As Ramadan started on Saturday, Muslim celebrities marked the beginning of the holy month with celebratory posts on social media.
From the US to the UK, and the UAE to India, famous faces across the world sent out video messages and Instagram posts to their mass of followers.
These are just a few of those tributes.
DJ Khaled
American musician DJ Khaled was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Palestinian parents, and he has always been vocal about his faith.
This year, he shared a post on Instagram from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture, saying "Ramadan Mubarak", as well as a picture telling people to "relax".
"Allah sees, Allah knows and Allah will fix it soon," the image read, with a caption from the DJ and producer saying "keep going".
He has also shared a couple of other posts, writing "God is the greatest" in the caption, with a video of him landing at Miami Airport, saying, continually, "God is great."
DJ Khaled, whose real name is Khaled Mohammed Khaled, previously spoke to GQ Middle East about fasting during Ramadan. "I'll be honest with you, many Ramadan times, I'll fast, and then I get dehydrated and have to go to the hospital. Just because I work so hard. I try my hardest to fulfil the beliefs and how beautiful what we fast for is. It's so beautiful, what we're doing it for."
Mona Kattan
Entrepreneur Mona Kattan, founder of the Kayali fragrance range and sister of Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty, shared some fun Instagram Stories on the first day of Ramadan, joking about food she wants to eat.
She also shared a recipe for rose and cardamom milk tea, which she says she loves to make during the holy month.
"Literally like a hug in a cup," she captioned the video recipe.
Kattan, who got married recently, also showed off her Van Cleef & Arpels Ramadan gift calendar and introduced viewers to Humantra, a company she and Huda recently invested in, as a "hydration hack".
Yusuf Islam
The musician Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his stage name Cat Stevens, has been a devout Muslim since 1977.
While Islam is known to live in Dubai, he shared a post on Twitter on the first day of Ramadan from the UK.
"Blessed with another month of Ramadan," he captioned a picture of himself praying in a park. "A time to get closer to our true nature as mindful beings… time to reconnect."
Mohamed Hadid
Property mogul Mohamed Hadid shared Stories on Instagram of his family's first iftar this year, with a snap of him and his supermodel daughters Gigi and Bella, who shared one of her father's Ramadan posts on her own account.
Mohamed shared a graphic from the Instagram account Muslim, which said "Ramadan Mubarak", and added in the caption: "Ramadan Kareem and Mubarek wish peace and tranquility for all Religions we only have one God for all you can be a Muslim Christian Or a Jewish faith. Hope I see peace in the Holy land and refrain from giving pain to others I wish for peace in Ukraine and Palestine and all parts of the world."
In another post, he shared a photo of himself looking pensive, with a caption tagging his children: "Ramadan Mubarak to all from my family to yours... Love and respect to all Gods religion’s Let’s have some love in this month please."
Imaan Hammam
The Dutch model, who is of Moroccan and Egyptian descent, also shared Muslim's Ramadan Mubarak graphic on her own Instagram Stories, writing "beyond excited" underneath.
In a 2018 interview with Vogue Arabia, in which she starred alongside Iman Abdulmajid, Hammam referred to herself as a "proud Muslim", saying of her family's support of her ambitions that it "gave me the strength to use my platform to talk about issues like race and religion, with the aim to empower young girls — no matter the colour of their skin or where they come from".
Paul Pogba
Footballer Paul Pogba, who was born in France to Guinean parents and plays for Premier League club Manchester United, is also a devout Muslim.
"Islam is not the image that everyone sees, terrorism," Pogba told The Times' Life Times podcast in 2019. "It's really a religion that opened my mind and that makes me, maybe, a better person."
On Saturday, he shared a collage of himself to Instagram with the words "Ramadan Mubarak" written in ornate script over the top.
"Ramadan Mubarak to all my Muslim brothers & sisters," he said in the caption.
Hend Sabry
Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hend Sabry shared a photo of herself on Instagram with "Ramadan Kareem" written over the top.
“May you be well all year,” she wrote in the caption. “May Allah accept from us and from you."
The star, who lives in Egypt, has been involved in Ramadan charity campaigns in the past, including one for the United Nations World Food Programme in 2018, which asked people to #ShareYourIftar with children in need in Syria and Yemen on the organisation's ShareTheMeal app.
The actress currently stars in the Netflix reboot of Finding Ola.
Hina Khan
Indian television and film actress Hina Khan shared a photo of herself in 2020, on the first day of Ramadan, urging people in the caption to "pray for infected, let's pray for protection and healing", referring to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year she simply wrote "Ramadan Mubarak", sharing a series of photos of herself in a stunning yellow outfit and holding up a plate of dates.
She has done something similar this year, sharing an older photo of herself with Bollywood star Salman Khan, captioning it: "Ramdan mubarak".
Huma Qureshi
Award-winning Indian actress Huma Qureshi shared a beautiful photo of herself on Instagram to her nearly five million followers, alongside the caption: "Chand Mubarak… Ramadan Mubarak .. a month of prayers peace prosperity love compassion sharing."
Gauahar Khan
Indian model and actress Gauahar Khan has shared numerous videos and posts since the start of the holy month, including a clip from a tour of Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi.
"I had such an amazing time exploring Abu Dhabi," she wrote in the caption, alongside a Reel on Instragram. "They retain their culture so beautifully."
In the clip, she explores the Farah Al Qasimi exhibition at the Cultural Foundation, the Children's Library and the House of Artisans.
Yusuf Pathan
The former Indian cricketer, and brother of Irfan Pathan, shared a photo of himself and his family on Instagram, captioning it: "As the holy month of Ramadan begins, may Allah bless all of us with peace and grace. Happy Ramadan!"
His previous post was of himself and his brother in Muscat, Oman, with the hashtag #jummahmubarak.
Sana Khan
Former Indian actress, model and dancer Sana Khan has shared her activities extensively over the first couple of days of Ramadan, with photos and videos on her Stories of her first taraweeh prayer, her family reading the Quran and passages from holy scripture.
In one Instagram post, she wears a headscarf by her own brand Haya By Sana Khan, captioning a video "Ramadan Kareem".
Read more
28 Arabic shows to watch in the UAE this Ramadan: 'El Meshwar' to ‘Suits’
The specs
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
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Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
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Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
