A classic novel is one that makes a contribution to literature, whether through style, form or subject matter.
Most importantly, they reflect life, truth and beauty in a universal way.
For those looking to dive into the world through Arabic literature, here are eight to start with.
The Arabian Nights
Also known as One Thousand and One Nights or The Arabian Nights' Entertainment, many people have been exposed to this epic and influential work of fiction to some capacity.
A collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, the works have been collected, translated and reimagined by many storytellers and authors across different cultures.
While the origin of some in the collection have been debated by many scholars, the structure of the tale has always been the same. Shahryar is the ruler of a vast and powerful kingdom who, after discovering his wife’s betrayal, kills her and begins a genocide. He marries a new bride every day and on their wedding night, beheads her. Until the intelligent and well-read Shahrazad, daughter of the wazir, offers herself as his next bride with a plan.
On their wedding night, Shahrazad begins to tell Shahryar a story. As the sun starts to rise, the story has reached a cliffhanger and the king, intrigued to know what happens next, postpones her execution to hear the rest of the story the following night.
This continues for 1,001 nights, as Shahrazad weaves story after story, including Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp, The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves together, with the hopes of making the king see the error of his ways.
Return of the Spirit
First published in Arabic in 1933, Egyptian playwright and auhtor Tawfiq al-Hakim’s novel is considered his most important work.
The novel follows a patriotic young Egyptian and his extended family as they cope with the social and political events leading up to the 1919 Egyptian Revolution.
Al-Hakim cleverly ties together his protagonist’s eventual enlightenment and a complex love story with the country's own spiritual and political awakening.
The Cairo Trilogy
Naguib Mahfouz’s epic trilogy written between 1956 and 57 consists of three novels: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street.
The saga follows the story of one family in Cairo starting in 1919, the start of the Egyptian Revolution against the British colonisers ruling Egypt and ending in 1944, almost the end of the Second World War.
Starting with the perspective of the patriarch of the Al-Sayyid family, Ahmad Abd al-Jawad, the saga follows his family across three generations, with readers introduced to the rich history of socio-political life in Egypt.
The Open Door
Latifa al-Zayyat’s revolutionary novel was written in 1960 in colloquial Egyptian Arabic. It is a coming-of-age story set against the background of the growing Egyptian nationalist movement before the 1952 revolution.
As Cairo is engulfed by demonstrations against the British, protagonist Layla fights against the social codes and conventions that dictate the lives of all young women, mirroring Egypt’s own struggles to fight off imperialist rule.
Season of Migration to the North
The classic post-colonial Arabic story by Sudanese writer Tayeb Salih, published in 1966, is not only the novel he is best known for, but is considered by many authors and critics as one of the best examples of Arabic fiction.
The story details the conflicts of Sudan and the history of European colonialism through the perspective of an unnamed narrator in the 1950s, who has returned to his Sudanese village on the Nile after completing his doctoral thesis in the UK.
But upon returning, he meets curious character Mustafa Saeed, who tells him of his own harrowing experiences living in London and why he chose to return to Sudan.
As a child of British colonialism and having studied in the UK, his story leaves the unnamed narrator at a loss, trying to make sense of who he is and his place in his homeland.
The Days
Written and published in three volumes throughout Taha Hussein’s life, The Days is a novelised autobiography by the Egyptian professor.
Beginning with his childhood in a small village, then his studies in Egypt, France and his return home, Hussein’s work deals with themes of ignorance, education and his constant resistance of the status quo, whether in Egypt or abroad.
Filled with detailed and sensory descriptions, Hussein also combines first and third-person narration through a style that marked the start of a new era of modern Arabic writing.
Memory in the Flesh
Algerian author Ahlam Mosteghanemi’s novel is considered one of the most important Arabic novels in recent years due to its style and subject matter.
The novel spans more than four decades of Algerian history, from the 1940s to the 1980s. Readers are introduced to the love affair between middle-aged militant Khaled, who becomes a painter after losing his left arm, and Hayat, the daughter of his friend, freedom fighter Si Taher.
Their tumultuous relationship is set against the backdrop of Algeria's struggle against foreign domination while forming its own identity post-independence.
The novel is praised for Mosteghanemi’s style of combining traditional and local storytelling with literary techniques.
Gold Dust
Libyan writer Ibrahim al-Koni’s novel is a thrilling tale that combines philosophy, history, culture and myth through a man’s relationship with his camel.
Ukhayyad and his thoroughbred flee his tribe and are hunted by the family of the man he killed. As he travels across the desolate Tuareg deserts of the Libyan Sahara, there are wars against the Italians in the north and famine raging in the south.
Ukhayyad heads to the caves of Jebel Hasawna and inside, surrounded by the ancient and prophetic cave paintings of ancient hunting scenes, awaits the arrival of his pursuers for a final showdown.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Donating your hair
• Your hair should be least 30 cms long, as some of the hair is lost during manufacturing of the wigs.
• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, is required.
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened is permitted.
• Dyed hair must be of a natural colour
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
more from Janine di Giovanni
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
