Dear Ali: I was at a desert safari and they had a stall where you could put on Emirati clothes for men and women. I tried on the dishdash (also known as the khandoura) and the headscarf, but I felt uncomfortable because everyone was laughing. I'm curious to know how Emiratis feel about tourists wearing their gear? RE, London
Dear RE: Wow, maybe some of this stuff I do is wearing off on expats. I'm very impressed that somebody felt this way, even if it was just a feeling. Most Emiratis don't mind other people wearing our national dress, but we do mind if it becomes a joke. We are extremely sensitive about how our fellow Emiratis view us; we notice if your khandoura hasn't been ironed or has a stain on it, or if you are missing your farokha (the tassel on the front). We even comment on the tailoring of our mates' khandoura and suggest different colours that might look good on them. What can I say: we are true sticklers for detail.
In any case, if we are so sensitive to how our countrymen dress, imagine how we feel when we see an expat using a khandoura as a prop. Ninety-five per cent of the expats who try to pull it off, wear the khandoura too short and almost all of them have the wrong cut for their bodies. Often, it looks like they are wearing khandoura-pyjamas! I know you might view it as a big, white sheet, but to us, it is like a bespoke suit.
The khandoura shouldn't be too baggy, nor should it stick to your body, so that you have enough space to walk comfortably. It should fit you properly at the shoulders like a well-tailored suit, and it should reach all the way to your ankles: most men like to see their feet when they walk, unlike women, who don't mind if their longer abaya sometimes touches the ground while walking. And don't get me started on how expats wear the ghutra. My point is that if the national dress is worn improperly, it makes us feel ashamed or angry instead of proud. It's sort of like the Scottish kilt; there's a fine line between making fun and paying respect.
By the way, we see many expats - Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis - who wear khandoura, ghutras and abayas. Because they are fellow Muslims, this does not bother us, as modesty is part of Islamic culture. Most important is the respect with which you wear your clothes.
Dear Ali: I was watching an Egyptian football match on television and wondered why Arab players kiss the ground before they take to the pitch? I thought this was a Christian blessing. WF, Abu Dhabi
Dear WF: Not only are you a fan of the beautiful game, but you are also an astute one, too. This custom for Muslim players was developed after seeing Christian players crossing themselves before a game. It began with Egyptian players, as many of our customs do. In Islam, we have a common custom of kissing the palm and back of our hands. It is a sign of appreciation to God for all the things given by him. So when a Muslim footballer takes to the field, he touches the ground then kisses his hand. He then touches his forehead, which is the holiest part on a Muslim's body, as it is the highest point that touches the ground when we pray to Allah. When these players score, because they are Muslims, they tend to prostrate themselves and thank God - "Al-hamdulilah". Let's hope we see this last custom a lot this year for Al Jazira, my beloved football club.
The proper pronunciation of the word for a follower of Islam is "muss-lim", not "muzz-lim" or "mahs-lim". Some other misperceptions: Allah is the Arabic word for God; it is not the name of a god. The name of our holy book is spelt Quran, not Koran. The term "jihad" means struggle, as in personal or inner struggle, not war. "Arab" is a noun or adjective; "Arabic" is the name of our language. To further confuse matters, "Arabian" is an adjective that refers to Saudi Arabia, the gulf between Iran and the UAE, and the famous breed of horse.
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
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
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
