Technology has become firmly established in society and is widely used in all sectors of the economy. This is especially true in education, where technological advancements provide children of all ages with resources that enable engaging and interactive learning experiences and help them stay connected. However, it is also the responsibility of users to strike a balance between mastering technology and avoiding dependency.
Alef Education has significantly improved learning outcomes and supported students worldwide using the right technology. In addition, the EdTech company emphasises student well-being by providing guardians with practical strategies to manage their children's screen time effectively, which is especially important since excessive screen time has several adverse effects on children’s development.
According to Norton’s My First Device Report, children use networked mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, an average of two and a half hours a day. As children get older, this use increases, underscoring the need to manage screen time. Prolonged screen time can significantly affect children's cognitive, social and emotional development. Due to this, guardians actively seek ways to instil positive digital habits in their children, turning to techniques and tools to help them achieve this goal.
However, it is important to point out that screen time can benefit children. When used correctly, it promotes intellectual growth and creativity. Various educational websites and apps for children provide valuable learning experiences. At the same time, video conferencing and virtual classrooms have proven to be practical tools to foster peer collaboration and facilitate student-teacher interactions. Alef Education addresses this need by utilising cutting-edge innovations like artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver high-quality, personalised learning experiences to every student.
Geoffrey Alphonso, chief executive of Alef Education, said: “In today’s digital age, technology is a double-edged sword. This remarkable tool holds significant potential for enhancing learning experiences, but it can also be a source of distraction and dependency. At Alef Education, we believe it’s important to strike a balance between technology and healthy child development. Using the right technology, we empower students worldwide while emphasizing their holistic development. Our approach includes a product portfolio that provides student-centred, adaptive learning experiences that cultivate creativity and develop critical thinking. We believe that technology can be a force for good in the world, and we are committed to using it to help children reach their full potential.”
Alef Education promotes healthy digital practices and appropriate screen time for students as part of its commitment to fostering digital well-being. Its curated digital content helps students improve their imagination, problem-solving, and analytical skills while using technology as a catalyst. The company actively supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, which ensures inclusive and equitable access to quality education for all members of the community. Through active participation in initiatives such as the Expo2020 Global Best Practice Programme, Alef Education has aligned with its mission to promote social development through education.
The Alef Guardian app is one such product that promotes balanced screen time and healthy child development by encouraging learning moments at home with parent-child activities. A study conducted by Alef Education's data and research team found that guardians who are more engaged in their child's learning positively impact their child's academic performance. Based on these findings, Alef Education is developing a new app feature: integrated parent-child activities to promote kinesthetic learning and increase the reach and impact of classroom instruction. These activities help cultivate positive habits by encouraging children to share their learning.
Dr Aishah Al Yammahi, the board advisor at Alef Education, emphasised balancing screen time with other important activities for a child’s holistic development: “We know how important it is to have real-world activities, face-to-face interactions, and offline learning experiences alongside technology that contribute to children’s overall well-being. Alef Education is dedicated to empowering families to find that balance between technology and child development. Alef Education remains committed to implementing effective policies that foster collaboration among students, teachers, and guardians while facilitating learning.”
Parents can take various steps to promote a healthy balance in the use of technology, such as setting clear limits, i.e., deciding when and how long their children can use technology. These limits should be communicated clearly and consistently. Encouraging active screen time is equally important, as it motivates children to engage in activities rather than passively consume media: adults at home can help children develop digital content, play interactive educational games, or explore creative applications.
Prioritising real-world activities is critical to a healthy balance of technology. The time a child spends in front of a screen must be balanced with other activities, such as outdoor activities, physical activities, social interactions, and other non-screen hobbies. Helping children discover and engage with high-quality, age-appropriate content is even more crucial. Parents can take the necessary precautions by helping their children explore reputable websites, educational apps, and platforms that offer insightful and culturally relevant content, thus using technology to enrich learning.
Alef Education aims to inspire young people to think critically, express themselves creatively, and realise their full potential in a rapidly evolving digital environment. This is made possible by its state-of-the-art digital learning solutions, designed to ensure digital well-being and be an essential part of a child’s daily routine to ensure holistic development in the digital age.
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors Power: 659hp Torque: 1075Nm On sale: Available for pre-order now Price: On request
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE) TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
