The chocolate bar by Fix has a kunafa-inspired filling with phyllo pastry and pistachio cream. @fixdessertchocolatier / Instagram
The chocolate bar by Fix has a kunafa-inspired filling with phyllo pastry and pistachio cream. @fixdessertchocolatier / Instagram
The chocolate bar by Fix has a kunafa-inspired filling with phyllo pastry and pistachio cream. @fixdessertchocolatier / Instagram
The chocolate bar by Fix has a kunafa-inspired filling with phyllo pastry and pistachio cream. @fixdessertchocolatier / Instagram

Dubai chocolate with pistachio kunafa now available in Abu Dhabi


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Abu Dhabi residents with a sweet tooth now have direct access to the chocolate bar made in Dubai that has gone viral.

Fix Dessert Chocolatier, founded by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, creates chocolate bars with a Middle Eastern twist. One of its most popular products is the kunafa-filled chocolate named Can’t Get Knafeh of It. The chunky bar is made of shredded filo pastry and pistachio cream encased in milk chocolate, and it is hugely popular on social media. Other flavours include baklava, karak and Lotus Biscoff.

One TikTok video showing the kunafa-inspired chocolate bar has been viewed more than 90 million times, with many foodies and content creators from around the world uploading videos of themselves sampling it.

Fix Dessert Chocolatier has no physical store, website, social media sales or authorised resellers, but has been trying to expand its capacity. Its chocolate bars are exclusively sold on Deliveroo for Dh68.25 at two designated time slots, 2pm and 5pm.

At the peak of its social media success in Dubai, the company was reportedly fulfilling 100 orders per minute. “Our commitment has always been to expand our reach and Abu Dhabi was always our next stop,” says Hammouda.

Supermarket spin-offs

A spin-off of the Dubai kunafa chocolate available on Amazon. Photo: Casa Pons
A spin-off of the Dubai kunafa chocolate available on Amazon. Photo: Casa Pons

The popularity of the chocolate has spawned many spin-offs, including a limited-edition bar by chocolatier Lindt called Dubai Chocolate, available in parts of Europe.

Closer to home, versions of pistachio-filled chocolate have appeared in many shops and online retailers. At Carrefour, for example, the 100g Choco Zen Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Bar costs Dh25.75, while the Lucca Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate retails at Lulu for Dh17 for a 135g bar. Just Fresh restaurant offers a Pistacho Kunafa Bar for Dh45 via Talabat, and dessert shop Casa Pons’ version retails for Dh78 on Amazon for “an extra-large size”.

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The%20specs
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT

Price, base / as tested Dh460,000

Engine 8.4L V10

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

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Credit Score explained

What is a credit score?

In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.

Why is it important?

Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.

How is it calculated?

The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.

How can I improve my score?

By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.

How do I know if my score is low or high?

By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.

How much does it cost?

A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

How to become a Boglehead

Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.

•   Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.

•   Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.

•   Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.

•   Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.

•   Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.

•   Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.

•   Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.

•   Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.

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. 

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

Updated: November 27, 2024, 11:14 AM`