Many years ago, I left school one December, with a guaranteed place at university for the following September, with the challenge of filling the intervening months in an interesting way. A common choice these days might be to go for a "gap year" of travel, roaming around a variety of countries to learn something about them. Back then, though, travel was not so easy, so I opted for something nearer to home.
Since there was a parliamentary by-election in the constituency in which I lived, I devoted the first months to learning the nitty-gritty of campaigning, from delivering leaflets to knocking on doors and the rest of it. Then I worked as a woodcutter, helping to clear the route for a new electricity power line, until the boss felt that my lack of skill with an axe was endangering both me and fellow workers.
Then, for a couple of months, I commuted daily by train to London to work in the offices of an insurance company. One lasting benefit was that I realised I never wanted to do anything like that again. This was followed by a bit of travel and a bit more politics. When I finally got to university, I was more mature than I had been as a callow school-leaver.
One of my first university friends, a girl named Helen, had opted for something markedly different, having found a job teaching English in a school in the Nigerian city of Abeokuta. She learnt what it was like to live and work in a completely different society, where other languages, values and cultures were the norm. She dealt with real challenges, in territory that was, at least initially, completely alien to her.
That experience of life overseas – not studying, but living and working – gave her not just invaluable experience, but enormous strengths.
She had thrived on it and when we began our degrees she was much more mature than I. She became one of my closest friends, and remained so, despite the geographical distance between us, until she died a few years ago.
Studying overseas is valuable, of course, but so much more can be gained outside an academic environment, by living, working and competing with others
I thought of Helen the other day when I was chatting with a senior police officer about the nature of police training and whether it properly equipped people to cope with the challenges of operating in our multi-cultural, multi-lingual society.
My friend told me that he had spent a month working with the New York Police Department. During that short period, he said, he had learnt an enormous amount that he would never have been taught here in college. How much more he would have benefited, we agreed, if he had been able to spend a whole year on secondment with NYPD.
The key benefits, we felt, would not have come from New York, as seen in popular film and TV presentations, as being a city rife with armed robberies, shoot-outs and gangsters, but rather from its diversity in terms of its population, its infrastructure and its widely varied challenges in terms of preserving, or trying to preserve, law and order.
The topic of the benefits to be gained from overseas experience, primarily following completion of university studies, is one that I have often discussed over the years, with ministers and senior government officials, with policemen, oil company executives, bankers, university teachers and others.
In very general terms, all have agreed that it would be beneficial, both for people and for society, if more of us living in the UAE spent time living and working in other countries. Studying overseas for one or more degrees is valuable, of course, not just for the qualification, but for the knowledge amassed there. So much more, though, can be gained by living, working and competing, with others, outside the confines of an academic environment. A secondment for a year or two or getting formal employment provides broader opportunities and greater experience.
In some areas, this already happens, of course, such as in the oil industry or banking and finance. We can see the benefits from that. Less visible, perhaps, may be the results from the time spent by Emiratis in foreign police forces, or, for that matter, in urban planning or even farming. In some areas it is simply impossible to make progress without working abroad. Space travel? Nuclear physics?
I would like to see more attention paid to encouraging the general principle of work experience overseas. Perhaps some of those unable to perform military service could be offered this option, although it should, of course, be a voluntary programme.
In some industries, perhaps it can be built more overtly into career paths. Perhaps more large foreign companies that export products to the Emirates could be encouraged to offer secondments or jobs. There will be a host of ways in which the promotion of overseas opportunities can be achieved.
There is, in my view, so much to be gained. The Emirates, we are told, is home to some 200 nationalities. All are welcome here. Learning more about their countries, their languages and their way of life could benefit us all.
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
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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Company%20profile
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Read more about the coronavirus
Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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Scoreline
Liverpool 4
Oxlade-Chamberlain 9', Firmino 59', Mane 61', Salah 68'
Manchester City 3
Sane 40', Bernardo Silva 84', Gundogan 90' 1
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Scores
Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Burnley 1-0 Brighton
Manchester United 4-1 Fulham
West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace
Saturday fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City, 9.30pm (UAE)
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm (UAE)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Company%20profile
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Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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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
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
