Unesco recently added seven Arab traditions to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, one of which is harees, a staple in the Gulf region.
Recipes of the Arabic dish vary from country to country (and even household to household), but it's predominantly made of wheat, chicken or lamb, butter or ghee, water and a dash of spices, notably cinnamon sticks.
The dish is especially popular during Ramadan, as it is nourishing and easy to digest, as well as filling, making it an ideal go-to during iftar or suhoor for those fasting.
Although it looks like a simple porridge-like dish, and can be made with basic ingredients, harees can take hours to prepare. It starts with boiling wheat in slightly salted water for a couple hours, before the meat is added, which adds another few hours of cooking time. Some prep the wheat and meat together to infuse the flavours.
Taste and utility aside, harees holds a special place in Arabian culture, particularly in the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia, where it is mentioned in folk stories, proverbs and poetry.
As Unesco notes of the symbolic dish: “Preparing and serving harees is viewed as a sign of hospitality and generosity. A means of promoting social connection, the practice strengthens bonds between people and communities while enhancing cultural affinity in the societies concerned.”
The dish is also served during important social events such as weddings and during the pilgrimage season, as it's usually prepared in large quantities.
Many Emiratis consider harees a comfort food. Civil engineer Hassan Al Marashi from Dubai says he has “happy memories enjoying harees with my family and with my son, who loved it as a baby. I don't know how to make it, but my dad does, so maybe I'll have to get him to teach me.”
Although the dish is traditionally made at home, several restaurants across the UAE serve variations of harees – from hole-in-the-wall venues to more upscale options.
Emirati restaurant chain Al Fanar offers harees starting from Dh41 for a small plate, while Emirati-Levantine dining spot Siraj at Souk Al Bahar serves lamb harees for Dh90. Diners at Al Jawareh Traditional Restaurant in Al Qusais can order harees as a side dish for Dh18.
If you go
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
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Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
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Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
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4,872 matches
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
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25 visual effects (VFX) studios
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
