It is past midnight and silence has gripped the Indian capital, New Delhi.
The cacophony of endless traffic has faded into silence in one of the world’s most populated cities.
But in its oldest quarters, the fascinating Old Delhi, the day has only begun.
The historic alleyways are teeming with people – as hundreds of worshippers returning from the medieval Jama Masjid mix with hordes of diners who have come to experience the spirit of Ramadan.
Cafes and restaurants, especially those offering Ramadan specials, are packed.
Children enjoy a camel ride under a canopy of twinkling lights spread out over the bustling market.
Young couples walk hand-in-hand after enjoying a meal, while groups of women choose from varieties of dates imported from the Middle East for ‘iftar’.
Some end the fast with sheermal, a traditional sweet flatbread, which has its origins in the Middle East.
A heady waft of attar, an oil-based perfume, blended with irresistible aromas of spicy succulent kebabs and the smoke from clay ovens, fill the air.
Old Delhi hardly sleeps at night during the month-long Ramadan.
Cheena Lahot, who came from Delhi’s Uttam Nagar with her family, told The National that “it feels surreal”.
“While most of Delhi sleeps at this hour, look at the fresh faces, people seem to have just woken up. The market comes alive here in the evenings,” she said.
Ramadan spirit
Locally known as Purani Dilli, Old Delhi is the heart of the city, a melting pot of cultures.
It bears testimony to the Indian capital’s centuries-old history − including the opulent Mughal period and British colonial rule – and its credentials as a foodie's paradise.
The walled city was founded by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639, which he named “Shahjahanabad” after himself.
It was a bustling city where people from various religions, mostly Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs, lived.
It was home to one of India’s most prominent Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib and courtesans and artists who performed at the Mughal court.
The city served as the seat of power for the Mughals until the end of their dynasty when the British took over the reins and shifted the capital to New Delhi.
Centuries later, Old Delhi has held on to its unique cultural landscape.
It is packed with tourists and food lovers throughout the year, particularly in Bazaar Matia Mahal market where countless cafes and restaurants sell Mughal-inspired dishes.
But it transforms into a unique tapestry of Hindu-Muslim harmony during Ramadan, as people from all religions descend to the area to experience the distinct festival mood.
“Every year during Ramadan we come here to experience the unique evenings. We enjoy the meat dishes. It feels wonderful to see so many people taking part in celebrating this pious month,” Mrs Lahot said.
Ramadan specialities
Food has a religious and cultural significance during the Islamic holy month and Old Delhi is one of the best places to experience this.
From keema samosa, a sambousa-inspired savoury pastry brought to India by Arab traders, to a variety of halwa, another Arab-inspired dessert, and meat dishes, the choices are endless.
But one of the most popular items sold during Ramadan is mohabbat-e-sharbat, or the sherbet of love.
A quintessential bright pink drink, it is made with rooh afza, an ultra-sweet concoction of herbs and fruit with a strong rosy aroma. The cool and sugary drink is made with milk or water and garnished with diced watermelon.
It is believed to provide much-needed energy after a long day of fasting, just like the popular Vimto drink in the Middle East, and is a staple thirst-quencher for Muslims during fasting month.
The popularity of the drink is such that devotees can buy up to a litre of the sherbet to drink it down immediately after the signal for iftar, said Mohammed Khalil.
The 61-year-old sells the drink at his tiny stall every year.
“I sell about 200 glasses of the sherbet every evening. People especially come to drink this. They say it cools their parched throat,” Mr Khalil told The National.
Lucrative business
Although most restaurants remain shut during the day, as people observe a dawn-to-dusk fast, businesses witness a surge in footfall during the evenings.
Restaurants serve food all night and vendors sell their fruits on carts. Temporary stalls selling crockery, household items, bangles, footwear, and caps of different designs and vivid colours also spring up in the crammed market for one month.
One of the famous items is sewaiyan, or vermicelli, a popular fine ‘noodle-like’ dessert served in suhoor in the subcontinent. It is roasted in clarified butter and soaked or boiled in milk.
Women buy raw vermicelli to make it from scratch.
“We sell ten varieties of sewaiyan. It is a popular dessert and there is a huge demand for it. We sell about 300kg of sewaiyan every day,” said Azizul Haq, 51, who has been running his stall for two decades.
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
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.
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
Results
2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly
3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
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Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
On racial profiling at airports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law