In this serialised feature, Ali Al Saloom shares his insight and experiences from growing up in the UAE.
It's thanks to my father that I now think of myself as an international citizen, having already been to 45 countries.
When I was a child, he was often travelling - either for education (he represented the Ministry of Education at conferences) or for sport (through Al Jazira Club) - and he would try to take me and my mum along with him. It was always very special for me, seeing different kinds of people.
My first memory, when I was two or three years old, was of a trip with him to Madrid. It was my first journey overseas.
We went back to Spain when I was 5 or 6 and my father took us to a bullfight. I'd seen Tom and Jerry on television doing the matador movements but, as a child, I really had no idea what it was about. My mum was not happy that I was being taken to see a bull being killed.
But I believe going through this journey in Spain is one example of why my father took us travelling a lot when I was a child. I didn't really understand what was going on. We had gone up to our seats, which were high in the stadium, and watched as the clowns were running around with the bull and then the matador came out.
I can remember exactly when the matador inserted the last sword into the bull. It was so close to his body I thought he'd stabbed himself. But I didn't really know what was going on. Even seeing the bull being dragged out afterwards, I didn't realise he'd been killed.
If I saw that again I'd probably flip; I'd go really crazy. How could this be a cultural tradition to be so disrespectful to anyone who loves animals? In Islam, torture of any animal is forbidden. It's haram.
Why would my father take me on this journey? It was a risk for his son to see this: I could end up phobic about such a thing. But it was about accepting cultural differences and cultural values.
You don't say: "You're wrong, you'll go to hell." Instead, you go: "It's different. I don't necessarily agree with it but I accept it as a part of the culture." It's different.
There was crazy stuff all over. Because I'd seen a lot, I developed a sense of tolerance for other people's beliefs and values.
I also have a memory of us walking in this garden beside a lake and seeing these birds that were very big and white.
They were, of course, swans, which I'd never seen before in my life. They were so beautiful and elegant. I'd only seen them on the Cartoon Network - my sister and I had seen Swan Lake, the cartoon programme, and she would have been so jealous of me then.
We walked along some more and saw some people kissing. But that wasn't my biggest shock. My biggest shock was from seeing the largest dog I'd ever set eyes on, and my mother thought it was a mini cow. It was really big; I think it must have been an Irish Wolfhound.
I was at the checkout in a supermarket and this dog entered the shop. As it walked past, its eye was the same height as my head. We had a German shepherd and a saluki and they were no where near this size.
Then we saw another dog that looked like a hot dog, long and skinny. I think it must have been a dachshund, which I also recognised because I'd seen it on cartoon shows.
Then three minutes after that we saw another dog. Every few seconds, we'd see another dog. There were dogs everywhere.
It was my first experience with so many animals (dogs mainly), something you don't see a lot of in my country. We had dogs in Abu Dhabi but nobody would walk a dog unless it was on the beach or at the farm.
Then, on the same holiday, I'd see little dogs in shopping bags and handbags. I asked my father: "Why are they doing this? Are there really so many dog types in this world and why are they taking dogs everywhere?"
The answer from my father wasn't "Just because". He took me to some store and purchased a book about dogs. It was really a Class 101 on all dogs.
This was my father's style. I was a child and didn't understand what he was trying to do, but his method was to give me a book to answer my questions.
In our hotel room, I finished the whole book.
My father taught us a few words of Spanish but said there are also some Arab words in Spanish. I was going: "What are you saying, they speak Arabic here?"
What I found was that you have to travel to these countries and respect their culture and learn their languages. You also have to know their history. My journey to Spain was the beginning of exploring the value of travel.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Results
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,000m, Winner: Hazeem Al Raed, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: Ghazwan Al Khalediah, Hugo Lebouc, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Dinar Al Khalediah, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Faith And Fortune, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Only Smoke, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: AF Ramz, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mass, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills