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Khaleej Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai partition flats crackdown: Residents move to other emirates despite longer commute
After a crackdown on illegal room partitions across Dubai, many residents have found themselves without a place to stay. Some are now moving to Sharjah and other nearby emirates, where rents are lower, but commutes are longer and daily life has become much harder. Shared partitioned flats were never ideal for many, but they were practical considering finances. The rooms were often just big enough for a bed and a fan, yet close to work, public transport, and a community to support them. That has now been replaced by long commutes, shared washrooms, and the challenge of starting over. 'I save on rent, but I am more tired now' Mohammed Irfan, who works at a restaurant in JLT, was paying Dh1,400 per month for a partitioned room in Al Rigga. After authorities raided the building a week ago, he moved to Sharjah's Abu Shagara area, where he now pays Dh700 for a space accommodating three in a room. 'I do save money, but I now travel for over 90 minutes each way just to reach my workplace in JLT,' he said. 'Earlier, I could walk to the metro in 3 minutes. Now, I take a bus, then the metro, and sometimes still need a taxi from the station.' Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Despite the inconvenience, Irfan said he had no choice. 'Everything was easy in Dubai. The grocery, pharmacy, and metro were all downstairs. Now, as I am not familiar with the area, it feels complicated.' He now wakes up early due to the extra commute time. 'By the time I get to work at 10:30 am, I have already spent over an hour on the road.' 'We had to split, it was too crowded' Mary, a saleswoman at Al Ghurair Mall in Deira, lived with 13 others in a 2BHK flat in Muraqqabat and had to find new accommodation after the crackdown last week. 'We were paying around Dh800 each for bedspace, with 12 of us in one room. After the raid, we had to split,' said Mary. 'Now, my other flatmates and I are moving to Al Nahda in Dubai, paying Dh1,000 in a shared room with three others. This place has fewer people in the room, but the rent and travel will surely increase.' 'No privacy, but this is all I can afford' Rupa, a salon worker, used to live in a shared space where she paid Dh600. Currently staying with a friend, she is scrambling to find an affordable place to live. She is now considering moving to a shared accommodation in Al Nahda, Sharjah, for Dh850 for a bed space. 'My commute time is surely going to increase. The salon was just a one-minute walk from my accommodation,' said Rupa. 'I may have to consider finding another workplace if it becomes too troublesome.' Rupa mentioned that she's still grateful to have a roof over her head. 'I don't earn much. This is all I can manage.' 'My daughter's school is far now' Farida, a single mother, had to move with her teenage daughter to Sharjah after being asked to vacate her previous flat in Deira. 'We were paying Dh1,500 in Dubai for a small partition. Now I pay Dh1,200 in Sharjah for a significantly bigger partition, but the school is far,' she said. 'The vacations are going to start soon, so the stress is less. But once school starts, I will have to think about an alternative for the school commute or consider changing her school.' Call for affordable options Javed, who works as a salesman in a mall, moved to a shared villa in Sharjah after being evicted from his partitioned room in Deira. He now pays Dh500 per bed space, sharing the room with 8 others. 'The reason for moving to Sharjah is that the crackdown will continue even if I look for another accommodation in Dubai,' he said. 'Many of us live hand to mouth. We don't have Dh2,000 to spend on rent. There should be some proper, legal low-cost housing for people like us.' Moved into a storeroom Shahid, a delivery rider, said he is currently staying in a converted storeroom in a shared flat in Sharjah. He pays Dh450 for the space. 'I had no option. It has no ventilation, and the fan doesn't work properly. I had to get a cooler for myself, but that too fails to keep me cool in this summer heat,' he said. 'But I am outside all day delivering, so I only come to sleep.'
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Alfanar aims to set up 3-GW renewable energy portfolio in India by 2030; plans up to $700 mn equity investment
Mumbai: Alfanar , Saudi Arabia-based energy company , plans to set up 3 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity in India by 2030, Mohammed Irfan, chief executive officer, Alfanar Global Development - India, told ETEnergyWorld . 'We aim to develop a 3 GW renewable energy portfolio in India by 2030. With an equity of $400 million to $700 million depending on the mix of solar, wind, and hybrid projects,' he said in an exclusive interaction. Irfan added that for this capacity, the firm is already in discussions with major OEMs and is trying to lock in suppliers for strengthening their development pipeline before participating in the bids. 'Our first priority is hybrid and battery storage . The second priority is standalone solar more. Since our wind portfolio already exceeds 600 MW, we aim to diversify our portfolio with solar and BESS projects,' said Irfan. Regarding partnerships in India, he said that for solar modules, the company will sign long term supply agreements with domestic manufacturers for upcoming projects. In smart meters, the company already has a strategic partner for expanding two million smart meters to up to 10 million meters in the next three to four years, added Irfan. 'We are also in talks with inverter and robotic cleaning tech OEMs. In smart metering , we have a long-term strategic partnership with a climate fund for deploying two million smart meters in Bhopal and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh,' he said. On maintaining supply chain resilience, Irfan said that the company has localised about 85 per cent of their project components in India which includes sourcing from domestic turbine OEMs such as Suzlon and Senvion , and using local module suppliers. The company is actively positioning itself as a key player in the global renewable energy transition and has developed a portfolio of about 1.7 GW of renewable energy projects across Spain, India, and Egypt. In Spain, it has developed both wind and solar projects. It has a solar project in Egypt and about 600 MW of operational wind projects in India.
