Back in April this year, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zoe Saldana and Kate Hudson were all spotted in Dubai, Instagramming their antics as they explored the city's desert, beaches and the Dubai Creek. Three weeks earlier in March, Paltrow starred in one of Shah Rukh Khan's #BeMyGuest Dubai Tourism videos. So we had an inkling that the trio could have been gearing up to star in a campaign of their own, especially as they all tagged #Dubai in their photos from the trip.
Well, our suspicions proved to be correct, as the trio of Hollywood actresses were announced as the faces of Dubai Tourism's brand new A Story Takes Flight film and campaign.
Dubai is special because it's a melting pot ... My time in Dubai was beyond anything I expected and there's still so much more to see
The short film, which supports the promotion, sees the actresses embark upon on three journeys of exploration through the emirate, "filled with inspiration, discovery, and human connections", according to Dubai Tourism.
The film is directed by Reed Morano and is yet to be released in its entirety. However, the trailers have landed, and Paltrow's sees her explore the souks, try her hand at watersports and dance in a nightclub. Hudson, meanwhile, is seen in Old Dubai, by the Creek at sunset and doing karaoke, while Saldana is in the desert with her children, exploring City Walk, checking out the Dubai Frame and motorbiking towards the Burj Khalifa.
Kate Hudson: 'I’ll come back to Dubai'
Goop founder Paltrow has spoken about her time filming in Dubai, saying: "One of my favourite parts of travelling is to truly connect with a city, its people and the local culture. Dubai is special because it's a melting pot. Both the ones born here, who are so proud of their heritage, and those who are recent transplants, bringing with them their own values and traditions, contribute to writing the future story of the city. My time in Dubai was beyond anything I expected and there’s still so much more to see.”
Hudson has also spoken about filming in the emirate, saying: "Honestly, I was so grateful for the hospitality I received. I spent a lot of time exploring the winding streets of Old Dubai. It’s incredible to find such a vibrant art and music community in the heart of such a modern, futuristic city – which is what most people think Dubai is. But really, the friendliness of the people is what made my visit amazing, and it’s why I’ll come back."
While in Dubai, Hudson stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, with partner Danny Fujikawa.
Saldana also commented on the city, saying: "The variety Dubai gave me was perfect. I went from riding horses at sunrise to watching the sunset from 150 meters in the sky. I can’t wait to bring my boys here to continue the adventure."
“Inspired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai’s aspirational leadership, the people of Dubai reflect the city’s underlying spirit, where the pursuit of excellence has no finish line," chief executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Issam Kazim, said of the campaign.
"A Story Takes Flight is unlike any other film in that it speaks to this defining character of our city. It is a story of each person's discovery through their interaction with Dubai. Regardless of who you are or where you are from, your journey with us also has no finish line – and the paths to explore are endless."
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Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
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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 specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
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SPEC%20SHEET
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Read more from Johann Chacko
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
