I loathe housework. It is boring, thankless and never-ending. But unfortunately, as I share my house with an assortment of animals, it is also a necessity.
Over the years, I have gone through an alarming number of cleaners (most never came back), while during lockdown I just sort of ignored it, hoping the house would magically clean itself (it doesn't).
Overwhelmed at the sight of dog fur rolling across the living room like tumbleweed, I finally admitted I needed some help. Enter online shopping and the undiscovered world of robotic vacuum cleaners.
Like a floor-dwelling UFO, this amazing contraption promises to clean the floor by itself, has an impressive 100-minute battery life, two suction speeds, was marked down by almost 50 per cent, and most importantly, if Instagram is to believed, will have my dog riding around on it in no time.
Obviously, I bought one.
Even when it got itself stuck under a coffee table. It just worked the angles until it was free. I felt like clapping
Living in a tiled floor, single level house, I did my research. It led me to picking a model that vacuums only. Some can also mop, but as I am a firm believer that water and electricity should never mix, I stuck to the original design. A day later, it arrived. Unboxing was suitably exciting as a stealth black, futuristic robo frisbee emerged, baring a striking similarity to the Star Wars spaceship, the Millennium Falcon. It even comes with space age language.
To charge, it has to be docked into a station (kind of like a tiny international space station). To prevent tangles, all loose cables around the house must be tidied away (it helpfully supplied ties for exactly this) which in my case meant finally doing something about the cable that has sprawled across the living room floor for seven years. Suddenly, the Dh700 price tag seemed well worth it.
According to the website, my new machine is Wi-Fi compatible, but I was more interested in seeing how it worked using just the remote control (which arrived with batteries, thank you). So I clicked the auto clean button, and watched as the UFO-shaped vacuum scuttled across the floor.
Armed with a bumper around half of its outer rim, the little machine wanders about, spinning its little brushes, until it collides with something, wherein it will retreat a fraction, and then turn either left or right to move around the obstacle. It does this as many times as needed to get around something, even when it got itself stuck under a coffee table. It just worked the angles until it was free. I felt like clapping.
Giving off a pleasant hum as it goes about its work, it is not bothersome to have about, and at the time of writing, my UFO – now nicknamed Buddy – is happily burbling about, colliding with the furniture. As it meanders around the room on its erratic path. It's like having a content, but myopic, new pet who just cheerfully crashes into things.
Twenty four hours into life with Buddy, and I have learnt three things.
- It works. The floor is no longer crunchy underfoot, and the tumbleweed is gone.
- It managed to get snarled up in the spare room curtains because I haven't hemmed the bottom properly and long threads were hanging off. So, when the instructions say "clear away loose cables", it really means it.
- The instructions boast that Buddy will head back to its docking station when its finished. To check this, I went out to the shops, leaving it wandering the house. Coming home two hours later, I was unable to find it, and grew concerned the cats had pushed it out of the dog-door, but no – Buddy had taken itself home and was asleep in its dock. Such a good boy.
On Buddy's first lap around the house, the cats scattered in terror, but an hour later, even the kittens were unfazed as the blinking little spaceship trundled past.
Dog (yes, the name of my dog), however, remains deeply unimpressed. Nervous and skittish at the best of times, Dog is not a natural adventurer, and will never be that pup in a hammock on a mountaintop. Attempts to get him into a kayak have been traumatic for both of us, and his favourite place is chest deep in water, just being left alone.
Since Buddy's arrival, Dog has been hiding in the garden, but I am convinced that Buddy will instil him with newfound courage. I have no doubt that in just a few days, Dog and Buddy will be the best of friends and embark on great cleaning adventures together.
Any day now, Dog will drift past, riding shotgun on Buddy's back, ready to take his place with other canine companions on Instagram. Now where did I put my camera?
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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PRISCILLA
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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
Bridgerton%20season%20three%20-%20part%20one
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Sweet%20Tooth
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE%20SPECS
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
LIVERPOOL%20TOP%20SCORERS
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series
Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Company%20profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
The%20specs
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The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
