In 2014, UAE resident Kristen D’lima bought a hula hoop, thinking it would make for an amusing hobby, but she never found the time to commit to the pastime.
However, in 2020, being at home throughout the day, coupled with the fact she found herself unemployed for a while, she picked up her hoop again. Once she started, she was surprised at how much she enjoyed it.
“It was something that I kept failing at. It’s not easy at all, there’s so much technique. But even though it would fall down, I would have to just bend down, pick it up and try again. I found it so calming that even though I kept dropping it; it was OK because I was doing it for myself and I kept at it.”
Over the course of the last year, numerous niche hobbies shot into the spotlight – from baking to embroidery to skipping. For many of these activities, the appeal was in the mental health benefits afforded, and for some, the physical. But with hula-hooping, it can be a bit of both.
Rana Habayeb, who previously taught hula-hooping with Flowground in the UAE, says it “is used as motion therapy, a meditative motion to centre both body and mind, helping in [reducing] stress”.
“[People] are said to have relaxing, meditative and transformational experiences through hooping,” she says. Take into account the pressure, lack of security and uncertainly faced during the pandemic, and you can see why the activity had such an appeal.
“Meanwhile, it is proven that an hour of hula-hooping can help burn more than 400 calories. It provides a total body workout, and has major calorie burning and cardiovascular benefits,” Habayeb says.
It also helps that hula-hooping is an activity that can be done solo and just about anywhere, including smaller spaces. Khushali Shah, who works for a market research company in the UAE, was gifted a hoop by her husband in January 2020, but only seriously started practising during the UAE's stay-at-home measures.
“I’m massively into fitness, and staying at home constantly was taking a toll on me. I started to look for something that would keep me active without getting boring. We live in a one-bedroom apartment, so it needed to be something that didn’t require too much space,” says Shah.
“It’s a complete stress buster. There’s a level of creativity and it provides me with an outlet that’s very exciting.”
Shah says she usually puts on music and sometimes hoops when watching television.
It helped that hula-hooping got a huge push recently on social media, as numerous influencers stuck indoors took to showcasing their skills online.
Shah says it was a video of Eshna Kutty, a dancer in India whose hoop dances in a sari went viral on social media during the pandemic, that gave her the nudge she needed.
“I saw that you could do more than just waist hooping, and also do dances. I took a two-hour beginner session online with Eshna to learn the basics and got started,” Shah says.
Kutty, who has been hooping for close to a decade, launched her website to promote the hoop dances in 2019. She started teaching students from around the world online, but noticed that there wasn’t much growth within India.
“I thought perhaps it’s an art form that wasn't gaining popularity because of how unfamiliar or unattainable it seemed,” she tells The National. This is what led her to don a sari and sneakers and do a hoop routine with the hashtag #sareeflow.
“A sari is familiar attire for both North and South Indian woman. I wanted to make people as comfortable with it as possible. Finally, it’s about social media – I knew if I made a fun challenge, people would jump onto on to the trend of making #sareeflow videos. The reason I called it sari flow is because it’s not restricted to hooping – you can dance as well.”
As the video went viral, her followers shot up from 20,000 at the time to 162,000 today. Kutty had thousands of people joining her mailing list while there was a waiting period for her Zoom sessions.
She’s certain the pandemic played a role in this. “People were stuck indoors and were forced to pick a habit or they would go a little crazy I think.
“But the real appeal is that anybody with any fitness level can pick it up. All you need is a hula hoop and you are good to go.”
There are certain things to keep in mind, she adds: finding the perfect hoop is like buying a pair of jeans , and differs according to body size. “There also has to be an openness to learn and try new things. The first 10 minutes can be pretty frustrating. You might not see growth instantly, but when you do, it is very rewarding.”
Finally, it’s all about community, Kutty says. “Hula-hooping is still a new art form, there’s no competition, no toxic feelings. People who take part, all around the world, are rooting for each other. You can connect with people globally and there’s nothing but positivity.”
Things to know about hula-hooping:
Rana Habayeb's top hula-hooping tips:
The hoop: The misconception is usually that the smaller the hoop the better. Incorrect. The larger the hoop the easier it is to hoop as you have more space to react to the hoop and more time to get into the motion.
The motion: It's not a circular hip motion it's a front and back motion – almost like you're doing small lunges.
The experience: Hooping can be a solo or a social exercise. If you prefer the latter, sign up for a class or reach out to hula-hooping communities, either local or online.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
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
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
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
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Zayed Sustainability Prize
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
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%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
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
