An amateur photographer has captured images of a new stingray-shaped lake in Dubai’s Al Qudra.
South African Dan Newton is a regular visitor to the area, he tells The National. “I am there a few times a week. It’s a beautiful city we have, but my passion for the desert and wildlife always steers me out there."
He came across this new lake a few months ago, while it was still being created, but only recently managed to capture photographs of the finished result. “Following a period of self-isolation due to close contact and the knowledge that drone activity was likely to be stopped temporarily in the region, I decided that my first journey out of the house would be to the desert. I wanted to take this image while I was there to see what the shape finally was,” he says.
Take a look through the photo gallery above to see more of Dan Newton's work.
The lake is distinctly stingray shaped, with the water forming the contours of the creature’s body and the road leading up to it mimicking a sinuous stinger. Two small land masses within the water act as eyes.
Newton says the surrounding area is still undergoing development but should eventually be as attractive to day-trippers and birdwatchers as the other man-made lakes in the area, which include Love Lake, Expo 2020 Dubai Lake and Crescent Moon Lake.
Newton captured the images using a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone, which he generally uses for scouting areas of interest for his photography. “Of course, it is registered, and I am licensed to use it within the permitted fly areas,” he says.
Newton has called Dubai home for the past five years and has spent that time avidly capturing the UAE’s many attributes. He says people may be surprised to discover how much the country offers in terms of inspiration. “The UAE has so many amazing opportunities for photography inspiration, everything from amazing architecture, cityscapes with amazing views, the desert, mountains, wildlife, so many sporting events and a diverse culture and people. Just stay within the laws and get the right permissions and your opportunities are endless.”
He first became interested in photography during his previous job. “In my previous employment, I was fortunate enough to do a lot of international travel on offshore construction vessels, exploring some beautiful places and cultures. This triggered my first serious camera purchase and gradually over time, I have developed a passion for wildlife and landscape photography,” he explains.
Enter competitions and do workshops, connect with others that can mentor and guide you; this is a great way to make new friends
Dan Newton,
amateur photographer
Photography is currently a hobby and Newton has no plans to change that for the moment, despite now selling his prints online and being recognised in a number of photography awards this year, including placing second in the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021 awards, receiving a few honourable mentions in the Monochrome Photography Awards 2021 and receiving silver in the Tokyo International Foto Awards.
The secret to taking a great photograph? “Practice," he says. "Find something else you're passionate about and document that in photos. It really enhances your enjoyment. For me, that's wildlife and conservation, which goes very well with photography.
“Enter competitions and do workshops, connect with others that can mentor and guide you; this is a great way to make new friends. You will get great feedback on your work, so be open-minded that even negative feedback is not criticism, but an opportunity to improve. Forget about the likes on social media occasionally and enter a judged competition. Peer review and feedback will elevate your work.”
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Results
Stage 5:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Jumbo-Visma 04:19:08
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:03
3. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo 00:00:05
5. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:06
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 17:09:26
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:45
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:12
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma 00:01:54
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:56
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
