Trending Middle East brings you the latest social media and search trends from the region and around the world.
On today's episode, Nasa has set a new launch date for the SpaceX rocket carrying Emirati astronaut Dr Sultan Al Neyadi after Monday's blast-off was postponed. The Crew-6 mission from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station is provisionally scheduled for launch at 9.34am UAE time on Thursday.
The UAE has requested a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the worsening violence in the occupied Palestinian territories. A UN diplomat told The National that the meeting will take place at 3pm in New York on Tuesday and will feature Norwegian diplomat Tor Wennesland, the UN special co-ordinator for the Middle East peace process.
Lionel Messi edges out Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe to be crowned Fifa Player of the Year 2022 as Argentina scoops all major men's awards after lifting the World Cup last December.
Elon Musk reclaims his place as the world's richest person after a rollercoaster few months that resulted in his wealth plummeting amid a sell-off of technology stocks and numerous controversies.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5