Social media has enabled millions of people to remain connected, updated and entertained while observing movement restrictions during the pandemic. In particular, Facebook community groups have proved invaluable in delivering information and a sense of inclusion.
For administrators and moderators gatekeeping page memberships, discussion threads and ensuring content adheres to moral, legal and cultural rules, the workload has soared alongside numbers of posts.
Many have become more dependent on my platforms in recent weeks as an emotional anchor
Personal trauma drove Freya Jaffar, who lives in the capital, in Mushrif, to create Abu Dhabi Q&A in 2013. Similar to other "admins", she has seen the online group become a pillar of support as the global health crisis has escalated.
Jaffar, who has a fashion design and technology background, created the page after suffering postnatal depression. “It was the lowest point of my life,” says the Briton who, finding “no one to turn to”, sought to pivot the experience to help those similarly affected.
Now among the six groups she manages, Abu Dhabi Q&A has become a valued resource to 56,753 members, most of them living in the capital.
“There needed to be a free, non-judgmental community support channel for residents,” says the mother-of-four, who has seen people’s emotions heighten around Covid-19 amid hugely increased screen time.
“Many have become more dependent on my platforms in recent weeks as an emotional anchor. I am offering more emotional support to members with ‘buddy meets’ over Zoom now.
“Unfortunately there has also been a rise of ‘chancers’ taking advantage of people’s goodwill. So that is something we are having to monitor now, too,” she says.
'For every terrible experience there are three good ones'
Jaffar and five assisting moderators have connected members to outside groups offering support and help to those in need, although she says more moderation has been required as some people losing their “emotional footing due to the uncertainty” have become aggressive.
“I tried to manage it for a while but then opted to switch to ‘post approval’ for all members while Covid-19 restrictions are in place.
“This allows me to see every post. They only go on if I approve them. I ensure there is no panic … [or] rumours being spread.”
Jaffar admits overseeing a platform hosting various cultural perspectives, socio-economic groups, ages, genders and religions can be challenging and occasionally brings unwarranted accusations of personal censorship.
Other infringements include derogatory comments, illegal businesses and offensive language.
“It’s the dark side of social media we accept when we take on these roles. I am learning to put my emotions aside for the bigger picture. For every terrible experience there are three good ones.”
Keren Bobker, who launched British Expats Dubai in 2017, also says time and patience are commodities demanded of administrators.
Among the most popular nationality-focused pages, Bobker's online community – nudging 9,000 members – has become more valuable in recent weeks.
“I dare not calculate the hours it takes each day, but it is significant, especially of late, when I have spent a huge amount of time clarifying the latest rules and updates for people,” says Bobker, who runs the group with her husband, plus good friends.
“Whenever there is a change or an announcement, we get the facts to members as soon as we can, even if announcements are late on a Thursday evening or over the weekend.”
Although Covid-19 has been dominating everyone’s thoughts, Bobker, an independent financial advisor and also a columnist for The National, cites humour and entertainment as key group ingredients.
Since mid-March, she has sought to distract or cheer up people with something fun at least once daily, posting puzzles, quizzes and questions. “In a time of uncertainty, people appreciate a group with facts, info and a place where we share a sense of humour and cultural references,” says Bobker.
The range of queries relating to Covid-19 has been huge, from those stuck abroad to people losing jobs and income, to those wanting to leave the UAE to go home
“We have helped numerous people get fair treatment from employers by giving them the facts. Many have found jobs via our jobs page, we have helped re-home cats and dogs, and put others in touch with people who can help in specific situations, personal or medical.”
Bobker also says while most are appreciative, some members are occasionally removed for rudeness, aggressiveness or simply joining to promote themselves excessively.
“A small percentage get nasty,” she says. “[But] I have also received numerous messages telling me the group has been a great support. It can be very rewarding.”
'Every member who posts a question will get the answer they need'
The widespread economic impact of the pandemic has similarly boosted traffic to the Shop Well For Less page. Launched in January 2018 by Debbie Steedman and Colin Mackenzie to share discounts and help people reduce expenditure, it has 21,500 members across the UAE.
Steedman, a mum based in Al Barsha, says: “Overnight we had to go from a group promoting shopping around for the best deals to one discouraging people to shop.
“There was a lot of discussion in the early days of the crisis about which supermarkets to use and how to make money go further, but also trying to make sure people did not bulk buy in order to keep stocks high," she adds. "Previously we encouraged bulk-buying as the best way to save money.”
Steedman believes members have found support from each other.
“Every member who posts a question will get the answer they need, whether relating to Covid or where to find bread flour. We also regularly post updates from the government.”
With almost 18,000 members, Real Mums of Dubai was already a busy social platform for mothers and mums-to-be, but activity “exploded to a new level” with the pandemic.
“We reached 250,000 posts one week,” says former teacher Megan Al Mazrooqi, who started the group in 2016.
“We saw the panic and needed to find a way to keep the group running for normal motherhood queries, as well as to help calm fears. There have been tough days as everyone reacts differently to change and fear.”
Al Marzooqi, a mother-of-four in Sharjah, and her two moderators, introduced a dedicated “corona post” where mums add articles, links and updated information.
“The range of queries relating to Covid-19 has been huge, from those stuck abroad to people losing jobs and income, to those wanting to leave the UAE to go home,” says Al Mazrooqi, from Northern Ireland.
The page has implemented a dedicated home-schooling post for mums to ask questions about what their children are struggling with, and another filled with activity ideas, links and pictures to engage them. “We are in unprecedented times and we are trying to adapt the platform to help in ways to make mums’ lives easier,” says Al Mazrooqi.
“It is not easy, but we are lucky the group truly is a village where we are all supporting, uplifting and helping each other. A lot of mums, myself included, would be very lost without it right now.”
Company%20profile
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
AIDA%20RETURNS
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT)
Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures: Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Wonder
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The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Saturday's results
Women's third round
- 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
- Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
- 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
- Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0
Men's third round
- 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
- Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
- 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
- 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
- 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
- Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
