Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week
Dear reader,
The rebuilt emergency and trauma unit opens at the Saint George Hospital University Medical Centre in Beirut. Photo: National Network Communications
One of Beirut's oldest hospitals has turned a painful page in its history into a promising new chapter.
Operating for 147 years, the Saint George Hospital University Medical Centre has long been a cornerstone of health care in the Lebanese capital. Through times of war and peace, it opened its doors to the public and offered top-notch medical services.
Treatment services were halted in 2020, when a devastating port explosion in Beirut destroyed the medical centre, killing four staff and injuring more than 100. The blast left visible and emotional wounds in the hospital and the city, but some have healed.
A major UAE donation has offered a lifeline to the hospital, and now its emergency and trauma unit is ready to welcome patients again. The Big Heart Foundation, a global humanitarian organisation based in Sharjah, contributed Dh8.7 million ($2.3 million) to reconstruct and expand the facility.
It now has state-of-the-art medical equipment, expanded capacity, enhanced trauma care facilities and a new paediatric section, and is expected to take care of 40,000 patients a year.
The opening of the unit has enabled the hospital to operate at full capacity for the first time since the disaster.
This story of rebuilding and solidarity goes beyond just bricks and mortar – it's a testament to resilience and the power of coming together to heal.
The Plant Genetic Resource Centre will aid the conservation of the UAE’s native flora. Antonie Robertson / The National
Scientists at the UAE's Plant Genetic Resource Centre – part seed vault, part futuristic lab – are working to protect the botanical future of the country.
The centre, run by Abu Dhabi's Environment Agency, is not just a store for seeds, but a living archive of the UAE's natural resilience.
"We have more than 600 native species of plants in the UAE," said Salama Al Mansoori, a specialist in plant preservation at the facility. "What makes our work unique is the integration of traditional conservation methods with cutting edge technologies preserving DNA, tissue, live plants and seeds under one roof."
QUOTED
'Me becoming the first woman grandmaster in the UAE shows that anything is possible and I hope it opens more doors for young girls'
The funds will help cover treatment costs for UAE citizens and residents. Photo: Awqaf Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi's endowment campaign to support patients with chronic diseases has raised Dh115 million in its first week.
The money was given to Awqaf Abu Dhabi and will help cover treatment costs for UAE citizens and residents.
“This outpouring of support reflects a deep understanding of the endowment’s power to uplift those most vulnerable, particularly by providing access to sustainable health care," said Fahad Abdul Qader Al Qassim, director general of Awqaf Abu Dhabi.
“The campaign's success just one week after launching highlights the UAE's strong commitment to ensuring that patients in need can have access to world-class, sustainable health care, enabling them to return to their lives and embrace the future with confidence."
SNAPSHOT
Petals are collected in Rose Valley, Bulgaria, a country widely recognised as being the world's leading producer of rose oil. It takes about 1.6 million petals to create 1kg of rose oil. AFP
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
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Countries offering golden visas
UK Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
