Astrid Ellis’s company makes luxury soaps in the shape of Burj Khalifa. Duncan Chard for the National
Astrid Ellis’s company makes luxury soaps in the shape of Burj Khalifa. Duncan Chard for the National

Money & Me: Old fashioned values on finance



Astrid Ellis is an entrepreneur whose company The Shower Tower has created Dubai’s first “soapenir” – luxury soap in the shape of Burj Khalifa – targeting the souvenir and corporate gift market. Ms Ellis, 40, from Germany, lives in City Walk, Dubai.

How did your upbringing shape your attitude towards money?

My parents have been very responsible with money. I learnt from very young that to have pocket money I had to earn it. I worked various jobs before university, from supermarkets to delivering pizza, and shifts at factories during summers.

How much did you get paid for your first job?

I worked in a supermarket; I was 16 and probably made 5 Deutsche Mark (Dh11). My first after university job as a junior event manager paid €650 (Dh2,696) monthly.

Are you a spender or saver?

If money is tight I know how to make it last longer. If there’s plenty, I love to spend two days at beautiful hotels in the UAE, far enough not to get tangled up in daily routine. It allows me to take a look at myself and my business; evaluate if I need to adjust in some areas. I also love spa treatments; to get pampered is wonderful.

What is your most cherished purchase?

The first car I bought, BMW Z3, 17 years ago. I still have it in Dubai. I brought it with me when I first came in 2004. I’ve had several cars, even expensive ones – which I paid cash for – but this one will stay with me.

Have you ever had a month where you feared you could you not pay the bills?

I have had several months not knowing how to move on. Being an entrepreneur you always must be aware you can lose everything in a heartbeat. If you trust your instincts and believe in yourself you will always be able to make it. If you’re smart, you learn from mistakes.

Where do you save?

I have a piggy bank where I collect coins. Big cash I stash in a Swiss private bank.

Do you prefer paying by credit card or in cash?

I have credit cards, but I prefer cash. I’m old fashioned. I grew up in times when business was confirmed by a handshake and cash was the way to pay. If you carry cash you know exactly how much you have.

What has been your best investment?

The first car still puts a smile on my face and I own a property in the United States. Investing in your own company, your dreams, is always the best. It takes courage and has risks but I would not want it any other way.

What do you most regret spending money on and how much was it?

A pair of shoes I never wore. They were very expensive and not practical; the heel was too high to walk in – even from the car to the restaurant. A famous French haute couture house lured the money out of my pocket.

What financial advice would you offer your younger self?

Invest in yourself and travel; it shapes you like nothing else, allows you to grow and the memories stay with you. Travelling as a backpacker in less fortunate countries allowed me to understand how blessed I was being born in a safe country, able to go to university. People I met were content with what they had. In a city where high-end brands rule your lifestyle, it’s easy to forget true values in life.

Do you have a plan for the future?

I am a guest in this country and at one point I have to go. Building a business is building a future. The first years are the hardest, but once up and running it allows you to take precautions for later life.

If you won Dh1 million, what would you do with it?

Take my business to the next level and travel places I always wanted to go; through New Zealand and to see Bali.

What would you raid your savings account for?

Survival; paying the rent to be able to keep building the business.

business@thenational.ae

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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

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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.

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 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)

Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 10.45pm, Tuesday
Watch Live: beIN Sports HD

Name: Colm McLoughlin

Country: Galway, Ireland

Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free

Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah

 

COMPANY PROFILE

Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2014

Number of employees: 36

Sector: Logistics

Raised: $2.5 million

Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

NO OTHER LAND

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

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

MATCH INFO

Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)

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" 

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.