Dear Ali: I read that Emirati women like wearing gold, though when I got a gift for a mother of my Emirati friend recently, she wasn’t impressed, and even doubted that it was gold. It was a 14-carat gold bracelet. What type of gold is preferred by Emiratis? HA, Azerbaijan
Dear HA: A gift of gold to a woman is a very good choice. It shows how precious the woman is. Traditionally, gold is always given by a groom to his wife as a wedding gift.
Gold in the UAE is always in demand. Today, gold markets in the UAE are some of the biggest in the world. However, for Emiratis, their choice of gold jewellery will depend on two main things – carats and design. We’re not used to gold below 18-carat; the most popular is 21-carat. All traditional gold jewellery is made with 21-carat gold. Our mothers love this type of gold the most. Young women often buy international brands that usually use 18-carat gold of different colours such as pink and white.
Let me give you a quick tip: e’iaar or eyaar is the Arabic word for “rating”, so remember to use it when meeting jewellery salespeople at the gold markets. Wahid o ish-reen is 21 and arba’a o ishreen is 24. You can combine these terms to ask: “Indak thahab eyaar wahid o eshreen?” This means: “Do you have or sell 21-carat gold?”
Dear Ali: When I visited the UAE last month, I was impressed to see the culture has been preserved. What was the role of women in an average Emirati family in the past? Do you maintain the same lifestyle now? RN, Brazil
Dear RN: A family lived together – father, mother, daughters, sons and their wives. Men often left their houses for a season to work in the sea. During that time, women were in charge of the household. The mother was, and still is, the most important and respected member of the family, along with the father. She would control and manage everyone, and be a decision maker – from what food to cook and what fabric to buy for clothes to how to earn money. Women would do all the housework, clean the rooms, wash clothes and cook, as well as do agricultural work.
Sometimes they would gather to fetch water from distant wells or collect wood for the fire needed for cooking. When the major work was done, they would gather to sew dresses and do other handicrafts.
They were always supporting each other – if anyone was sick or died – and when women were pregnant, other women of the village would help deliver the baby, and even breastfeed the child if needed.
One of the most important roles of a woman was to maintain the pride of her man and the reputation of the family. Hence, she was always trying to avoid doing anything “ayb” – a shameful act – or provoke any doubts, and all children were raised with the same values.
Today, the role of the woman remains the same – she’s still the main person in the house. Yes, she probably maintains the house with the help of maids and workers because of how our lifestyles have changed. Our homes are bigger, so having assistants is crucial. She cares about all family members, including her own family and her husband’s.
Her role also now comes with more responsibilities towards the country’s vision. Women now work at all levels, from mothers to teachers, nurses, soldiers and ministers.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question.
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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to donate
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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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
- 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
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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