Palestinian video game designer Rasheed Abueideh is busy at work on his second game, Dreams on a Pillow. The side-scrolling stealth game is significant to him, as it is set during the Nakba.
After a crowdfunding campaign received international attention and raised more than $200,000, Abueideh is relieved that he and his team can finally begin on the project that has been on his mind for a long time. “Making video games is not an easy task here, ultimately, we’re in a war zone, and the goal is survival at the end of the day.”
Speaking to The National from the occupied West Bank, Abueideh says he is grateful for all the support his crowdfunding campaign has received, crediting the Arab diaspora in the West for making the campaign more visible.
He also noted that it wasn’t just Arabs or Muslims who made it a successful campaign. “There were many who were just pro-Palestine in their stance, even though they were not Arab or Muslim, they also contributed to the success of the campaign,” says Abueideh.
This is not the first time Abueideh has worked on developing a video game. He made the short game Liyla & The Shadows of War in 2016. Having begun gaming design in 2010, Abueideh wanted the free game to achieve two goals: executing what he learnt as a designer and making an emotional work about Palestine that was accessible to everyone.
“That game was short, but it was well received, with many around the world playing it," he adds. "It was a volunteer effort as well, no one was paid for that game.”
He is set to begin the first phase of the game while the crowdfunding continues. “I have a small team, about seven people, and we all work remotely," he says. "There are people in Europe, and some in Jordan and one in Kuwait."
Dreams on a Pillow is about a Palestinian mother, named Omm, who was forcefully evicted from her house during the Nakba. The story goes that as she was leaving the house, distraught and discombobulated, she carried a pillow mistaking it for her child.
Omm then has a psychological attachment to the pillow as she continues to mistake it for her child. She must survive the trek from the village of Tantoura to a refugee camp in Lebanon, all the while evading aggression from Israeli soldiers.
The character is hindered or aided by a game mechanic where, if she drops the pillow, she can move easily but her mind begins to drift and lose focus. Holding the pillow makes her focus again but her movement is slower and more cumbersome, creating scenarios in which each position is needed to traverse levels.
“I didn’t think it was a true story at first, but I did some research, and it seems to have really happened according to first-hand accounts,” says Abueideh. “I had first heard it from a famous Arab anthology series, which acted out the story, and it stayed with me for years.”
Set during the Nakba, the game also shows how Palestinian cities looked before they were ravaged by war. The concept art shows lively bright streets before they turned to grey rubble from the attacks.
For Abueideh, what matters most is that the Palestinian cause becomes more apparent through telling these stories. He says that video games can be a great platform for compassionate storytelling that invites empathy from the player. “It matters to me that people understand that it is one big ongoing story that started a long time ago and has not ended but keeps going," he adds. "There are everyday stories, which this is one of, but there’s a bigger picture of the Palestinian struggle."
Now that the money for the first production phase is secured, Abueideh says they are on course to release the game late next year, with the money raised allowing them to work throughout this year. He hopes the ongoing campaign will raise enough money for them to finish it next year.
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
SECRET%20INVASION
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Perfect Couple
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Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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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
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
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Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
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Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
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Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Famous left-handers
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