This year's Hajj has presented an great opportunity for many Muslims to atone for the sins they committed over the past three years, owing to the pilgrimage being restricted amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The son of a Kenyan millionaire spent more than half a million dollars from his father’s will to help 120 people to perform their first Hajj.
Ahmed Soliman, 43, had never performed Hajj himself but found himself leading a group of Kenyan Muslims to answer the call of God.
“I was busy with life and religion was never my strongest point. I would like to make an excuse that I was helping my father making millions, so I did not have time for prayers and other things that make a good Muslim,” he told The National.
His father, Suleiman Said, who died last February, made his fortune in the construction business and left in his will instructions that part of his estate should finance pilgrims in 2022.
But many of the people at this year’s Hajj have stories to tell — often littered with hardships.
Former taxi driver Juma Ismail, who is part of Mr Suleiman's group, was left in a wheelchair after a road accident.
“I am eternally grateful for their generosity because there is no way I could earn enough money to be here,” Mr Ismail, said.
Tasneem Qassim, a Pakistani who was working in Kuwait, was left in a similar situation after crushing his right leg in a fall.
“I was a bricklayer of a construction company in Kuwait and had a 10-foot fall from a wall that left my right leg needing an amputation. That was back in 2017. I did not believe when I got a call that my application for Hajj was approved from kind donors in Karachi,” Mr Qassim told The National.
In October last year, schoolteacher Bakari Hassan came out of a prison in Tanzania penniless after committing a petty crime.
“I went to prison for not honouring six cheques and was sentenced to three months. I did not have a cent when I came out. I wanted to repent my sins and my friends came with enough money to send me here for Hajj,” the 34-year-old chemistry teacher said.
But for Waleed Al Mahrizi, with his high-pressure job as a manager with Oman’s state-run company OQ, Hajj presented a welcome opportunity to help others and bring some peace and a higher purpose into his life.
“I have paid for myself this Hajj, but I am also here to help a group of Omani pilgrims to adhere to safety procedures as an HSE expert. It brings peace in my heart to do it,” Mr Al Mahrizi said.
Most pilgrims had a positive experience in his year's Hajj, reassured by the many precautions issued by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and other participating authorities.
“The Saudi Hajj police did a commendable job in easing our three kilometre walk from Mina to Jamarat, and the traffic flow to different places,” said Kuwaiti pilgrim Said Al Hammali.
International pilgrims are expected on Wednesday to perform the Farewell Tawaaf after concluding three sessions of the stoning of the devil ritual.
“We did everything except the Farewell Tawaf that we are planning to do on Wednesday," said Mohammed Al Hashmi, an Iranian pilgrim.
"All went surprisingly well and we expect no problems on Wednesday, and praise to Lord and the Saudi authorities for taking care of us."
The Farewell Tawaf is the last ritual and pilgrims need to leave Makkah as soon as it is completed. It is not obligatory to perform it but it is highly recommended.
Most of the foreign pilgrims are expected to fly back home at the weekend.
Dhadak
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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.
ELIO
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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
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Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
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Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
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If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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
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Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
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Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
