Karen Kriska, a Filipina in Dubai, is a cryptocurrency enthusiast who has allocated half her investment portfolio to digital tokens.
She has accumulated most of her wealth over the years through investing in cryptos, particularly Shiba Inu. She considers her crypto coins to be generational wealth for her son.
“I learnt all about Bitcoin, wallets, decentralised finance and blockchain from YouTube,” Ms Kriska, 38, says.
“I initially invested $86 to buy 540 million Shiba Inu coins in February 2021. Before it hit an all-time high, I sold $50,000 worth of these coins between May and October 2021 and re-invested in other coins and play-to-earn tokens to grow my portfolio."
She still holds 577 million Shiba Inu coins, which are now valued at $6,400, and stakes it in crypto exchange Bybit to earn rewards while holding.
"I am holding it as a reminder that without this coin, I would never have achieved the financial freedom I have now," Ms Kriska says.
Ms Kriska currently works as chief of staff for a holding company called Coinvesting Holding in Dubai. The company’s subsidiaries include Digital Asset Business Centre, a digital assets consultancy in Dubai Multi Commodities Centre; Reit Development, which is building the Crypto Tower in JLT, and Web3 Productions, which produces content related to blockchain.
Ms Kriska has been in the UAE for the past 11 years and currently stays with her 16-year-old son in a villa in Dubai's Al Barsha 3 area. Her other investments include a call centre in the Philippines.
“I came to the UAE in 2014 in search of new challenges after I heard that Dubai is hosting Expo 2020,” she says.
Ms Kriska holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Philippines.
Did wealth feature in your childhood? What did you learn from it?
Money was not a problem in my childhood since I came from a family of businesspeople. When I was a kid, I learnt that money is freedom. It's not being able to buy luxuries for the sake of it, but about the choices you can make. Money offers me the freedom to say “no” to things that don't align with me and “yes” to things that do. Money gives me the power to take care of my family. I brought my son to Dubai in 2022 because I earned enough for him to live with me.
How did you first earn?
My first job was as a technical support representative for Dell Computers in 2007 and I earned around Dh1,000 per month equivalent in Philippine pesos.
I earned my first 1 million pesos a year after I graduated from college when I started my home-based call centre.
Any early financial jolts?
I used to have a daycare centre in the Philippines, which I had to sell in 2016 to finance some business endeavours I was planning in Dubai. However, these ventures failed because I trusted the wrong people. I also lived beyond my means.
How do you grow your wealth?
Right now, I grow my wealth by diversifying my investment portfolio. I invest in real estate in the Philippines, tech stocks in the US, UAE initial public offerings, cryptos and artificial intelligence companies. For instance, my Parkin stocks are already up by 200 per cent since the date of investment. I have also invested in stocks of Al Ansari Exchange, Dewa, Empower, Salik, Spinneys, Talabat and Taaleem.
Are you a spender or a saver?
I don't spend on things that I don't need. But I give myself a reward occasionally for working hard.
Have you been wise with money?
I have been wise with money in the past three years. When I suddenly earned a good amount in Dubai, I was shocked and didn't know what to do with it. So, I bought luxury items. But I realised soon enough that I should invest in things that matter.
What has been your best investment?
It’s been in cryptocurrencies. Regardless of the price of Bitcoin, I set aside money every month to buy cryptos and my portfolio is growing. The reason why I consider cryptos to be my best investment is because I look at it as generational wealth that can be passed on to my son. Bitcoin forms the big chunk of cryptos in my portfolio, but I also own Ethereum, AI coins, Chatoshi, Shiba Inu, and some altcoins. I trade in cryptos on Binance, Bybit and Phemex exchanges.
Around 50 per cent of my portfolio is made up of cryptos, 20 per cent in stocks, 20 per cent is in real estate, and the remaining 10 per cent is invested in crypto projects with a strong foundation. I use Wio to trade UAE stocks and eToro for US stocks. I started investing in UAE stocks when crypto prices crashed in 2022.
Any cherished purchases?
The five-bedroom house that I purchased in Iloilo City, where my parents hail from, in the Philippines. It was a “thank you” gesture to them for raising me to be a competitive person and inculcating my money mindset.
How do you feel about money?
It gives me the power to take care of my family, to invest in my passions and to live life on my terms. I don't chase money blindly, instead I see it as a tool that when used wisely can amplify who I am.
Any financial advice for your younger self?
Yes, I should have started investing earlier. I began to invest only in the last five years. Properties in the Philippines were cheap earlier and I should have invested in them, instead of spending on luxuries and travel. I wish I had invested in gold, too, because I remember my grandmother would give me gold and I’d sell it.
What luxuries are important to you?
The biggest luxuries are having time, being with the people I love and to be able to slow down in life when required. I want to share my knowledge, tell my story and inspire others that they can achieve wealth, too, by watching videos on YouTube, learning new skills and new technologies. But I don't have time to share my knowledge.
What are your financial goals?
To achieve financial freedom, which I already have. It’s being in a place where I don't have to check the price of things I want to buy. I have wanted to be so financially secure that I don't have to think twice, whether it's about taking a vacation, helping my family, or just walking away from situations I don't like.
Naga
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
MATCH INFO
Aston Villa 1 (Konsa 63')
Sheffield United 0
Red card: Jon Egan (Sheffield United)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%20SWIMMERS
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Austrian Grand Prix race timings
Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE
Friday
Noon-1.30pm First practice
4-5.30pm Second practice
Saturday
1-2pm Final practice
4pm Qualifying
Sunday
4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)
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
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
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 specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Barbie
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HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
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THE%20SPECS
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
