This country has the most amazing stores and offers the best shopping experience (UAE consumers speak out on biggest annoyances while shopping, October 7). Unfortunately, customer service is not so good.
Customer-service professionals seem to focus on how to mob customers and rob them of the joys of idle browsing, as opposed to informing them about the products on sale.
Elizabeth Doherty, Dubai
Sales staff need to be taught about acceptable behaviour in different cultures. Western culture is generally about smiling and saying hello and then leaving the person alone. They will come to you if they require help. Other cultures might prefer to be served immediately and waited upon.
Giles Heaton, Dubai
I hate it when salespersons follow me around with their sales pitch. It makes me feel either pressured or as if I am being guarded.
A person who is interested to buy something can approach a salesperson.
Mj Uy, Philippines
It’s incredibly annoying when sales staff mob you as soon as you walk into a store. I have lost count of the number of times I have turned around and walked out. The sooner sales managers adopt a proper approach to sales and customer service the better for everyone.
Simon Buckerfield, UK
Prices and service were bad in UK stores. Then e-commerce took over. Now you can’t find what you want in stores and the service is even worse. I hope UAE retailers up their game before consumers are left with no choice but to shop online.
Ben Adamson, Dubai
Happiness is very important
If you put too much responsibility on children to obtain the best grades, they will lose interest in learning (Overemphasis on success is driving children to despair, October 5). We should encourage every child to pursue their interests and talent without pressuring them.
April Tarman, Dubai
Schools need to focus on children’s happiness. Education is not about creating a society full of geniuses.
Karen Cristina Hernández Agreda, Dubai
Happiness is more important than scores. I wish schools realised this.
Abeer Al Nowais, Abu Dhabi
Crucial lesson in democracy
I liked the article Dubai voters teach their children democracy by example, says Sheikh Mohammed (October 3). I always did the same.
I never take the right to vote for granted. It may feel, at times, that it doesn’t matter, but just keep doing it. The Government should involve the children in the vote by creating a ballot and booth just for them.
David W Blandford, US
Shark auction is shocking
Sometimes we visit the Dubai fish and vegetable market in the evening to enjoy the atmosphere. But I came in for a shock recently as we found about 200 sharks of various types and sizes – from less than half a metre to adult fish – lined up for auctioning.
We were surprised because we thought that shark meat was not very popular in this region. A trader explained that those sharks came from Oman and that they were mainly fished for their fins. There was no doubt about it.
After a rather silent auctioning, a man came and systematically chopped off all the fins and carted them away to a cooling truck.
The carcasses, the trader said, would be taken to factories in Sharjah to be dried and exported mainly to Sri Lanka. But the real money is in the fins that fetch thousands of dollars in some markets.
I hope steps are taken to stop this mindless slaughtering of sharks.
Rita Amer, Mirdif, Dubai
HOW TO WATCH
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat
Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final
UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
HAJJAN
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The five pillars of Islam
