Two years ago, I set out to build an interdisciplinary think tank in Dubai called Fiker Institute, with the mission of giving Arabs and the Middle East a platform to reclaim their narratives globally as a region.
It is neither an easy nor quick endeavour to reverse decades of one-way thinking and analysis about our region, but I believe that, in light of the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, our mission is as crucial and critical as ever. At Fiker Institute, we want to move the Middle East from being a talking point, to doing the talking itself – on its own terms, as an equal player within the international community.
Since our early launch, we have published and highlighted the work of Arab researchers, writers and contributors on topics ranging from pan-Arabism to western interventions. We have created space for underrepresented regional perspectives on issues such as amplifying climate justice efforts, advocating for the urgent need to reform global institutions including the UN Security Council, and decolonising international scholarship on Arab affairs.
Now, we are ready to move our collective work to the next level by opening our new politics and culture library in Dubai, located at Alserkal Avenue. Our library, which will open its doors to the public on Saturday, invites writers, readers, artists, researchers, diplomats and policymakers to question their assumptions about world history, global politics and culture in the modern era.
Through our interdisciplinary book curation, visitors are encouraged to critically examine and confront western-dominated narratives that have too often been conflated as universal truths. Browsing the library’s collections is intended to be a self-reflective act, an intellectual exercise in pushing against existing political and cultural hegemonies that have guided, and continue to guide, knowledge production in international affairs around the world, to this day.
Browsing the library’s collections is intended to be a self-reflective act
Our curation of more than 15,000 bilingual books is based on themes, instead of chronology, and it endeavours to recalibrate the balance of power in multilateral discourse to place underrepresented contexts, regions and geographies at the forefront of global debates. We want our library to emerge as an intellectual crossroads, a place where the boundaries of conventional political categorisations dissolve.
Instead of categorising books into titles such as “History” or “Geography”, we are instead introducing them in themes like instability, violence, hegemony, choices, racism and change. What happens to our understanding of international affairs if we no longer see time and chronology as the only way to make sense of events, and instead try to trace back history through such themes as fear and courage, or hypocrisy and betrayal?
In many ways, we are attempting to contest conventional classifications and geographic associations of scholarly disciplines. Our division of categories attempts to present a more balanced interpretation of politics and culture, both past and present. By giving voice to marginalised issues, peoples and geographies, our library proposes a new and bold proposition – one that intentionally and wilfully casts aside exclusionary lenses about Arabs and the Middle East as a whole.
Our readers will find that, on our shelves, fiction is in direct conversation with non-fiction, as we merge numbers with art, foreign policy with poetry, and social sciences with humanities – for in our framework of understanding complex themes such as power, imperialism and decolonisation, traditional distinctions have proved to be but arbitrary partitions.
This harmonious juxtaposition enables an intricate examination of multifaceted narratives that shape our shared realities today. Through an intentional interplay of diverse mediums, our library not only highlights the complexities and nuances inherent in these themes, but it also underscores the interconnectedness of human experiences, thereby inviting contemplation and revelation in equal measure.
As we open our doors, we invite readers to come and question our categorisations, as they change and develop over the coming months and years. While our library currently has over 40 book categories, readers may find themselves proposing a new category to us all together. For all intents and purposes, Fiker Institute wants to remain a living library – continuously built, revised and recategorised by its readers and visitors.
RESULTS
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The five pillars of Islam
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
The burning issue
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.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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.
RESULT
Chelsea 2
Willian 13'
Ross Barkley 64'
Liverpool 0
