About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
It is a good time to talk to someone.
Before the pandemic, the World Health Organisation declared mental health a crisis, reporting that one in eight people globally had a mental health disorder and that depression was expected to become the leading cause of disease burden by 2030.
Then 2020 happened. Grief, isolation and trauma have been the three horsemen of this new apocalypse and solutions are popping up everywhere to address them.
Japan named a minister of loneliness to stem rising suicide rates. Singapore is offering Wysa, an emotionally intelligent chatbot, free of charge to residents for a year to help them cope with mental stress. Even Gwyneth Paltrow led a venture capital investment round in an accessible online counselling service in the US.
Abu Dhabi has its own solution.
Entrepreneurs Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh developed Takalam, an online counselling platform that matches people or couples with licensed counsellors. Users have the option of one-on-one sessions through video, audio and instant messaging, and can opt to remain anonymous through the platform that was launched last year.
Ms Hammad and Ms Abu Shashieh came up with the business long before Covid-19 made them an in-demand darling of the capital’s growing start-up scene.
They met in 2009 while working on youth employment programmes at the Emirates Foundation.
“We clicked immediately,” says Ms Abu Shashieh. Ms Hammad interrupts her to emphasise that “we both like to get things done”.
While their paths diverged professionally over the next decade, they kept in touch and bounced start-up ideas off each other as they looked for ways to collaborate.
“We still own the domain name of one idea that didn’t work out, but maybe one day,” says Ms Hammad.
The idea they stuck with – Takalam, which means “talk” – came to Ms Hammad in a job interview.
Asked if she had any ideas for how to improve the quality of life for Abu Dhabi residents, Ms Hammad, an Emirati, thought for a moment.
She had just returned after living for several years in Washington with her husband, during which time she worked as an independent consultant for start-ups between the UAE and the US, earned a master’s degree in international business from Georgetown University and had a baby.
She loved the US but had postpartum depression and found it hard to access good resources to help.
She also knew of the rampant stigma of speaking up and receiving mental health counselling when needed – not just in the Arab world but in the western world, too.
“I suggested a counselling platform to help remove the barriers to getting help in Abu Dhabi,” she says.
She was met by blank stares from across the table. Her interviewers – all men – did not understand how that would help residents at all.
So, she called her friend. “I didn’t want to work an office job, anyway.”
Ms Abu Shashieh, who is from Jordan, said it touched on themes that were important to them – most of all, that the work would be mission-driven. They wanted to help people.
Part of their success will depend on whether they can ride the wave of telemedicine and sign on employers and insurers to cover the cost of Takalam’s services.
In the UAE, demand for counselling via telehealth services surged during the coronavirus pandemic, according to health authorities. The number of individual counselling sessions reached about 5,600 between April and October.
Over the past year, the pair – with the help of a rolling cast of university students they brought on as interns – developed a platform offering mental health counselling in Arabic and English.
Early on, even before they had built the website or vetted and brought on any counsellors, their pitch was rejected by Ma’an, Abu Dhabi’s social impact fund.
But they did not listen to their first “no”. They stuck with the idea and kept working on the platform.
“I would be up at 3am scrolling through LinkedIn,” says Ms Hammad, describing the process of finding licensed counsellors in the UAE.
Over the past year, they have brought on 40 counsellors.
Takalam also found an early home at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre at Zayed University, Ms Hammad’s alma mater.
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth and president of the university, was an early supporter, calling it “a new beginning to increase the help-seeking behaviour within our community”.
From there, the start-up was invited to pitch at Gitex Technology Week in Dubai.
By this time, with a more honed pitch and proof of concept, Ma’an was ready to take on Takalam.
In the third quarter of 2020, the two co-founders joined a group of ventures tackling mental health, a social priority identified earlier this year by the Abu Dhabi government in response to the growing need for initiatives in the region to help negate the social impact of Covid-19.
If the women are OK, then the rest of the world will soon follow.
This is a critical year for Takalam as it could determine whether it succeeds or fails.
They are being provided with office space at Hub71 and licence registration at the Abu Dhabi Global Market, Abu Dhabi’s financial free zone, as well as one-on-one mentorship and coaching through Plug and Play ADGM.
They are also receiving support with introductions to potential customers and investors, including major healthcare providers and insurers to support the cohort’s theme of mental health.
Takalam aims to scale up more quickly through contracts with employers, which is more lucrative than selling individual counselling sessions at $30 to $170 an hour. It is also looking to expand its services into Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s biggest economy.
So far, with the added support of the incentive programme at Hub71, Takalam has been bootstrapped.
To support expansion, it expects to court angel investors this year.
Jerome Droesch, chief executive of Cigna Insurance in the Middle East, Africa and South-East Asia, told The National he sees a growing market in general for mental health services, as the region no longer considers it "a nice to have".
