The Great British Iftar was attended by ambassadors, senior executives and entrepreneurs. Photo: Department for Business and Trade
The Great British Iftar was attended by ambassadors, senior executives and entrepreneurs. Photo: Department for Business and Trade
The Great British Iftar was attended by ambassadors, senior executives and entrepreneurs. Photo: Department for Business and Trade
The Great British Iftar was attended by ambassadors, senior executives and entrepreneurs. Photo: Department for Business and Trade

Islamic finance working group announced at 'Great British Iftar'


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch and Minister for Investment Lord Dominic Johnson have announced the launch of a working group on Islamic finance at the Great British Iftar at Lancaster House in London.

The working group will support Ms Badenoch’s priority to make the UK the strongest investment destination by ensuring it is a global centre for Islamic finance.

Lord Johnson will lead conferences with the world’s leading Islamic banks to map out a path.

A wide range of ambassadors attended the Great British Iftar event at Lancaster House in London.

Also present were senior executives from investment firms, the chief executives of major British businesses and the entrepreneurs and founders of British companies.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and ministers from across the government also joined the occasion.

Sheikh Hani Mahmoud, imam of the historic Al Azhar Mosque in Cairo, travelled from Egypt to lead prayers at sunset.

Kemi Badenoch, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, at the Great British Iftar in London. Photo: Department for Business and Trade
Kemi Badenoch, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, at the Great British Iftar in London. Photo: Department for Business and Trade

Ms Badenoch gave a speech at the iftar celebrating the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the Muslim world.

She spoke of the significant contribution businesses of all sizes make to the UK economy and the support her department will provide to enable them to lead British exports into new markets.

Celebrity chef and founder of Spice Village Suleman Raza and award-winning music producer DJ Naughty Boy (Shahid Khan) curated a special “British Iftar Menu” for the evening.

They served up a fusion of cuisines inspired by Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, Pakistan and Malaysia.

On the menu was DJ Naughty Boy’s personal twist on a traditional shepherd's pie — a lamb keema shepherd's pie.

Six tips to secure your smart home

Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.

Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.

Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.

Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.

Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.

Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • 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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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

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How to vote in the UAE

1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/

2) Take it to the US Embassy

3) Deadline is October 15

4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll

A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed

Three trading apps to try

Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:

  • For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
  • If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
  • Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
Updated: March 29, 2023, 10:24 AM