The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair marked its opening with a visit by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
On Sunday afternoon, Sheikh Khalid inaugurated the fair, which is taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Sheikh Khalid, who is also Chairman of the Executive Committee in the UAE and a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, toured several local, Arab and international pavilions and booths of publishing houses participating in the exhibition. He also made a special point to stop by the pavilion of Germany, which is the guest of honour for this year's fair.
During his tour, Sheikh Khalid stressed the importance of initiatives, such as the fair, for the role they play in the convergence of cultures.
His visit coincided with an announcement by his father, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, allocating Dh6 million to buy books and educational materials for UAE schools. The books are set to be purchased from the 500,000 titles available at the fair.
The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, now in its 30th iteration, will be running until Saturday and boasts one of its strongest programmes to date.
Several literary heavyweights and key cultural figures are scheduled to appear at the event, including An American Marriage author Tayari Jones and British historian Bettany Hughes, as well as Dr Omar Al Hammadi, vice president of the Emirates International Medicine Association, and Zaki Nusseibeh, cultural adviser to the President.
Like most other cultural events taking place during the pandemic, the book fair has adopted a hybrid approach this year. Several stringent safety measures have been put in place at Adnec in response to the pandemic.
Only vaccinated people are allowed inside the book fair and visitors must also show a negative PCR test result. Entry with registration only and below 17 are not allowed.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Various Artists
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Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
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UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
