Eid is a time for the family and celebrations. It is also a time to catch up with our older relatives, who, for reasons unknown, love to ask us personal questions, especially related to work lives. “How much do you exactly make in a month?” an elderly family member asked me out of the blue when we met over tea this past Eid.
But the most interesting conversation I had was with an elder male relative, a very old school public-sector veteran. As we gathered in our family majlis, he looked up and asked me what I did for a living now that I had left the government sector?
"I run my own consultancy, which I established four years ago,” I answered proudly.
He didn’t seem very impressed with my response and asked: “so you left your high-ranking post at a government entity, and your good [salary] cheque, opting for a risky route”.
I can’t say that I was surprised either by his question or the comments that followed. I’ve been getting similar queries from people who encouraged me to keep my business, which they look at as a hobby and hold on to something “solid” and “prestigious”, such as a government job.
Entrepreneurship as a chosen career path is still something that some of the Emiratis, especially the older generation, are not very fond of. Some of my relatives in the past have even labelled me as unemployed as they do not consider my work to be equal to a traditional eight-hour job.
"I don’t know why you do this to yourself, always on the go, always on your computer,” said an old aunt of mine.
I am not the only one facing this dilemma. A close friend of mine is also going through a similar situation. After graduating from university, she established a digital agency, and two years into it, her mother still considers her unemployed because she works from home, even though she’s making a substantial income.
The UAE’s government has been a strong advocate of entrepreneurship through the establishment of funds such as the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, and via many free zones established across the country, such as Twofour54, which helps in encouraging entrepreneurs to start their own businesses.
But we need more than that -- I believe that the real change will come with more awareness, through schools and the media in the country.
_______________
Read more:
Steps to consider before taking the start-up route
Monetise your talents to become a ‘serial entrepreneur’
Recognise the habits holding you back from success
_______________
If we want the future generation to consider entrepreneurship as a career route, then we have to tell them more about it; we have to expose them to it, for it to become a norm in their view.
When I was a kid, career choices we were exposed to were doctor, teacher, or engineer. Rarely did any of my classmates said that they wanted to be an entrepreneur. Why, because we weren’t made aware of real-life examples of people who are doing well for themselves in the community. Even the storybooks we read highlighted doctors or teacher figures.
Mind you, this is not to discount these careers, but to state that we need a wider variety of role models for our children.
I strongly believe that this should start at an elementary level, where it should be mandatory for every school to host a “career day” and the focus should be, among other things, on entrepreneurs who have established successful businesses in the UAE.
Entrepreneurs from every sphere of life, be it F&B, media, or the construction sector, should be brought to these career days to share their experiences.
Media houses, funding organizations, or entrepreneurship centres could also publish children's books to be distributed at schools, that highlight local success stories of entrepreneurs. This should be the part of the social responsibility efforts of these orgranisations.
Many of our thoughts and aspirations are formed at a young age and a report launched by Education and Employers confirms that, putting the age at as young as seven years. The report also revealed that 36 per cent of children base their future career aspirations on people they know, while others were influenced by the media.
In exposing children to role models from their community, perhaps 36 per cent of those children will be aspired to pursue entrepreneurship as a career choice.
Campaigns conducted across social media in the forms of short video clips, and powerful messages demonstrating successful figures from the community could also play a huge role in influencing a more positive outlook to entrepreneurship.
If we want to see change in how people view entrepreneurship as a career path, then we have to start early. It's time to give our next generation, wider career options.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer who manages her creative consultancy in Abu Dhabi
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
The%20specs
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
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
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Results:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
Winner: AF Al Sajanjle, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
Winner: Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Poetic Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Lava Spin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Mountain Hunter, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
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
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)
Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)
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
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
