Hend Sabry is reprising her popular role as the young pharmacist Ola Abd ElSabour in a new Netflix series. Christopher Pike / The National
Hend Sabry is reprising her popular role as the young pharmacist Ola Abd ElSabour in a new Netflix series. Christopher Pike / The National
Hend Sabry is reprising her popular role as the young pharmacist Ola Abd ElSabour in a new Netflix series. Christopher Pike / The National
Hend Sabry is reprising her popular role as the young pharmacist Ola Abd ElSabour in a new Netflix series. Christopher Pike / The National

'Finding Ola': Hend Sabry to reprise her role as the 'Ayza Atgawez' pharmacist in new Netflix show


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  • Arabic

Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hend Sabry is reprising her popular role as the young pharmacist Ola Abd ElSabour in a new Netflix project.

Entitled Finding Ola, the Arabic-language series continues the beloved character's adventures after she first appeared in the 2010 comedy-drama show Ayza Atgawez (I Want to Get Married).

The original series followed Ola as she went through a handful of prospective fiances in a bid to get married before she turns 30.

'Finding Ola' is based on the characters of the 2010 Egyptian series 'Ayza Atgawez'. Netflix MENA
'Finding Ola' is based on the characters of the 2010 Egyptian series 'Ayza Atgawez'. Netflix MENA

The Netflix series, which has already began filming in Cairo, Egypt will bring back many of the elements that made the original show a hit. It will revolve around Ola’s attempts at reinventing herself, juggling between her career as a pharmacist and her attempts at finding love. A release date for the series has yet to be confirmed.

A number of Egyptian favourites will join Sabry in Finding Ola, including Sawsan Badr, who starred in the original series, as well as Clash actor Hany Adel, From Japan to Egypt star Nada Moussa, Maktoub actress Dalia Shawky and It's Okay, Buddy actor Mahmoud Ellithy.

The show, directed by Hadi El-Bagoury, will also feature numerous cameos by Arab talents, including Kingdoms of Fire star Khaled El Nabawy.

Besides taking up the role of Ola, Sabry will also take on the role of an executive producer on the project with her company Salam Productions.

Ghada Abdel Aal, who was the screenwriter of the original show, has penned the script, along with Maha El Wazir.

Finding Ola is the latest Netflix effort to come out of Egypt. The streaming platform is also gearing up to release comedy puppet Abla Fahita's series Drama Queen.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fight Night

FIGHT NIGHT

Four title fights:

Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event  
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title

Six undercard bouts:

Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio

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Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician

Hometown: Ghazala, Syria

Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978

Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter

Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi

Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.

Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo

Favourite food: fresh fish

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

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Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.

  • It’s So Easy
  • Mr Brownstone
  • Chinese Democracy
  • Welcome to the Jungle
  • Double Talkin’ Jive
  • Better
  • Estranged
  • Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
  • Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
  • Rocket Queen
  • You Could Be Mine
  • Shadow of Your Love
  • Attitude (Misfits cover)
  • Civil War
  • Coma
  • Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
  • Sweet Child O’ Mine
  • Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
  • Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
  • November Rain
  • Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
  • Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
  • Nightrain

Encore:

  • Patience
  • Don’t Cry
  • The Seeker (The Who cover)
  • Paradise City

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees

Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme

Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks

Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets

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
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Company name: Suraasa

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Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

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Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

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
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  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets