The epitome of intellectual cool arrived in Abu Dhabi yesterday with the city's first annual TEDx event.
Billed as a brain spa and hosted under the banner of an American non-profit company whose motto is "ideas worth spreading", TEDx brought together speakers to discuss science, business, the arts and other globally important issues.
Those addressing yesterday's event at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre included the director of the economic and social studies department at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, Google Gulf's regional manager, a behavioural characteristics and workforce trends specialist and Facebook's chief operating officer - in a recorded speech fed in via videolink.
"Each organiser adds a personal touch to the event," says Carmen Oprea, the organiser of TEDx Abu Dhabi.
She had held TEDx events back home in Romania, and decided to bring them to Abu Dhabi after moving here last year.
"For Abu Dhabi, we tried really hard to put together a list of speakers who will address specific issues for the city, for the country or for the region," she said.
The speakers included Yiannis Lagos, the president for international markets at Humantelligence, who spoke about five myths of the modern workplace.
"We are human and we often use conventional wisdom when it comes to managing our people," he told the audience. "But this conventional wisdom does not really work."
The first myth, according to Mr Lagos, is that efficiency in business has improved as productivity has increased. Studies show that the average return on assets has dropped to a quarter of what it was in 1965.
Other fallacies include the commonly held belief that the chief executive is the most important person in the company and that businesses should invest only in high-potential employees.
But the biggest myth of all, said Mr Lagos, is that money can buy effort.
Experiments have shown that money can be an effective motivator for mechanical tasks such as moving boxes. But for tasks that require more brain power, money actually has the opposite effect.
"We can't reward people with money when we ask them to use their brains," said Mr Lagos.
People take many of the myths for granted, said Doris Hazzan, a senior analyst with Jones Lang LaSalle in Dubai. But Mr Lagos "had stats to prove otherwise", she said.
Like many others attending the event, she was familiar with TED.
"I watch TED Talks a lot on YouTube and I can't believe they're here, so I am really excited to see them live," she added.
Tim Gilliatt, who also attended yesterday's event, uses TEDx talks as a resource in his job as a science teacher at Dubai British School.
"It's really quite interesting to see the future concepts," he said.
Tom Segers and Nadege Noblet both travelled from Dubai to attend the talks.
"I think if it was during the week we wouldn't have made it, especially coming from Dubai," said Mr Segers.
Other speakers at the event included Yalman Khan and Kunal Wadhwani, both founders of Agricel, a company based in Dubai that uses a water-efficient process to grow crops without soil. "Ninety per cent of all the water used in agriculture is wasted either in evaporation or by seeping into the ground," said Mr Khan.
Their speech included a stark warning.
"Mother nature will sustain itself. We as a dominant species, if we want to sustain our dominance, we have to change a lot of things," said Mr Wadhwani.
gduncan@thenational.ae
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SRI LANKA SQUAD
Upul Tharanga (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella
Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana
Chamara Kapugedara, Thisara Perera, Seekuge Prasanna
Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera
Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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.
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.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
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
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
