Tag to Connect, the smart number plate whose trial is currently on its final phase, is said to be capable of tracking and informing the police on the location and acts of dangerous driving. According to Sultan Abdullah Al Marzouqi, the digital plate is a smart screen which will replace the metal plates currently being used.

This invention extends the safety and comfort of car buyers to a new level.

Tag to Connect plates get their name from their ability to link vehicles. Motorists, in turn, can exchange vital information such as accident routes and traffic conditions. Imagine putting the 13 hours spent in traffic at the UAE capital to better use. The transmitted data will also be critical in helping guide the provision of emergency services at specific accident locations.

The new plates will also be synched with user’s information such as road fines. This information will also be supported by the mounted GPS transmitters that transmit location data to the police. Additionally, payments such as parking fees and licence plate renewals will also be directly deducted from the user’s account. For car buyers, Tag to Connect licence plates mark the end of yearly Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) service centre visits to renew your licence. However, you must still pass the vehicle test for your licence to be automatically renewed.

By having detailed user information connected to the cop’s central command system, car buyers will be done with cases of purchasing vehicles that have outstanding charges or criminal history.

Cases of carjacking and vehicle theft are expected to reduce significantly. Tag to Connect plates are claimed to be able to change their display to a special alert forewarning the police of stolen vehicles. This is an excellent identifier of false ownerships and may help in detecting and stopping theft. However, most people are worried about their privacy as the same warning could be used to catch fast drivers. For car buyers, it is preferable to be caught driving fast rather than find yourself at the mercy of car thieves.

So far, it is not clear how much Tag to Connect plates will cost, but the head of the Vehicle Licensing Department at RTA, Sultan Abdullah, assures everything will be clarified after the testing period.

Going off-road on the dunes of Sharjah is a highly enjoyable activity for both locals and tourists alike. Each year, a large number of people flock to the area for this specific activity. However, as its popularity has grown, so has the number of companies offering this service. Because of this, safety standards have slipped, causing great concern for local authorities such as the Sharjah Tourism Development Authority (TRA).

It is because of this worrying trend that a new training programme has recently come into effect. Those who want to drive their cars along the sand dunes will now have to be fully qualified, and hold a new special license to prove it. The desert driving programme was launched on October 24 of this year in Sharjah.

This was a joint programme in cooperation between the Driving Institute of Sharjah Police and local tourism authorities. It is in response to calls from the public for better customer satisfaction in dune tours. The Ministry of Interior has stated their interest in tackling this issue head-on. Their response has been swifter than most industry experts expected.

Individuals will be issued the new desert driver license on completion of a specialised training course. Those being tested will be required to undertake both theoretical and practical training. In particular, the course is designed to educate drivers on what to do in the event of their car getting stuck on the sand. The information provided could potentially save lives.

This latest news in transportation in UAE may be seen as an unwelcome inconvenience to those already providing desert tour services. It is certain to put the ones with more lax safety standards out of business. This will have the positive effect of increasing the overall safety of driving in this area.

It is also predicted to create a new boom of tourism in this area. Sand dune tours have been bringing in a significant amount of revenue to Sharjah since the service was first introduced. Better safety will likely broaden its appeal, thereby increasing the amount of people willing to pay for it.

The F-150 is nothing less than an American icon, with one sold every minute just in the United States alone. Now, the newest and most extreme off-road version of Ford’s full-size pickup truck is available in Dubai showrooms, the F150 Shelby Raptor.

The 2018 Shelby Raptor has the luxurious and spacious interior of the standard truck, with the full range of modern amenities that American customers have come to expect. But the spirit of legendary race car designer and Ford aficionado, Carroll Shelby lives on in the engine bay of this truck. Packing a 5-litre V8 with a large displacement supercharger, giving the Shelby Raptor a colossal power figure of 755 horsepower – more than enough to climb any dune with vigour.

Based on the standard F150, the Shelby edition features beefed up long travel suspension and shock absorbers from off-road specialists Fox Racing. As well as upgraded suspension, Ford has fitted the Shelby Raptor with tyres suitable for high-speed off-roading as well as more aggressive flared styling.

But it isn’t just the ‘standard’ Shelby Raptor coming to the UAE, as customers can also purchase the even more hardcore ‘Baja’ edition F-150. Named after the iconic Baja 500 cross-country race that sees hardcore off-road machines traverse the terrain of the Baja California peninsula. A homage to these extreme racers, the Baja Edition features long-travel suspension, a variety of body modifications such as roof-mounted lights and running boards, and unique bumpers that set it apart from the millions of F-150s on the road.

