Young Muslim millionaire Ali Banat spent the last three years of his life giving away his entire wealth to the needy / YouTube
Young Muslim millionaire Ali Banat spent the last three years of his life giving away his entire wealth to the needy / YouTube

A life spent bringing joy to others is a life well-spent



There comes a point in most people’s lives when they wonder what they have contributed to society and whether they have left the world a better place.

For some, that moment comes when it is too late to alter the path of fate.

For others, the need to make a difference strikes early, and deep.

In a country which holds the record as the world’s largest donor of official development aid relative to national income, it is perhaps not surprising that despite its relatively small size and population, the UAE is among the 22 countries with signatories to the Giving Pledge, the philanthropy institution founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet.

Indeed, the UAE accounts for 7 per cent of the 183 world's wealthiest individuals who have promised to give away more than half their wealth and set an example for the ultra-rich around the world.

Among those who have made the pledge are healthcare innovators BR Shetty, who founded the NMC hospital chain, and Dr Shamsheer Vayalil of VPS Healthcare.

Joining them on the list are Sunny and Sherly Varkey, the founders of Gems education, Razan Al Mubarak, the director of Emirates Wildlife Society and social entrepreneur Badr Jafar.

It makes sense that donors making the pledge are already wholly committed in their careers and attitude to an altruistic approach.

Working in fields such as medicine, education, conservation and social enterprise means they are already imbued with a heartfelt need to improve the lives of others, both financially and through their hard work. They serve as an example to us all.

So, too, does 32-year-old Muslim millionaire Ali Banat, who spent his last three years on Earth sharing his wealth after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The Australian-born businessman died last week after shedding all his material possessions, travelling around the world to distribute his cars, clothes and watches and using his savings to build wells, schools and mosques in Africa.

His legacy is a lasting one, which not only bears testament to zakat, one of the five pillars of his faith, embodying the need to help those less fortunate, but serves as a sombre reminder of the fact death spares neither the wealthy nor the well-to-do, and spending what little time we have on Earth contributing to the greater good is what ultimately counts.

A life spent bringing joy to others and alleviating the suffering of those who have less is a life well-spent.

OIL PLEDGE

At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 0

Stoke City 0

Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)

 


 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

THE DETAILS

Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Recent winners

2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)

2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)

2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)

2007 Grace Bijjani  (Mexico)

2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)

2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)

2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)

2011 Maria Farah (Canada)

2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)

2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

2014 Lia Saad  (UAE)

2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)

2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)

2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)

2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)