Dubai will begin to charge for single-use bags from July 1. Abu Dhabi introduced a single-use plastic bag ban this month. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Dubai will begin to charge for single-use bags from July 1. Abu Dhabi introduced a single-use plastic bag ban this month. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Dubai will begin to charge for single-use bags from July 1. Abu Dhabi introduced a single-use plastic bag ban this month. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Dubai will begin to charge for single-use bags from July 1. Abu Dhabi introduced a single-use plastic bag ban this month. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai's single-use bag charge comes into effect


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

A new 25 fil charge for all single-use bag was introduced in Dubai on Friday.

The tariff will apply to all bags made of plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic and plant-based biodegradable materials that are less than 57 micrometres thick. A micrometre is one thousandth of a millimetre.

In an interview shared on Dubai Media Office recently, Imad Juma Mohammed, studies and permit section manager at Dubai Municipality, said the aim is to end single-use bags altogether.

“Our government is conscious of the welfare of future generations across all sectors, as is evident in the determined efforts of the UAE and Dubai to protect the environment and make Dubai a leader in sustainability,” he said.

“And from July 1, 2022, we will implement the executive council’s decision to impose a fee of 25 fils per bag on single-use bags, aiming to ban such bags altogether within two years.

“The tariff applies to all single-use bags for carrying goods.

“Stores are not obliged to offer free alternatives as the overall goal is to drive a change in consumer behaviour in order to preserve the environment for future generations in Dubai,” he said.

All stores must levy the charge for each single-use bag, and a different tariff can be applied to reusable alternatives, if provided by the store.

The charge is the first step towards a complete ban on single-use plastic bags in Dubai in two years. Retailers have four months to make the change.

On June 1, Abu Dhabi became the first place in the Middle East to ban single-use plastic bags.

Alternatives being provided to shoppers include thicker traditional-look plastic bags, which are intended for use between four and 10 times and can be recycled, bags made out of paper, and sturdy “bag for life”-type reusable juco and woven alternatives.

Some outlets, such as Spinneys and Carrefour, have opted to remove thicker traditional-type reusable plastic bags altogether, offering either paper or bag-for-life alternatives only.

Costs start at 50 fils ($0.13), rising to about Dh12 ($3.26) for large, hard-wearing juco bags, which are made of cotton and jute.

Abu Dhabi introduces single-use plastic bag ban - in pictures

Scores

Wales 74-24 Tonga
England 35-15 Japan
Italy 7-26 Australia

Six large-scale objects on show
  • Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
  • The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
  • A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
  • A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
  • Torrijos Palace dome
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E268hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E380Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh208%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)

An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.

----

Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)

Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

----

Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)

Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

Suggested picnic spots

Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
 
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The%20specs
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Jurassic%20Park
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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi

Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)

Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)

Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)

Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).

Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)

Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)

Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)

Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)

Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia

Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)

Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Thor: Ragnarok

Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

Four stars

SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

Updated: July 01, 2022, 6:18 AM`