What would the average expatriate in the UAE do if handed a free spa coupon?
According to the popular stereotype, a Jumeirah Jane would quaff her Lime Tree Cafe latte with indecent haste, then rush off in her Range Rover in pursuit of the latest dose of indulgence.
But the truth is not that simple. Despite the attention devoted to the instant-gratification generation, which has been blamed for everything from the global financial crisis to global warming with its desire to have everything now and pay for it later, there is a flip side, if the latest research is any clue.
Less visible are those who defer gratification, sometimes to the point of missing out on it altogether, and the UAE's expatriate population has a self-selected bias that way. For the subcontinental labourer and highly qualified western professional alike, living in the UAE inevitably requires spending time away from loved ones and the familiar lives of their homelands.
As a rule, such people take the view that the higher incomes here will buy a lot more freedom, comfort and options when they eventually return to their countries of origin, whether to a modest home in Kerala or a beachside mansion in Bali.
So what would they do with the free spa coupon? According to Suzanne Shu, a behavioural economist at UCLA, there is a significant chance that it would be put aside for use later, with a high chance that it would never be used at all.
The uniquely human habit of procrastinating when facing unpleasant tasks is already well established, with the principle being that the short-term benefit (eg, lazing around watching television instead of going to the gym or a student having a party instead of studying) outweighs the long-term consequences (poor grades or failing to lose weight).
But Shu believes there is a similar procrastination that affects pleasurable activities, such as having coffee and cake, a night at the movies or a spa session.
This paradox of deferring pleasurable activities became the basis for her PhD dissertation, in which she tested hundreds of her countrymen to assess their approach to gratification.
When she gave out movie vouchers that were valid for two weeks, she found that just under half (49 per cent) would be redeemed before they expired. But if they were valid for six weeks, only a little more than a third (35 per cent) would be used.
Similar tests of vouchers for a spa session and for coffee and cake showed similar results.
Her theory is that most people tend to assume that in the future they will have time to use the voucher, only to find their lives as busy as ever. Another take on the findings is that some people always want to have something in reserve for a rainy day when life might be more difficult.
This human habit is well known, if not publicised, by retailers because every year billions of dollars worth of vouchers expire or otherwise go unused, creating instant profits.
Almost everyone knows of a situation where someone has worked without holidays for years, intending to take a lavish world trip when they retire, only to fall seriously ill or even die before then.
There are more everyday examples of deferring gratification, such as not using the best china in case it gets chipped by use or keeping air miles for an important trip in the future.
When The New York Times publicised Shu's findings, it sought readers' comments and received one from a woman who described her husband as "a frugal, intelligent, cautious man who made choices carefully, researched his options, weighed the cost versus benefits of any situation and generally erred on the side of saving money, time, and energy for later.
"He died when he was 35 years old with money in the bank and all his bills paid. He loved to ski but hadn't done any skiing in years. He was waiting, who knows what for?
"It was the only request he made of me before he left the planet, that I be happy. If you can't seem to allow yourself joy for your own sake, do it for someone who can't do it for themselves - a friend or loved one who is in the hospital or sick, or dying or gone. Do it in celebration of them and the life they didn't get to live fully."
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
