Britain's King Charles commended refugees from Syria on their "remarkable skills" during a royal visit on Wednesday to London restaurants preparing for Ramadan.
Refugee chef Imad Al Arnab greeted King Charles at his restaurant, Imad's Syrian Kitchen, along with a group of Syrians including doctors and charity workers. He congratulated one of them, filmmaker Waad Al Kateab, who won a Bafta award in 2020 for her war documentary For Sama.
As he met more British Syrians contributing to their community, he said: "It fascinates me, how many people who escaped actually have the most remarkable skills". The king said "presumably your skills are hugely in demand" to Abdulkarim Ekzayez, a doctor.
About 20,000 people fleeing Syria's civil war resettled in Britain during the last decade of Bashar Al Assad's rule. Weeks after rebels took power in Damascus, King Charles made a donation to support humanitarian work by the International Rescue Committee, a charity. He previously met members of the Syrian and Turkish diasporas to show support after devastating earthquakes in February 2023.
The king's stop at Imad's Kitchen followed a visit to Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant next door, where he packed boxes of dates with his wife, Queen Camilla. The royal couple met a group of Muslim women including the rugby player Zainab Alema and author Hajera Memon.
Asma Khan, the owner of Darjeeling Express, joked she "didn't realise the king would be so fast" at packing the donation boxes, which will be sent to hospitals for iftar meals during Ramadan. King Charles laughed and said: "I don’t waste time."
The king and queen also met doctor Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, a former winner of the TV cooking contest MasterChef. The king laughed as he recalled "the rude things they say" on the show.
Imad's Syrian Kitchen opened in 2020, when Mr Al Arnab – who lost two restaurants and a chain of juice bars in Damascus when he fled Syria in 2025 – returned to his passion for food. He had initially worked as a car salesman after settling in Britain.
In 2021 he told The National of his desire to "give back to the community and at least say thank you to the supporters of refugees". He said his home-made falafel and hummus were the biggest hits at his restaurant. "When you serve Syrian food for non-Syrian people, it’s much easier and you can be creative," he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
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
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Oppenheimer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Maestro
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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
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
