In the spacious surroundings of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, watched by 3,000 Emirati university students, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed stood up to deliver a harsh truth. “If you want to participate in shaping the future then you need to stop thinking of a government job,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said. The days of comfortable government jobs were coming to an end, he signalled. By the time children born this year join the workforce in two decades, he said, three-quarters of the jobs available today will be obsolete.
For many of those in the hall, these will be exciting words. The world is changing as never before and young people, particularly in the UAE, are in a prime position to compete globally: education, technology and access to information are easier today than ever before. New fields of study are opening up and with it the possibility of jobs that, mere years ago, were literally unimaginable.
There will, however, of course, be those who are discomfited by Sheikh Abdullah’s words. And it is for those in particular that he delivered them. The truth is that there are some – perhaps only a few, but certainly too many – who see a public sector job with a comfortable salary as entitlement. Despite the change taking place all around them, and despite the call from the leadership for young people to take the reins of the future (the UAE, noted Sheikh Abdullah, has its sights set on a colony on Mars), they persist in seeking a guaranteed salary from the Government.
Perhaps a better way to look at this is through the lens of contribution. Writing for our pages yesterday, Emirati writer and strategic studies expert Jamal Al Suwaidi quoted a line from Sheikh Khalifa, the president, who said that true citizenship “does not consist of systematically taking: rather, it entails self-sacrifice for the sake of nation”. This was in the context of the Year of Giving. But giving is also about contributing and what Sheikh Abdullah was getting across is that Emirati youth need to think more about contributing.
It is certainly true that the UAE provides its citizens with opportunities (through education and a high standard of living), but those opportunities are offered as a way to get citizens to contribute more. Giving back to the country doesn’t only mean volunteering. Giving back can mean taking the benefits and opportunities of citizenship and using them to start businesses and enterprises, creating jobs for others and creating value for the country.This advances the national interest. Shaping the future would be a valuable contribution to make.
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
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West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
- US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
- Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
- Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
- Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
- Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
- The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
- Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
- Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
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Engine: Duel electric motors
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
The specs: 2018 Honda City
Price, base: From Dh57,000
Engine: 1.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 146Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
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Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, May 3
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
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