Living in the UAE, chances are high you do a lot of travelling. Whether it's for business, visits to your home country or holidays, suitcases in this region get a lot of use.
With the summer holidays fast approaching and vacations typically everyone’s idea of fun, packing for them comes much lower on the list.
Heading to places with variable climates inevitably means having to pack for all weather eventualities, in addition to taking into account other factors such as local customs, daytime excursions, evening dinners and more.
To make things a little easier, The National speaks to an organisation expert and a stylist about their rules, tips and tricks for packing the perfect summer holiday suitcase.
Write a list
Whether you type it into your phone or write it in a notepad and stick it to the fridge, the packing list is your best friend when it comes to ensuring nothing gets forgotten.
“I always have a packing list if I am going on a business trip or on holiday somewhere new,” says Shelina Jokhiya, founder of DeCluttr Me. “Then, I start taking out the clothes I plan to pack the week before and make a pile. During the week, I add or remove items from the pile, checking the weather in the location every day.”
Not sure where to start? There are a number of downloadable packing lists available online, as well as apps to suit all types of holidaymakers. PackPoint Travel Packing List checks the weather at your destination and allows you to share your tips with other users, while PackTeo offers packing list templates such as “camping” or “international” that you can then customise.
Check the weather and your itinerary
Dzovig van Kleef, a personal stylist and founder Style Codes suggests some questions to ask yourself: “How long I am going to that particular destination and what activities are involved?”. “Will I be laying on the beach, going hiking or sightseeing and visiting cities or a combination? Knowing all of this helps a lot in planning outfits.”
Putting together a rough itinerary ahead of time means you can pack to accommodate local cultural or religious customs. Having an idea about the kind of restaurants you want to visit will affect whether you pack for casual or high-end establishments.
“The main mistakes I see are packing too much, packing incorrectly, and not factoring in the weather or considering the local culture,” Jokhiya says.
Choose clothes that multi-task
Limited suitcase space need not mean limited outfit options. The best way to ensure pieces will yield the most wear is to plan ahead and pack more tops than bottoms so you can mix and match.
“Many of the clothes I choose are double duty; they can be worn night and day or the type of fabric makes them versatile enough to wear a few times, such as denim shorts,” says Jokhiya.
Van Kleef suggests investing in slip dresses that are lightweight and can be worn during the day as a beach cover-up and also for evening dinners, saying they can be styled with heels or flats.
“Remember, you don’t need to buy a whole new wardrobe for your trip,” says Jokhiya. “You most probably have some great outfits you can wear already so take the time to really go through your closet beforehand to uncover any hidden gems and piece them together to create full looks.”
You don’t need all those shoes
Shoes take up a lot of space in a suitcase even when they’re packed correctly, heel to toe and at the bottom of the suitcase.
“People carry too many shoes, especially heels, mules and boots,” says Jokhiya. “They take up so much room and are heavy. I take my trainers in my hand luggage and wear them when I land and wear flip flops in the airport to prevent having to take off my shoes at the scanner. Three pairs of shoes are sufficient, normally.”
Shoes that can work double duty, such as smart flats or casual loafers negate the need for day shoes and night shoes, freeing up more space.
“Don’t take heels for a summer holiday unless if you have an occasion and it’s necessary,” van Kleef suggests.
Packing cubes and flat pack clothing
Packing cubes not only create more space by compressing clothes, they also allow you to divide items into easily-accessible categories.
“Once it comes to packing day, I love to use packing cubes to pack my clothes,” says Jokhiya. “I use one for underwear, one for tops, bottoms, dresses and nightwear or loungewear.”
Cubes can also be used to contain all items, such as clothing, shoes or accessories for a particular outfiit. They are also good for helping separate your partner or children’s clothes from your own if you’re sharing a suitcase, and also to keep clean and dirty items apart.
"Use packing cubes, roll clothes to help reduce the space they take up. Put smaller items into your shoes such as jewellery, underwear, socks and toiletries in ziplock bags,” Jokhiya adds.
When it comes to avoiding pulling out creased clothing, there are ways to pack that can minimise wrinkles.
“Don't fold,” says van Kleef. “Lay everything flat in your suitcase, I found this way much better in terms of space and for the garments when unpacking, they're less wrinkled and it’s easier to hang them especially if I can bring hangers with me.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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MATCH INFO
Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Monchengladbach 1
Bayern: Zirkzee (26'), Goretzka (86')
Gladbach: Pavard (37' og)
Man of the Match: Breel Embolo (Borussia Monchengladbach)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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ETFs explained
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There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
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Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
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Rating: 4/5
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Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
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How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
What are the main cyber security threats?
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1.5 stars
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
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May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members
May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party
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Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
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Australia 151
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yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
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Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
