The founder of a new gaming app that allows users to predict the outcome of football matches without breaching Sharia – Islamic law – is hoping to expand into other sports.
Zaid Abu Soud, a former mixed martial arts (MMA) organiser, launched Hajem Sports in the UAE in January to give Muslim users a gambling experience that does not involve money. After an encouraging start with football, he is now hoping to add MMA and basketball matches to the options for users in the future.
“I would like to push for mixed martial arts, but my team would like to push for basketball,” says Abu Soud. However, the biggest potential addition is esports, he says, adding that it is one of the fastest-growing and most followed activities in the region.
Similar to sports betting apps that are typically found in the West, Hajem allows users to predict the outcome of a football match without placing a monetary wager. “We wanted to give the Arab or Muslim user skin in the game without committing a vice,” says Abu Soud.
Betting is prohibited in Islam. But Hajem users play for points rather than money. Five credits are made available every day and correct predictions are rewarded with points. Users move up and down local and global league tables on the app in line with the outcome of their predictions, giving them the excitement of competition without any money changing hands.
Abu Soud's original goal was to give Muslim sports fans the chance to watch football with friends and enjoy an added element of competition. “They’re 'betting', but not with money,” he explains. “They’re 'betting' with their reputation and know-how. They want to prove to their friends that they are smarter than them and that’s what Hajem lets them do.”
They’re 'betting' with their reputation and know-how, they want to prove to their friends that they are smarter than them
Zaid Abu Soud,
founder of Hajem
Abu Soud found during his research of sports betting apps commonly found in the West that the majority of wagers involve small amounts of money. Most of the time, he figured, they are using the apps for fun. Hajem was designed with that in mind. “It's about the feeling – the high of winning without the financial interaction associated with it,” he explains.
Most of Hajem's revenue comes from selling digital assets, such as skins for users' avatars. Abu Soud hopes to attract new users around the globe who are interested in sports but do not want to break Islamic laws or wager their hard-earned money.
He believes his app is an attempt to “innovate in a familiar space without all its pitfalls” and enables Emiratis and others in the region to have fun while holding on to their “important values”.
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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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The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
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For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
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Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
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Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
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Live: On beIN Sports HD
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What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
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