Women, like men, are capable of flocking en masse when the time demands it, be it to Hawaaworld.com or the launch of Jimmy Choo shoes, seen above.
One of the great mysteries of the Arab internet is "the forums thing," a phenomena where web users, predominantly in Saudi Arabia but also across the region, continue to flock to seriously old-school bulletin board discussion forums. Sure, Facebook is taking off, but if you want to find the masses online, head to the forums.
Business 24-7 has a good overview of the phenomena, viewed through the lens of Hawaaworld, the Saudi women's site that is one of the biggest in the region. Hawaaworld and its ad agency, NetAdvantage, are owned by National Net Ventures (N2V), the Saudi web giant that also owns Mubasher, a kind of Arabic Bloomberg. If an Arab web company is going to IPO, it will be these guys (I included some comments from N2V in a wider look at the Saudi web published in April.)
But back to the forums.
Hawaaworld is currently rocking about 5 million unique users every month, which is pretty amazing given that there is about 60 million Arabic speakers on the web, less than half of them women (estimates range from 25-40%). Other, even more obscure forums, frequently break the one million mark. Here in the UAE, the English-language forum Expatwoman is one of the country's biggest sites.
So why do forums remain so beloved? There are some good guesses in the 24-7 article, which is worth a read. I've heard lots of explanations: the relatively slow development of decent Arabic-language web 2.0 type sites, a preference for anonymity and rapid replies/debate, a wish to stay around like-minded people you have build a relationship with, etc.
But my favourite answer came at the Submit web conference in Dubai last year - one techie gave me his take: "We Arabs are natural aggregators," he said. "We like to gather together in big crowds and yell at each other, and forums are the best way to do that."
Update: Saleh Esmaeili, an Abu Dhabi-based developer, sent through a link to a blog post he wrote on the topic, which is worth a read if you are interested in this stuff.
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
