In recent days, I have repeatedly seen an endearing video on social media platforms and in local and international media outlets of a graduate from China’s prestigious Tsinghua University.
In the clip, the student is seen bringing her beloved “Labubu” doll to the graduation ceremony stage and asking the university’s vice president to share a cute moment with her by moving the doll’s cap tassel. This clip has garnered millions of views and has been covered by international media organisations, including well-known UAE-based outlets.
Thereby, Labubu has found itself to be in the global spotlight, reflecting the love that people around the world, including Arab audiences, have for this unique doll.
Labubu’s widespread popularity is not a coincidence; rather, it reflects the ability of Chinese culture to interact with global cultures through symbols that inspire shared emotions and express values such as innocence, joy, courage, kindness and friendship.
The unique design and blend of Asian aesthetics with global folk art expressions have made Labubu a visual language understood by all. The doll’s popularity reveals a deeper truth: there is a global thirst for cultural values that transcend isolation, celebrate difference and diversity, and seek moments of joy in a complex world.
This is where the importance of China’s Global Civilisation Initiative becomes clear.
The initiative calls for promoting dialogue and understanding between cultures based on mutual respect and a shared future. Through this framework, China calls for respecting the diversity of civilisations, defending the common values of humanity, emphasising the importance of the inheritance and innovation of civilisations, and jointly promoting international cultural and humanitarian exchanges and co-operation.
It makes a sincere call to the world to promote exchanges and dialogue between civilisations and advance human civilisation through inclusiveness and mutual learning, thus providing a moral driving force for building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Labubu is not alone. Other Chinese cultural products are beginning to resonate globally, such as the game Black Legend: Wukong, inspired by ancient Chinese mythology and a great classic in Chinese literature, and the animated film Ne Zha, which reinterprets Chinese epics in a modern artistic language.
Moreover, such phenomena as “China Travel” and “China Shopping” have attracted millions of foreign visitors, including citizens of Arab countries, to explore the country, from its urban landmarks to its popular culture, reflecting a growing cultural presence that transcends stereotypes.
By visiting China, people have a better opportunity to understand the features of its culture more deeply, contributing to the promotion of cultural exchange and understanding among peoples. These phenomena demonstrate that the world is no longer merely searching for power, but rather for meaning and human warmth.
A doll, a film, or a travel experience can open windows to understanding others and break down psychological and cultural barriers
China today offers a renewed cultural model based on creativity, respect for diversity and honest exchanges between civilisations, rather than conflict.
Labubu does not convey a political message, but by virtue of its cuteness and simplicity, it embodies the spirit of cross-cultural communication and human exchange. From this perspective, its concept aligns with the World Civilisation Initiative, which calls on all countries to respect the diversity of civilisations around the world, thus contributing to the promotion of understanding and mutual learning among different peoples and societies.
At a time when talk about a clash of civilisations is rife, Labubu and other similar Chinese cultural products demonstrate that even the simplest forms of creativity can be a gateway to profound dialogue between peoples.
A doll, a film, or a travel experience can open windows to understanding others and break down psychological and cultural barriers. These products, with their aesthetic and humane values, are no longer mere consumer goods; they have become effective vehicles for cultural rapprochement and exchange, reflecting the spirit of openness and pluralism advocated by the Global Civilisation Initiative.
Through these creative mediums, Chinese culture not only presents itself to the world but also contributes to building bridges of understanding and trust, affirming that the path to dialogue begins with recognising the other and respecting their diversity.
Thus, cultural products are transformed into a true soft power, enriching the global cultural landscape and practically embodying China’s vision for a future based on pluralism, co-existence and openness, rather than hegemony and conflict.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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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
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
SPECS
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
