bn for expansion. <\/p>\n

But first, a few signs your morning commute may get a little worse before it gets better\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n

WATCH THIS SPACE- <\/p>\n

<\/a> #1- The National Center of Meteorology expects a 20-30% increase in the UAE\u2019s rainfall<\/strong> \u201cin the future<\/strong>,\u201d The National<\/a> reports, citing the center\u2019s Meteorology Director Mohammad Al Ebri. The increase in average temperatures due to global warming will lead to more light storms, rainfall, and floods, Al Ebri said during a discussion.<\/p>\n

An expert committee issued several recommendations to mitigate the impact of climate change.<\/strong> The recommendations included having a unified emergency line for questions from the general public, upgrading the first response system, and educating the public on safety procedures during extreme weather events.<\/p>\n

REMEMBER-<\/strong> Several emirates are already implementing their own solutions, including Dubai\u2019s<\/a>plan<\/a> to spend AED 30 bn to upgrade its drainage network and Sharjah\u2019s AED 400 mn Middle Line Project<\/a> to drain rainwater and groundwater.<\/p>\n

Remote work could be an easy fix for our traffic problems: <\/strong>Rolling out flexible working hours and remote work could reduce morning peak commute times in Dubai by 30%, according to a study based on a joint survey by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority and Dubai Government Human Resources, Wam<\/a> reports. <\/p>\n

Two-hour start window and allowing employees in both public and private sectors to work remotely four to five workdays can decrease traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road by 9.8%<\/strong>; and on Al Khail Road by 8.4%, the survey found. <\/p>\n

Dubai companies are eyeing more remote work:<\/strong> Some 32% of private companies currently implement remote work policies, with an additional 58% ready to expand, according to the survey. Similarly, 31% of companies offer flexible hours, with 66% considering expansion.<\/p>\n

<\/a> Another easy fix? Flying taxis.<\/strong> Dubai began construction on its first aerial taxi vertiport, expected to commence operations in 2026, Crown Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum said in an X post<\/a>. The new facility is located near Dubai International Airport and will span 31k sqm, hosting 170k passengers annually. Other stations will be developed in Downtown, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> #2- The UK is close to inking a trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)<\/strong> \u2014 including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain \u2014 \u201cas early as this year,\u201d Bloomberg<\/a> reports, citing UK and Gulf officials familiar with the matter. The agreement would mark the first for British PM Keir Starmer's government. <\/p>\n

The UK may also consider individual trade agreements with specific GCC countries following the GCC-wide agreement<\/strong>, focusing on specific trade areas, the sources said.<\/p>\n

This is long-awaited: <\/strong>The UK and GCC have held seven rounds of trade talks<\/a> since 2022, with UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds visiting Dubai this month to push negotiations forward. UK-GCC trade currently stands at USD 73 bn annually, and the trade agreement is expected to boost this by 16%. <\/p>\n

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#3- The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM proposed miscellaneou<\/strong>s <\/strong>amendments to its regulations in a new <\/strong>consultation paper (pdf)<\/a>. The amendments are related to financial service market regulations, anti-money laundry guidelines, fee rules, and the conduct of the business rulebook. The organization is currently accepting comments until 10 December and they will be reviewed to consider any potential modifications.<\/p>\n

#4- Dubai Taxi applied for 250 new license plates from the Roads and Transport Author<\/strong>ity which are expected to generate annual revenues close to AED 100 mn<\/strong>, CEO Mansoor Alfalasi told CNBC Arabia (watch, runtime: 9:12<\/a>). He also said that the company is committed to distributing 85% of its net income in 2024.<\/p>\n

#5- Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announce<\/strong>d new police <\/strong>projects worth AED 2 bn<\/strong> in a post on X<\/a>. Here\u2019s a rundown:<\/p>\n