He says insurers are increasingly open to developing more innovative solutions that are accessible and cheap.
“Now it has become an essential need and organisations must be forward-thinking to understand that one size does not fit all,” he says.
For now, Ms Hammad and Ms Abu Shashieh are focused on educating the community about the importance of mental health.
They have been shocked by the amount of stigma that still prevails around talking to someone or even “just taking that first step”, as Ms Hammad calls it.
Arab millennial women are its first target demographic – a group they narrowed down after extensive surveys.
“If the women are OK, then the rest of the world will soon follow,” says Ms Hammad.
Q&A with Takalam co-founder Khawla Hammad
1. What successful start-up do you wish you had started?
The New York-based Talk Space for teletherapy. They are the market leaders and have been on top of their game. Even though they have so many competitors in the market, they were able to lead and position themselves uniquely. They continue to catch the attention of investors and recently closed a series D funding round of $50 million to help reach more users. The company is planning to go public soon.
2. What new skills have you learnt from launching your venture?
Since I ended up doing almost everything and wearing different hats to be able to get the company off the ground, I learnt many new skills in a short period of time that I would not have been able to gain in a regular job. All are valuable and important skills, where I got to appreciate the roles of each.
Although they were not always the things that I enjoyed, they had to be done. Things such as accounting, the handling of legal documents, human resources and even the smallest administration jobs that are typically easier to outsource. However, it is not always an option.
3. What is next for Takalam?
We plan to continue building our artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to add new features that would make our technology as “smart” and efficient as possible. This will help us future-proof our business by introducing features to help automate diagnosis and augment therapists, as well as monitoring between sessions.
Furthermore, during 2021, we plan to launch our services in the Saudi market, which is a huge step for us.
We are also interested in scaling up to test other much further markets such as North America, and carving out the niche of the Arab-American diaspora who may find solace in the familiarity of like-minded therapists who share the same culture, and most importantly, the approach with respect to stigma.
Last but not least, we are going to begin seeking funding from strategic angel investors and early stage venture capitalists who can help us scale up and calibrate our approach for the next stage of growth.
If you could do it all again, what would you do differently?
We are almost a year old, and considering the type of year 2020 was, I do not think there is too much we would have done differently from a strategic or conceptual level, in terms of positioning and mission. Arguably, there may have been some value in testing the concept earlier, as I had contemplated it for a few months before, so that may have allowed us to be hitting our stride during the lockdowns when people needed the service most, rather than building our technology at the time.
What changes in healthcare should patients expect in the next decade?
Things are already changing and we have noticed a big shift that happened due to the pandemic, where healthcare providers had to adapt to the new situation so fast and depend heavily on technology.
The industry will keep on evolving as we go and I imagine the use of virtual and augmented reality will be introduced to enhance the patient experience and increase accessibility, especially in remote areas. I also believe with the advent of genomics and predictive and personalised health care, there will be a great emphasis from people who are keen to look after themselves and stay healthy proactively, which is a positive thing.
Regulations and restrictive practices in terms of telemedicine that may have been driven by commercial and protectionist considerations will be removed. New vetting criteria for cross-border telehealth will come into play, democratising access and reducing costs, and increasing optionality amongst patients, which hopefully becomes a forcing function to elevate quality as a differentiator.
Wydad 2 Urawa 3
Wydad Nahiri 21’, Hajhouj 90'
Urawa Antonio 18’, 60’, Kashiwagi 26’
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Top Hundred overseas picks
London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith
Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah
Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott
Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz
Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw
Trent Rockets: Colin Munro
Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson
Southern Brave: Quinton de Kock
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
RACECARD
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
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
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinFlx%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amr%20Yussif%20(co-founder%20and%20CEO)%2C%20Mattieu%20Capelle%20(co-founder%20and%20CTO)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%20in%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5m%20pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venture%20capital%20-%20Y%20Combinator%2C%20500%20Global%2C%20Dubai%20Future%20District%20Fund%2C%20Fox%20Ventures%2C%20Vector%20Fintech.%20Also%20a%20number%20of%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Floward%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulaziz%20Al%20Loughani%20and%20Mohamed%20Al%20Arifi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EE-commerce%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbout%20%24200%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAljazira%20Capital%2C%20Rainwater%20Partners%2C%20STV%20and%20Impact46%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C200%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:
2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8
Rebel%20Moon%20-%20Part%20One%3A%20A%20Child%20of%20Fire
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZack%20Snyder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESofia%20Boutella%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%2C%20Ed%20Skrein%2C%20Michiel%20Huisman%2C%20Charlie%20Hunnam%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
ICC men's cricketer of the year
2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
