DUBAI // Organisers of Gitex Shopping 2013 are preparing for a surge of visitors from the UAE and wider region for the Eid Al Adha break.
Shoppers from Oman, Qatar and groups of schoolchildren from across the Emirates began streaming in on Wednesday, aiming to snap up bargains before the nine-day vacation starts next week.
“I have bought tablets and smartphones at very good prices, so I realised all I heard from friends is correct,” said Suleiman Anwar from Saudi Arabia, on his first visit to Gitex.
“It is a dream for shopping because prices are low and you can spend a lot of time looking around.”
Some long-time visitors called for more competitive prices and said further competition between retailers would draw greater numbers from overseas next year.
“This time I have found that there is not much price difference in some devices, like cameras,” said Fahad Al Sadi, an engineer from Oman at his third Gitex.
“There is not that much difference in offers, so there should be more competition and more diversity. I bought some hard disks but the camera I’m looking for is not available.
“If there is a big price difference more people will come.”
The event also proved a hit with schoolgirls and college students from different emirates.
“I like electronics so I enjoy finding all the technology in one place,” said Safa Darwesh, a student of Sharjah University who visited with classmates.
“I will bring my parents here because they will enjoy all the deals.”
A group of 25 Emirati schoolgirls from the Salma bint Quais Secondary School in Dibba trooped out with armloads of purchases.
Nadia Ali, the school’s information technology teacher, said the visit was part of the school’s attempt to encourage the girls’ interests in technology.
“I have bought so many things like car games for my brother, iPad covers for myself and my sister,” said Nasra Ahmed, 13.
Fatima Abdullah, also 13, said she enjoyed buying devices herself.
“I bought a watch telephone for my father as a surprise and a small speaker for my mother so she can hear the Quran when she is on a break from teaching in school,” said Fatima, a Grade 9 pupil.
“I liked seeing all these computers and so many televisions and tablets and checking the best prices.”
Many students said they would return with their families.
The organisers also expect a build-up of visitors before the show ends on Saturday week.
“We will see an influx of people not just from the UAE, but there will be a surge in the GCC crowd,” said Hemesh Chandavarkar, director of exhibitions and events management at Dubai World Trade Centre.
“Since the Eid holidays have been announced we expect more visitors from Saudi and Oman coming in. Other trade shows have also brought in international visitors so it is a cross-sell.”
The other exhibitions in Dubai this week included Cityscape on the property market, Light Middle East for the lighting industry and the HR Summit and Expo.
More than 200,000 people are expected at Gitex in the eight-day event, displaying more than 30,000 gadgets.
Some visitors were new to Dubai, such as Matthias Rex, who wheeled out a 42-inch television.
“I don’t have an apartment yet but I have a TV,” said Mr Rex, a German construction contractor who moved to the UAE two weeks ago.
“I just heard about this on the radio and when I saw the offers I thought I must buy it. It is great to get big discounts on electronic goods.”
The event runs daily from 11am until 11pm.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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
Cherry
Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
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Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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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 Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
