In 1985, Quincy Jones produced and conducted We Are the World, a rousing charity single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, to raise funds for African famine relief.
Inspired by the United Kingdom's Band Aid effort, Do They Know It's Christmas a few months earlier, the USA for Africa supergroup brought together dozens of superstars, including Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
A quarter of a century later and Jones decided to revisit the charity single concept – this time in the Arab world. A joint effort with the Emirati social entrepreneur Badr Jafar, Tomorrow/Bokra was unveiled on 11/11/11, a contemporary take on a Jones production reimagined to feature the voices of 24 of the Arab world's biggest singing stars, drawn from 18 nations, including Majida El Roumi, Marwan Khoury and Tamer Hosny.
US rapper Akon also got on board, while Shakira, who is of Lebanese descent, recorded a special introduction for the music video.
The production went on to become one of the fastest-downloaded Arabic songs in history, clocking more than 11 million plays on YouTube alone.
Fast forward to this year and the project's next stage was launched: Bokra the Film.
Making its world premiere at Diff last week, the documentary was screened as a special closing-night gala presentation.
While Jones couldn’t make it to the premiere, the music legend sent a touching introductory video, referencing the song’s original English lyrics by promising “a better me, a better you, a better tomorrow.”
The film tells the story of the song, starting with We Are the World and Jafar's fortuitous meeting with Jones in his youth, and the pair's joint venture in founding the philanthropic Global Gumbo Group.
It charts the summer 2011 recording sessions in Rabat and Qatar, showcasing the roster of stars who turned out, which also included Saber Rebaï, Latifa and Fayez Al Saeed and Sherine Abdel Wahab.
Bokra the Film then moves forward from the song's launch to look at the good it has done. Jafar estimates the single has indirectly raised more than US$1 million (Dh3.67 m) in donations – money that has gone to a variety of charity initiatives including the World Food Programme, Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation and Save the Children's innovative HEART initiative. The programme has supported 33 schools, 90 teachers and 4,000 children in Jordan and Palestine.
The film is by first-time Emirati director Ahmed Abdulqader, who took cameras inside impoverished schools to highlight the brave and worthy work the project is helping to fund.
Seeing the positive effect the programme was having on children who had very little else in their lives, Abdulqader was quickly moved and inspired.
Working entirely for free, completing the project became a labour of love – originally signed up for a four-month project, the 33-year-old ended up devoting 18 months to it.
“Because it was a charity project that wasn’t going to pay, it had to be something I loved,” says the director, whose background is in TV commercials and music videos.
Abdulqader landed the job thanks to school friend Ali F Mostafa, the renowned Emirati director of City of Life and From A to B, who co-produced the project alongside Jafar.
Now the team is taking the film to festivals across the world, and hoping to secure distribution. But in many ways, Bokra the Film's real mission is simply to keep the project on people's minds.
“As a director, it’s what it is,” says Abdulqader, “but it’s not about me, or Quincy Jones, or any of us. It’s about the children and this charity, which should continue to go on. The problem is only getting worse.”
The next stage, he says, will be a crowdfunding drive, due to launch next year, with more famous faces tipped to be involved.
“This film is about showcasing the power of the arts,” said Jafar, 35. “There are millions of children and young people out there who we believe could benefit from programmes of this nature. We hope this film shows what can happen, and inspire people to get involved in this or similar projects.
“We have a powerful story to tell, and this film is a powerful example of what can be done – with crowdfunding, the sky is the limit.”
• Find out more on www.tomorrowbokra.org
rgarratt@thenational.ae
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.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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
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
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Kibsons%20Cares
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More from our neighbourhood series:
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
