Exclusive is a word used so often in Dubai, its meaning has almost been lost. From exclusive parties to exclusive restaurants, the word has become the city’s default prefix. But Emirati entrepreneur Mohammed Zaal is hoping to redefine what exclusivity means in Dubai with the launch of Nasab – the city’s first and only members’ club of its kind.
Traditionally, members-only clubs around the world are populated based on the size of their clients’ bank accounts or, occasionally, their social media following. But at Nasab, members are required to set a different benchmark, one that money can’t buy: they need to be interesting.
What to expect if you're a member
While Nasab has what you'd expect in a members-only club – from a gym and bar to multiple swimming pools and restaurants – recreation is secondary here. It is creation that's at the forefront of the Nasab concept. He also prefers the phrase "co-living" space to co-working space.
The three-level club is anchored by a large, open-plan room that feels like a modern-day library. Sprawling communal tables take centre stage, separated with carefully curated book shelves lined with titles from luxury publishers Assouline and Taschen. Surrounding the space is a warren of corridors lined with bespoke meeting rooms, each with a different design – one channels boardroom vibes, while others are suited for creative brainstorming sessions, laced with abstract art.
Outside, there are three pools – a family and adult pool in the gardens, and a rooftop lap pool, surrounded by massage rooms, an altitude chamber and a meditation room. Between the meeting rooms on the second floor, there’s a fully equipped gym offering a daily class schedule, alongside a bespoke photography studio.
I really want to blur the boundaries between live, work and play – that what's co-living is about.
When it comes to amenities, then, there’s little Nasab doesn’t have. But for Zaal, it’s the people who fill this space who will bring his vision to life. Nasab, he says, will be a place to bring together a certain type of professional – someone who can inspire and be inspired, who can collaborate and communicate, and someone who wants to work hard and play harder.
“I really want to blur the boundaries between live, work and play – that what’s co-living is about,” he says. “I’ve always imagined coming down from my office, and walking down here and seeing an event going on in the amphitheatre that catches my attention. And I want to stay and engage with the community, [to] sit down and find something or someone inspiring.”
Creating a curated community
Nasab, which is part of Dubai’s KOA Canvas development, is a place for “thought leaders and game-changers”, Zaal says, and a home for entrepreneurs, something he knows a thing or two about himself. The 35-year-old, who left his role as chief operating officer of Al Barari to create KOA Canvas, has designed the kind of space he wants to work in, and wishes he had access to as he was starting out.
“People traditionally work in a way where they are confined to their space, not just physically but mentally. You’re with the same people, you’re in an office and you’re stuck with this company ethos and this company way of thinking,” he says. “Here, people have a more outward look.”
Dubai, he says, has gone through huge periods of growth, and is now starting to mature on a social level. People are no longer coming from abroad, working for a couple of years and leaving – people are building lives for themselves here, and looking for communities they can build a future in.
We have a blacklist of people, and they are the normal socialites of Dubai who are invited to every event. We don't want someone who has come in and, yes, they are creative, but they are self-absorbed.
The Nasab community will be a curated one. To become a member, you'll need to send an application, which will then be reviewed by the team. So what is it that Zaal and his team are looking for exactly? "I'll tell you who I don't want," he says. "We have a blacklist of people, and they are the normal socialites of Dubai who are invited to every event. We don't want someone who has come in and, yes, they are creative, but they are self-absorbed. This is a community and you need to be able to contribute."
For those who do make the cut, membership at Nasab comes at five levels. Nomad is the most basic, aimed at those who don’t live in Dubai, but visit often for work. From Dh750 a month, they can access Nasab for 10 days each month – including its three restaurants, calendar of events and social benefits. From Dh2,000 a month, you can access Suite membership, giving you access to fully furnished office space rental for two to 12 people.
It’s not an insignificant monthly outgoing, especially for young creatives who could just as easily take their laptop to their local Starbucks with the rest of their peers, but Zaal is confident the concept fits with Dubai. “It’s a very interesting time, and people are hungry for it,” he says. “People – the ones who we want to get it – get it.”
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
ESSENTIALS
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.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
THE%20SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Arabian Gulf League fixtures:
Friday:
- Emirates v Hatta, 5.15pm
- Al Wahda v Al Dhafra, 5.25pm
- Al Ain v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, 8.15pm
Saturday:
- Dibba v Ajman, 5.15pm
- Sharjah v Al Wasl, 5.20pm
- Al Jazira v Al Nasr, 8.15pm
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Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
If%20you%20go
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At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
