Sometimes, something as simple as a cartoon can change somebody’s destiny.
For Kawthar Bin Sulayem, her journey into the world of public relations, communications and media started with a talking yellow car.
“When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with this cartoon on Sharjah TV: Bombo. I loved the fact that simple messages about being helpful and a good person in the community could be conveyed through the character of a cute little yellow car. It made me realise that there are so many different ways to tell stories and convey messages,” says the 29-year-old Emirati, who spent her early childhood in Abu Dhabi and teenage years in Dubai.
As a child, Sulayem would walk around with a tape recorder, interviewing her siblings and recording her own voice. She was later involved with her school’s radio station and had a chance to work with professional TV personalities.
“Channel 33 [now Dubai One] was visiting different schools to find hosts to present English programmes about culture for children,” she recalls. “I learnt so much from my time with Channel 33.”
She studied mass communications at New York University, then worked in different fields, including government, before launching her own PR and media company, KBS Communications, in 2010.
“I realised that there was something very crucial missing in the market – there were no locals within the PR agencies. So I started off with PR consultancy, to test the market.”
Part of the company is the KBS Foundation, which focuses on areas such as empowering women, health, and road safety. She also launched Asraroha, an online magazine aiming to empower women through sport.
“What I love most is that this field is so dynamic,” she says. “One can never stop learning.”
My favourite perfume
Armani Code.
My childhood role model
With no doubts, my grandpa Hamoud. He was not just the most loving and caring person I ever knew, but also the wisest. He taught me so much about life as well as business, and shaped me into the person I am today. The things I’ve learnt from him are things cannot be taught at school, so I am very lucky.
On the weekends, I used to wake up early in the morning to go with him to the fish market. I used to observe the way he would check the fish and negotiate prices, which taught me early lessons about the importance of quality and money management.
My favourite movie
Midnight in Paris.
My favourite music
My favourite Arabic music includes timeless classics by the singers Abdul Karim Abdul Kader, Rabab and Nawal Al Kuwaitia. When it comes to English-language music, I prefer slow songs – nothing that’s overly crazy and loud. I like listening to Whitney Houston, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys.
My favourite television shows
Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef and Shark Tank.
My favourite actress
Audrey Hepburn.
How would you describe yourself?
I am a strong, ambitious, goal-orientated, independent young woman. I like to achieve things and, at the same time, I enjoy giving back to the community and helping others. I believe that life is too short, so we need to do as much good as we can and touch the lives of others.
My favourite dish
Too many to list. If I have to pick one, it would be grilled seabream.
My favourite car
Bentley Continental GT and Ferrari F40.
My favourite cartoons
I am an old soul – Bombo, Sally and Captain Majid.
rghazal@thenational.ae
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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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.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
