We'll hear a lot during this Year of Tolerance about the UAE's open-hearted welcome for the diverse international communities that make up the overwhelming majority of the country's population. They come, so we're told, from around 200 countries, from every quarter of the globe, bringing to this land different languages, cultures and traditions, following many faiths, as they help to build the United Arab Emirates of today.
In my last column, I wrote of the fundamental role that the concept of tolerance plays in UAE society and argued that it can be explained as actively welcoming of the idea of diversity. It's important to acknowledge that from it come many of the strengths that make up our society.
The recognition of the value of that remarkable diversity is something that derives directly from the philosophy of the state developed by the nation’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed. As with so much about the country today, however, it goes back much further than that. If we look back into the history of the land that now makes up the United Arab Emirates, we can trace the welcoming of goods, ideas, traditions and people from other lands right back to the earliest origins of human settlement.
As far back as 7,500 years ago, trade by sea up and down the Arabian Gulf meant that goods from Mesopotamia – modern-day Iraq – reached here, brought on ships crewed, almost certainly, by foreign-born sailors. Appropriately, an artefact on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi bears testimony to that interchange, a pottery vessel from the Obaid civilisation in Iraq that was excavated a couple of decades ago on Abu Dhabi's western island of Marawah.
Later, in the Bronze Age, which began around 5,000 years ago, the ports of the Emirates were also trading with the empires of the Indus Valley, with goods also arriving from Central Asia. We can assume that merchants from those far-flung lands reached the Emirates too, bringing with them their languages and ideas. Certainly religious beliefs reached us from other areas, for an Iron Age cult belief connected to snakes that has been found widely throughout the Emirates – at Al Qusais, in Dubai, and at Bithna and Masafi in Fujairah, for example – has parallels elsewhere. Six centuries before the coming of Islam, the temple at Ed-Dur in Umm Al Quwain was dedicated to the pre-Islamic sun god Shams, known throughout Arabia. We know from the discovery of a monastery on Sir Bani Yas that Christianity had reached the UAE by the beginning of the seventh century AD. Meanwhile, an early medieval Jewish tombstone has been excavated in Ras Al Khaimah.
The cultural and commercial interchange was not just a matter of the arrival of goods and ideas. People from overseas didn’t arrive simply as traders; they came to settle as well. In the 15th century, residents of the Kingdom of Hormuz, which encompassed the great port of Julfar, in present-day Ras Al Khaimah, included merchants not just from throughout the Middle East, but from Venice, to the west, and from Russia, China, India, East Africa and elsewhere. Hormuz was described in 1472, decades before the first European imperial power, the Portuguese, reached the region, as “a vast emporium where there were peoples and goods of every description from all parts of the world.” Some, surely, would have interacted with the people of the Emirates.
While it is difficult to determine the nature of the foreign communities in the Emirates during the medieval period, the picture begins to become clearer by the beginning of the 19th century. In 1823, according to a British report, the inhabitants of the growing town of Abu Dhabi, established half a century earlier, included a number of Indian "traders and goldsmiths," the forerunners of the UAE's large Indian population of today. By the latter part of the century, there was an influx of families from southern Iran into Dubai. New arrivals, from the town of Bastak, brought with them a new architectural technique, the barjeel or wind tower, some of which survive in Dubai's Bastakiya district.
And, although there has as yet, as far as I am aware, been little study of the topic, these incoming foreign communities also had an impact on the UAE’s native Arabic dialects. The word “bidfud”, meaning a large truck, which appeared only in the 1950s, is an adaptation of the name of the popular Bedford lorries that arrived around that time, but there must be many more words whose foreign origins can be traced back much further.
The welcoming of foreign cultures, traditions, beliefs, words and – yes – people into the Emirates has been part of our way of life since time immemorial. In the Year of Tolerance, I hope we will see not only more recognition that these exchanges took place, but also that they have played a large part in the making of today’s UAE. The richness of this history is just one of many reasons why the country is so well-equipped to play its part in an increasingly interconnected world.
Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE's history and culture
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
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
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
