In the wake of the unrest in some parts of the region, Middle East news channels have come under the spotlight as never before.
Correspondents have put their lives on the line to cover the uprisings, as the region’s top TV news stations Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya led coverage of events happening in their own backyard.
But while the presenters are familiar faces within the region, there is an army of employees working behind the scenes to help deliver the news 24 hours a day. The National met some of them at the studios of Al Arabiya, which is part of the Dubai-headquartered MBC Group.
10am
Quiet pervades the offices of Al Arabiya at the start of the working day. But out of necessity, given the channel's morning show Sabah Al Arabiya is filmed in the open-plan reception area of MBC's headquarters.
Eslam Adel, the floor manager, is responsible for checking the cameras and lights, but an equally pressing duty is politely instructing those arriving to work, as well as visitors, to be quiet. “Walking is no problem, but talking is,” he says.
The show, broadcast from 9am to 11am (UAE time) five days a week, focuses on lighter news and cultural issues. Previous guests have included Morgan Freeman, the Hollywood actor, and today features Marwan Rahbani, the Lebanese playwright.
10.30am
A few floors up, Sherif Shamel is working hard within what he describes as the “brain” of Al Arabiya. He is one of just 25 people who have access to the master control room (MCR), of which he is the supervisor.
The MCR is the technical hub of MBC, its walls lined with TV screens showing incoming and outgoing broadcasts. The 24-hour operation is where audiovisual feeds come in, are checked for quality, and sent on for broadcast.
It is not surprising eating and drinking at the control panel is prohibited: a coffee spill could be catastrophic for the broadcaster’s operations. “Everything would go down,” says Mr Shamel.
An overturned latte is not the only potential hazard. In March, the Libyan intelligence service allegedly jammed Al Arabiya’s satellite signal.
When screens in the control room went blank, Mr Shamel knew something was wrong. Staff in the MCR immediately boosted the power of the Al Arabiya signal, but the alleged saboteurs did the same, blocking it out again. “If we have any problem, we are the first ones to know,” says Mr Shamel.
Today, he is overseeing more mundane, yet still important matters. His team is monitoring live feeds from the Dubai Financial Market, a meeting of Syrian opposition groups in Turkey, and the listing of ports operator DP World on the London Stock Exchange.
11am
In Al Arabiya’s main studio, the hot topics of the day are beginning to emerge. While the station broadcasts around the clock, and has regular news bulletins, much of the energy is geared towards the primetime news bulletins, which are broadcast at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm in the UAE.
“Standby!” shouts a floor manager as Soheb Cherair, the presenter, is about to go live on air. The news anchor introduces a report from the station’s correspondent in Sana’a, Yemen, where a bloody battle between a tribal group and forces loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president, is under way.
11.30am
If the MCR is the brain of Al Arabiya, the gallery room is its heart. Here the producers and directors sit, setting the pace of the broadcast and switching between feeds. One director, who did not wish to give his name, sits in front of a control panel with upwards of 500 buttons. He switches between camera shots and live feeds with precision timing.
Despite the perfect timing, not everything goes to plan — as is inevitable at any television station. “Twice the system went down ... it started taking [feeds from] different cameras. I was cut off,” one presenter says later in the day.
Noon
Television is just one aspect of Al Arabiya’s operations. The news channel also has a website in Arabic and English, and a social media department. Reem Mouazzen is responsible for the station’s Facebook profile, as well as about 13 Twitter accounts. “We’re trying to engage our viewers more,” she says. A story flashes up on the newswires: Syrian troops have bombed a town in the south of the country. Ms Mouazzen immediately posts updates to Facebook and Twitter.
Ms Mouazzen’s job, monitoring trends from countless online sources, seems fascinating and relentless. “Social media is fast paced, dynamic and fluid. You cannot stop it. Sometimes it’s very stressful, but we have a strong team,” she says.
1pm
Nakhle el Hage, the director of news and current affairs at Al Arabiya, describes himself primarily as a journalist. Yet he must also keep a firm grasp of the complex technical aspects of the television business.
This afternoon is no exception. At 1pm he heads to a 45-minute meeting with department heads, in which he discusses a move to change Al Arabiya’s aspect ratio, or the dimensions of its on-screen broadcast, from 4:3 to 16:9. “So far we have so many issues. You need to link together the technical department, the graphics department, production department and editorial department,” he says. “The good news is that our presenters will look slimmer.”
