Following the likes of Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn is the latest social networking platform to add a Stories feature to its repertoire – and the UAE is one of the first countries to try it out.
The world's largest professional networking site today announced its new LinkedIn Stories feature, allowing users to share photos and videos, of up to 20 seconds, on their accounts.
The UAE is the first country in the Mena region to test out the new feature, where the company has four million users.
LinkedIn says the pandemic is largely the reason behind the introduction of Stories by saying that 20 per cent more co-workers were now having private conversations on the platform, and they had experienced engagement on posts triple. But even further back, in the year from March 2019 to March 2020, it had recorded a 55 per cent increase in conversations between connections.
The pandemic had also, as expected, resulted in a huge boost in the consumption of content. Forty per cent of LinkedIn members say that they read the news more often nowadays, and 30 per cent check social media platforms more frequently.
LinkedIn believes this will mean that, while the tool is freely available to all, it might be particularly useful for publishers and media.
Lynn Chouman, editor at LinkedIn News, says Stories will offer "an accessible and convenient way to share updates, industry news, and professional content".
“With the demand for visual content and mobile-first formats poised to grow exponentially, we believe this feature will provide a creative solution for members to show their professional side with a human touch. We are looking forward to more productive interactions and engagements among our 4-million strong community in the UAE”.
Interestingly, in its information about the new feature, LinkedIn urges users to do almost the opposite of what the feature is used for on different platforms. It warns against being "overly personal" and posting private moments, posting "inappropriate content" that could jeopardise future career prospects and posting about "opportunities to spam personal products or services". Instead, it says to use the feature to post relevant, professional content, educational opportunities and conversation starters for professional news.
How to use LinkedIn Stories
Perhaps not surprisingly, LinkedIn's version works almost the same as the equivalents on other social media platforms. But in case you're unfamiliar with the concept, here's a step-by-step guide:
- On the top left of your "home" feed, you'll now see small circles at the top with the names and photos of some of your connections. These are there Stories.
- To add to yours, click on your name and profile photo, which is displayed with a small "+" sign.
- Use the red button in the middle of the screen to capture real-time videos or pictures, or upload them from your camera roll using the left "camera" button.
- Customise using stickers or text and then click "share story".
- Like other "story" iterations, the post will then be visible for 24 hours. It will only be able to be viewed by your "first degree" connections, so those you have actively accepted as a connection.
- After publishing, you will then gain access to an analytics tool to see who viewed your story.
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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
Dust and sand storms compared
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- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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MATCH INFO
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U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
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UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
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Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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