Celebrations have begun across Jordan for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif, ahead of the ceremony at Zahran Palace on Thursday.
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The intimate Islamic ceremony will be followed by a motorcade procession from Zahran Palace to Al Husseiniya Palace, where the reception will take place. More than 1,700 guests from around the world are set to attend, including the UK's Prince William and his wife Kate who have already arrived.
The reception will feature a variety of performances by local and regional singers, a choir group, Jordanian bands, the national orchestra and folk dance troupes. It will conclude with the bride and groom cutting the wedding cake at 11pm UAE time.
Here is a summary of the wedding programme.
Islamic marriage ceremony at Zahran Palace
Prince Hussein and Al Saif will be married at Zahran Palace in an Islamic marriage ceremony known as a katb ktab. It will be attended by about 140 guests, including members of Jordan's ruling Hashemite family, invited royals and heads of state.
The event will begin at 5pm UAE time, with the arrival of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania who receive and greet guests, while the Jordanian Armed Forces Musical Band performs. This will be followed by the arrival of Prince Hussein, who will join his parents and guests at a gazebo in the palace’s garden, where the ceremony will take place.
Al Saif will arrive next escorted by the prince’s younger brother, Prince Hashem, and younger sister, Princess Salma. Prince Hashem will walk Al Saif to the gazebo.
During the ceremony, the bride and groom will sign the marriage contract, as well as two witnesses. Royal Hashemite Court imam Dr Ahmed Al Khalaileh, who was appointed to this position in January 2021, will preside over the ceremony.
Once the ceremony concludes, several women will perform zaghrata or ululation, a joyous sound commonly used to express happiness at Jordanian and Arab celebrations, and the newlyweds will then greet the attending guests.
Zahran Palace has served as the venue for a number of royal weddings, including the marriage of King Abdullah and Queen Rania.
The motorcade procession
Following the ceremony, the newlyweds will travel from Zahran Palace to Al Husseiniya Palace as part of the Red Motorcade.
The Red Motorcade has its roots in the era of King Abdullah I, the country’s founder, who arrived at significant national events on top of one of a procession of white horses, accompanied by riders dressed in dark blue trousers and red blazers. Today, the Red Motorcade is used on occasions of national importance, including the opening of parliament, Army Day, Independence Day and during official visits by heads of state.
On these occasions, motorcade members and riders don full Jordanian military regalia and the national red-and-white checkered headdress, known in Arabic as the shemagh. The Motorcade consists of eight bright red, armed Land Rover vehicles and 11 motorcycles, but on special occasions, horse and camel riders join the line-up and the Jordan Armed Forces Musical Band plays military music on bagpipes.
Wedding reception at Al Husseiniya Palace
The Red Motorcade will then arrive at Al Husseiniya Palace. As is customary, the arrival of the bride and groom is announced with a zaffeh, a lively musical procession featuring drums, bagpipes, singing and clapping.
The newlyweds will then be led to the outdoor reception courtyard by a military zaffeh performed by the Jordan Armed Forces Musical Band, renowned for its rousing performances. All band members also wear the shemagh in addition to their full-dress uniform.
After passing through an honorary Arch of Sabers, the couple will proceed toward the greeting stage. There, they will be joined by King Abdullah and Queen Rania, as well as the bride's parents, to greet more than 1,700 guests.
The remainder of the evening will feature a variety of performances with the reception concluding with the cutting of the wedding cake.
Guests who have arrived for the reception include Kuwait's Crown Prince Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Prince William and the Princess of Wales, Malaysia's king and US first lady Jill Biden.
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ATP WORLD No 1
2004 Roger Federer
2005 Roger Federer
2006 Roger Federer
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2008 Rafael Nadal
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2014 Novak Djokovic
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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The biogs
Name: Zinah Madi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links
Nationality: Syrian
Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2
Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”
Name: Razan Nabulsi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links
Nationality: Jordanian
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Ronaldo's record at Man Utd
Seasons 2003/04 - 2008/09
Appearances 230
Goals 115
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.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
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SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