1.30pm
Mahira Abdelaziz, a business presenter of Emirati nationality, is live on air. Working shifts of up to 12 hours, Ms Abdelaziz’s day is long, but varied. “You need to be an octopus,” she says. “You’re covering everything from 9 in the morning to when your shift ends.”
On some days, Ms Abdelaziz can present more than 10 live segments. “You have to prepare your interviews, and talk to your guests. After you’re done, we usually go and [Twitter] tweet,” she says.
2pm
MBC’s canteen, adorned with a colourful mural and oversized clock, is bustling at lunchtime. Eman el Shenawi, a business reporter for Al Arabiya’s English-language website, sits with her photographer colleague. She has been in the job for two months, reporting on business issues.
This morning’s work involved writing a story about nuclear power in Saudi Arabia, which is being uploaded by another member of the team as she enjoys a plate of pasta.
3pm
4.30pm
Najib Bencherif is not happy. As the integration editor at Al Arabiya, he is responsible for boosting co-operation between the channel’s TV and internet operations. But no one from the website turned up at his 3pm news meeting, a fact he is keen to point out in a later meeting with one of the site’s managers. “I am annoyed, of course,” says Mr Bencherif. “It’s important that they attend the meeting.”
5pm
With the channel’s primetime broadcasts looming, the main studio is becoming more lively. Adila Mouaki-Benani, an assignment producer, is following up with correspondents based in Yemen and Syria about their reports. She asks for updates on the situation there, and advises on possible story angles. The more news there is, the longer her day becomes. “Maybe I have to work 12 hours or more, if there is some breaking news,” she says.
5.15pm
Nael Najdawi, an interview producer, is using a phone belonging to a neighbouring desk, its wire taut as it stretches to where he is seated.
“I am trying to call the spokesman for the army general who is backing the revolution in Yemen. But the telephone lines are blocked in Yemen, so we are trying to reach them by land or another mobile number,” says Mr Najdawi. “I have three hours, but I will continue to wait.”
Mr Najdawi sits in a purple-lit studio, in front of a wall of video screens. The difference between the working environment here and that of Al Arabiya’s correspondent in Yemen could not be more stark. “Because our correspondent was speaking the truth, they threatened to kill him,” says Mr Najdawi.
5.30pm
Given the tense regional politics, the misuse of a single word by the media can prompt strong objections.
Earlier in the day, an Al Arabiya report described “the meeting of the Syrian opposition leaders” in Turkey. That prompted other opposition leaders to call Nabil al Khatib, the executive editor, to complain. “People who did not attend [the meeting in Turkey] said this was unfair,” says Mr al Khatib. On air, this is changed to a “meeting of some Syrian opposition leaders”.
He sits at his desk, double-checking the news tickers that flash across the bottom of the screen on Al Arabiya news. While the mistake had been corrected in the broadcast script, it had not been updated on the ticker. “I just discovered that we didn’t make the change in the ticker, and I changed it,” he says.
While reports about conflict in Yemen, Syria and Libya are still hot news, Mr al Khatib says the final running order for the 9pm bulletin will not be finalised until as late as one hour before it starts.
9pm
Adil al Edan, the anchor of the 9pm bulletin, reads the news: the fighting in Yemen is, in the end, chosen as the top story. As the first primetime bulletin begins, the working day for many of the staff draws to a close. More staff will take their place overnight.
And as employees leave, they know the next breaking news story is just around the corner. It will be covered overnight, and again when they return to work – quietly, of course.
bflanagan@thenational.ae
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
ACC%20T20%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Championship
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20fixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2017%20v%20Oman%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2C%20June%2018%20v%20Singapore%3Cbr%3EMonday%2C%20June%2020%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EWednesday%2C%20June%2022%20v%20Qatar%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2024%2C%20semi-final%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2C%20June%2025%2C%20final%3Cbr%3E%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chaya%20Mughal%20(captain)%2C%20Esha%20Oza%2C%20Indhuja%20Nandakumar%2C%20Kavisha%20Kumari%2C%20Khushi%20Sharma%2C%20Lavanya%20Keny%2C%20Priyanjali%20Jain%2C%20Rithika%20Rajith%2C%20Samaira%20Dharnidharka%2C%20Sanchin%20Singh%2C%20Siya%20Gokhale%2C%20Suraksha%20Kotte%2C%20Theertha%20Satish%2C%20Vaishnave%20Mahesh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
