Libyan-born Jordanian Nisreen Kayyali is the founder and lead architect of Nisreen Kayyali Consulting Engineers in Dubai. After graduating and working for architectural firms in Amman, she founded a consultancy in the Jordanian capital, but relocated to the UAE in late 2014 when a client asked her to design and build a home here.
Ms Kayyali, 47, has completed 500-plus projects ranging from airport buildings, hotels and mansions to large residential projects. A mother of three children, including a daughter, 21, and son, 16, she was educated in Canada and lives in Damac Hills with husband Musab Aqad, a building contractor, and their youngest son, aged nine.
How did your upbringing shape your attitude towards money?
Money was never an issue when we were in Libya. My dad had a detergents factory, but rules changed so that you no longer owned your own factory. We moved to Jordan when I was seven and had to leave without anything. But my mum used to work in the Ministry of Planning (in Libya). Her salary was funded by the US government and she was able to send it offshore. Her savings would pick us up whenever dad’s new Jordanian business was down, so we would never feel it.
I have two sisters, I’m the oldest. I had a happy childhood. I wasn’t spoiled, but our parents never deprived us of anything. I knew money was important and you needed to spend it wisely. I don’t remember how much they used to give us as an allowance, but I would never ask for more. I learned to live with what I had and be happy.
How much were you paid in your first job?
Peanuts. I finished my studies as an architect and immediately worked for a company for around JOD200 (Dh1,038) per month. If you were five or 10 minutes late, they would deduct from your salary. By the end of the month, I would not have enough fuel for my car. I was 24.
Why did you move to the UAE?
In Libya, we had the beach. Throughout my years in Jordan, I felt I wanted to live in a country that had a beach. Economically, it wasn’t a good place to be, but suddenly this woman comes to my office in Jordan saying she wants me to design her house in Dubai and supervise construction. So I said to my husband, ‘Let’s move to Dubai, start with this project and see where it takes us’. After that house was built, I was getting requests from people to design their house and my husband was asked to do construction.
I give myself a salary and keep aside some money for saving and some for spending each month
What is your attitude regarding spending and saving?
I’m in the middle. I don’t just spend on necessities. If there is something I want, I get it and don’t think of the consequences. When I moved here, when business was slow, I didn’t have the luxury to spend or to save. Now that business is better, I want to invest my money and buy property. I give myself a salary and keep aside some money for saving and some for spending each month.
Where do you save?
For now, I have some savings in the bank and recently with an investment group. I’m not a risk taker, but I also don’t avoid risk because if I did, I wouldn’t be here now. I always follow what my heart tells me … but don’t put all my eggs in one basket.
What has been your best investment?
Real estate in Jordan. I have a house there and some land. Whenever I had extra money, I believed I should buy land for the future. Thankfully, what I bought for JOD80,000 is now worth JOD200,000-300,000 after 14 to 15 years. I was lucky. The choice was: do you want to buy jewellery or a piece of land. The price will go up for sure. Sometimes I think it’s not for me, maybe my kids. I want them to be able to say, ‘My mum bought this land for peanuts, now it’s worth millions’.
What’s your smartest financial move?
I invested to have my office here. That was my best decision – to start a business in Dubai. It was a scary move at the time, putting in every penny I had, risking it all, but this is the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
Does money make you happy?
For sure, because it makes you strong, confident and responsible for yourself and you can help others. This is what makes you happy. When you have money, you have the power to be independent. It’s not the amount you have but the feeling of security, the freedom it gives that you don’t need anybody else’s approval to make a certain decision.
I’m the kind of person that doesn’t regret anything. Sometimes I overspend, but it’s done. I don’t need to sit and contemplate and wish I didn’t do that.
What luxuries are important to you?
Things that make me more comfortable; a better house, a nicer car, to go in business class instead of economy – things that make me enjoy life more. I’d rather spend money on a ticket upgrade than a new outfit. I’d prefer a good hotel and a nice trip, not shopping.
Do you experience fluctuations in your business?
People here are careful and very smart with their money. Most want to spend wisely. It’s a challenge for us because they want something very nice that doesn’t cost a lot. They want value. You need to help them spend wisely and they seek your help with smart designs.
I opened a business here because I had projects, but 2017 was probably the worst year throughout my business life. We didn’t have new projects and not many people knew about me. But after one project was completed at the end of 2017-2018, people started to call. They saw it was unique. After that, Instagram was my biggest marketing friend.
How has the pandemic impacted your work?
Thankfully, it hasn’t. I got a few good projects throughout the month we worked from home. I’m lucky; people saw my work on Instagram and said, ‘We don’t want to wait until this is over, we want to start now’.
I’m hoping things (economically) will pick up quickly and be even better than before. Whenever people say it cannot be done, Dubai will do the opposite. That’s how Dubai is. If things are going down, Dubai will go up. I’m the kind of person that believes strongly that I control my path. I trust what we are doing.
Do you plan for the future?
The plan is to get my team more involved with people and dealing with the stress of business, so I can enjoy the fun and creative part. If I can reach that level, why would I want to retire?
I’d like to buy property in Dubai and to buy as much property as I can abroad. This is my retirement plan, if ever I need to retire.
And I’m designing our (dream) house now. We bought land, very near the beach. For me, it’s not the size that matters, it’s the location, layout and the garden.
India cancels school-leaving examinations
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
Jawan
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Fast%20X
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Louis%20Leterrier%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Michelle%20Rodriguez%2C%20Jason%20Statham%2C%20Tyrese%20Gibson%2C%20Ludacris%2C%20Jason%20Momoa%2C%20John%20Cena%2C%20Jordana%20Brewster%2C%20Nathalie%20Emmanuel%2C%20Sung%20Kang%2C%20Brie%20Larson%2C%20Helen%20Mirren%20and%20Charlize%20Theron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
More on Quran memorisation:
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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
