Dear Ali: I'm a creative person, much like you. Being creative is my passion and identity. I like to inspire people and the environment around me. But how do I pursue these ambitions, something you have managed to do? I want to follow my dream and become famous. BM, Abu Dhabi
Dear BM: Thank you for your kind words.. All I can say is that you must believe in yourself and your talent and try to understand and appreciate your skills.
And something I learned from my faith and culture that is so crucial is to make sure you have a pure and good intention. Intention is everything. Do this and God will support you all the way. If you believe in something strongly enough, which you clearly do, then it can become your destiny. Just never give up. Ask yourself: Who are you? What are you? What can you do? Where are you going? What do you want to be remembered as?
I wish you good luck.
Dear Ali: I am invited to the wedding of an Emirati - lucky me! The sister of a woman I work with is getting married and, as this is a first for me, I don't want to get anything wrong. I want to be a good guest and get the most I can out of this experience. LK, Abu Dhabi
Dear LK: The first thing I have to tell you is to expect a big crowd. We don't do small weddings here.
I can understand you wanting not to offend, so you should ask your friends about the dress code. Depending on the background of the family and where the wedding takes place, the women, even when they are just among each other, might wear sheilas and abayas. If so, then don't show up in a revealing cocktail dress. Choose something a bit conservative. Try not to reveal too much skin.
However, it could be that the women turn up in the latest designer outfits. Then you can dress up as much as possible to match them. My tip then would be that there is never too much bling.
So what can you expect that differs from other weddings you have attended?
The female relatives of the couple will greet the guests and help you to find a place at one of the big tables. Trust their hospitality; they will seat you with other guests with whom you will fit in. Introduce yourself to the women at your table and tell them how you know the bride and the groom. They will be happy to talk, especially about children.
The bride usually comes in after the starters are served, and receives well-wishers from her extended family and inner circle of friends. How well you know her determines whether you are included in this.
There will be a lot of music and dancing - real Arab dancing.
Towards the end of the party, you will see all the women putting up their sheilas and abayas. This means the groom is about to come in, accompanied by the male guardians of the bride. Now the official wedding pictures will be taken. It also means the party is coming to an end.
Nobody expects you to bring any gifts. You can visit the bride later when she has settled in her house and bring her something then.
Oh, and one thing I just have to emphasise - leave your own camera at home. No pictures!
The most important thing is to enjoy yourself. It's going to be a nice experience that not too many Westerners have.
Language lesson
Arabic: Khashuga
English:Spoon
"Khashuga" means "spoon". If you were invited to a friend's majlis gathering or for dinner at somebody's house and they were all having the meal with their fingers, and you felt like you prefer having the meal with a spoon, you may say to them, "Mumkin ta'teeni khashuga", meaning, "Can you give me a spoon?"
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HAJJAN
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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)
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How%20champions%20are%20made
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.
Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.
The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.