Unlike the Shelby Raptor, the Baja edition features a tuned version of Ford’s EcoBoost V6 developing 525 horsepower and an equally monumental amount of torque. Sharing the same basic block as the 2017 Ford GT supercar, the Baja Edition has more than enough horsepower for some serious off-roading but still manages a reasonable level of fuel efficiency and CO2 output thanks to the EcoBoost technology and 10-speed automatic transmission.

Available in Ford dealerships in the UAE now, these limited-edition off-road monsters are on sale for 445,000AED for the Shelby Raptor and around 525,000AED for the more extreme and exclusive Baja Edition.

Some shocking transport news in the UAE has come to light that all drivers in the region should take note of. It seems that around 4,900 cars are being recalled due to safety concerns. Auto dealers in the region have taken this action after issues with power steering, seat belts and brakes were noted in some vehicles.

Auto dealers in UAE addressing concerns

The latest round of recalls in the UAE seem to centre around SUVs and pickup trucks. The area’s auto dealers have been busy identifying which models may be affected and letting car drivers know to bring them in for a check. This has been ongoing for the last few months and has seen owners of the affected models urged to visit their auto dealer. This flood of recalls came after a directive from the UAE Ministry of the Economy. The directive demanded UAE auto dealers conduct a review of any vehicles they sold in the name of public safety.

Which vehicles are being recalled?

The latest recalls involve the following cars and dealers:

– General Motors (GM) have recalled the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, Light Duty, Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra Light Duty and Yukon vehicles.

– Al Tayer Motors / Premier Motors have recalled certain Ford SuperCrew Cab vehicles from 2015 to 2018 as well as some Ford F-15 Regular Cabs, manufactured in the USA and from the same period.

– Ali & Sons Motors Co. and Al Nabooda Automobiles have recalled 2018 Volkswagen Teramonts and NMS Passats.

– Al Futtaim Motors has issued recall notices for the 1,135 MY Toyota Prius made from 2016 to 2018. In addition, it has recalled 14 units of the 2017 Lexus LC500.

– Juma Al Majid has issued recall notices for seven units of the 2017 to 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid MY.

By far the best thing to do if you own any of the models listed above is to contact your dealer and see if you need to take it in for a check up. Of course, if you actually purchased from any of the auto dealers shown above as well, then this is urgent.

Why is this being done?

This latest push within the UAE is all in the name of keeping residents safe on the roads. Faulty power steering or brakes can naturally lead to accidents and injury. The whole series of recalls, which has reached around 21,000 cars to date, is making auto dealers more responsible for the vehicles they sell to UAE drivers.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that certainly appears to be the case with the mouth watering photographic book which will be published on cars in Dubai. ‘Cars of the Emirates’ has been put together by husband and wife team Jonathan and Zarina Taylor, and is set to capture some of the most notable cars in the UAE in print.

After being inspired by the cars which they saw while on holiday in Cuba, Jonathan and Zarina decided to transform their passion into a project which involved photographing cars. Their travels for the book also led them to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and Jonathan has been on ten individual trips specifically for the purpose of shooting cars in Dubai.

Speaking to The National, Jonathan explained that he has deliberately targeted interesting backdrops, in order to offer something different from the more cliched settings of the city.

He told the newspaper: “You’ve seen a million shots of Lamborghinis and Bugattis parked outside the Burj Al Arab. I want to show things that other people don’t see. So many people go to Dubai and think it’s just high buildings, shopping malls and a lot of desert. Anything quirky I can photograph a car in front of, I’ll do it.”

The project involved the sourcing of many of the subject vehicles from private owners, and the result is a broad range of different drives which represents the many styles of high end cars in Dubai. They include a Ferrari F40, Bugatti Chiron, Lancia Stratos, a Lamborghini LM002 and a Porsche GT3.

Look out for an exhibition which is set to follow the release of the book. Jonathan says: “Because the quality is so good, they look amazing blown up to two metres. We’re going to do an exhibition with this work.”

A venue is yet to be confirmed for the planned event, but readers of ‘Cars of the Emirates’ might be first in line for tickets!

It will be interesting to see how this tome could inspire others to document the tremendous range of high end cars in Dubai, which has to be seen to be believed.