Iftar and suhoor meals are an integral part of Ramadan, providing nourishment throughout the day from a variety of dishes.
Each country in the Middle East has a particular delicacy. With a rich history that has influenced its culinary culture, Oman is home to spices and flavours derived from centuries of sea trade, making it unique when compared with other Middle Eastern countries. Its staple cuisine includes chicken kabouli, a rice dish, as well as the famous Omani halwa dessert.
Nader Al Aisari is one of Oman's highly acclaimed chefs and he is the mind behind Tanzanite catering service in Muscat. He will also soon be bringing his culinary skills to Al Qana in Abu Dhabi. “I will be opening an elevated Omani cuisine restaurant in Q3 of 2022,” he says.
The chef, who loves discovering new dishes, prefers to use rice, cumin, meat, seafood, coffee and cold water for dishes made during Ramadan.
It is thanks to his love for Omani ingredients and warm personality that Al Aisari has become an ambassador for the country's cuisine.
Speaking of the beginning of his culinary journey, Al Aisari says: “I would just go to the kitchen and do it myself. I always believed in myself that I could do it — I used to say in my mind I got this I can do it. Because I love what I do.
“I would monitor the dish and try to modify it my way,” he says, reflecting on his mother's cooking. He jokes that he would then serve his version of the dish to his family while singing My Way by Frank Sinatra.
One meal he enjoys during Ramadan is "mseto or mash consisting of moong dal, white rice, and tuna coconut curry. Or harees”, the traditional Middle Eastern dish that he says keeps your stomach full throughout the day.
“The food and the kitchen are a world of their own. Only those who are in it will understand,” he says.
“The kitchen has made me more focused on what I do because it's a responsibility of health and safety, reputation to the business and, most of all, my customers mean everything to me when I'm in the kitchen.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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WITHIN%20SAND
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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