Zawya
02-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia's Alfanar eyes India's green hydrogen sector
Saudi Arabia-based Alfanar Group is preparing to enter India's emerging green hydrogen market once clearer policy and regulatory frameworks are established, a senior company executive said. Mohammed Irfan, Chief of Alfanar India told local financial newspaper The Economic Times, that unlike the renewable energy sector — where long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) are secured through entities like NTPC and SECI — India still lacks assured offtake agreements for green hydrogen. The parent company is currently developing a green hydrogen project in Egypt and a green ammonia project in Chile, he said. Alfanar's renewable energy portfolio stands at about 1.7 gigawatts (GW) across Spain, India, and Egypt. In India, Alfanar operates a 506.5 megawatts (MW) wind power project in Gujarat with an additional 50 MW under construction. (Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Saudi energy firm Alfanar lines up India green hydrogen play, awaits clear policy signals
Mumbai: Saudi Arabia-based energy giant, Alfanar Group , is preparing to enter India's green hydrogen segment once the country's policy and regulatory framework becomes clearer, Mohammed Irfan, chief executive officer, Alfanar Global Development - India, told ETEnergyWorld . The company has an annual revenue of Rs 620 crore. At present, it has wind power capacity of 506.5 MW operational in Gujarat and while 50 MW is under construction, he said. 'Our focus is on a mix of wind and solar hybrid projects, along with energy storage… We are preparing to enter the hydrogen segment once India's policy framework becomes clearer. Leveraging our international expertise, especially from Egypt and Chile, we aim to replicate successful models in India,' he said in an exclusive interview. He, however, added that while there was growing interest, India still lacked assured green hydrogen offtake agreements. 'Once India's hydrogen market matures in terms of regulatory and policy adaptation or guaranteed offtake emerges, we will definitely be a part of it. In contrast, India's renewable sector benefits from long-term PPAs with entities like NTPC, SECI, and others,' said Irfan. Apart from this, he added that their Saudi team is also working on developing green hydrogen projects in Egypt and green ammonia in Chile. The company is actively positioning itself as a key player in the global renewable energy transition and has developed a portfolio of about 1.7 GW of renewable energy projects across Spain, India, and Egypt. 'In Spain, we operate both wind and solar projects. In Egypt, we have a solar project, and in India, we have about 600 MW of wind projects operational,' said Irfan. The company is also developing a sustainable aviation fuel project in the United Kingdom. On the challenge of grid evacuation, Irfan said that power evacuation and grid connectivity at CTU/PGCIL substations are already constrained, as multiple independent power producers and land brokers have secured access through land acquisitions and bank guarantees for substations scheduled for commissioning up to 2030. As a result, the earliest available connectivity that can currently be applied for at the CTU level is for the year 2031.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Three arrested for kidnapping in Lucknow, victim rescued
Lucknow: The police arrested three individuals in connection with a kidnapping case lodged in the Bakshi Ka Talab police station area. "The victim, a 35-year-old man, was rescued, and a ransom amount of Rs 2 lakh was recovered during the operation," said the police. Police said that on May 15, the complainant, Imran Khan, stated that on May 12, around 6pm, his brother Mohammed Irfan was abducted by two unidentified persons. "The accused allegedly assaulted the victim and forced him into a car, subsequently demanding a ransom of Rs 2 lakh for his release via WhatsApp and phone calls," said the police. An FIR under section 140(2) of the BNS was registered, and a special team was constituted. "Based on technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, the accused were traced near Achramau Tiraha on Kisan Path service lane. They were identified as Utkarsh Singh, 24, a lab technician; Mohd Mufeed, 26, an AC mechanic; and Ramchandra alias Abdullah, 27, a labourer. Four bundles of Rs 500 notes totalling Rs 2 lakh, along with a mobile phone used for ransom, were seized," said the police. "Preliminary investigation suggests that the motive behind the crime was financial gain. The accused are currently in police custody," said BKT SHO Sanjay Kr Singh.
