DUBAI // Ramadan is different this year for Muslims living in Dubai Marina.
Instead of cramming into a small prayer rooms in offices or driving to different neighbourhoods, now worshippers can visit their own, newly built mosque.
“For three years we had nowhere to pray,” said Samiullah Khushi, 28, a Pakistani who works in Dubai Marina.
“We had to go to a government building where they had a small prayer room. It was very crowded. It was the only place we could pray as a group.
“Now, praise to God, we have this beautiful mosque. I pray every dhuhr [noon] and asr [afternoon] prayers here.”
The Masjid Al Rahim mosque opened last October at the southern end of Dubai Marina.
It is the only mosque in the densely populated, high-rise neighbourhood. Worshippers say it has helped to bring people together, especially during the holy month.
“This mosque has really brought the community together,” said Salem Aboud, 69, an Iraqi who goes every day during Ramadan to pray and recite the Quran.
“We were all neighbours and didn’t know each other until we met at this mosque. Now we have made many friends. It’s like one big family.”
Mr Aboud regularly goes to pray-ers with close friend Wafiq Al Riz.
“If you live in a villa neighbourhood you have a chance to meet your neighbour and get to know each other, but in these buildings no one knows who you are,” said the Syrian Mr Al Riz, 64.
“Mosques have traditionally been a community gathering place. It’s nice to see one do that again.”
The mosque is the fifth of 99 to be built around Dubai by Sheikha Manal, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
Sheikha Manal is also wife of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
It is equipped with a library and a school where students can memorise the Quran.
“We are still auditing the library and school. We have a lot of books, but not enough to fill the shelves,” said Sayed Saleem, 26, the muezzin.
“I used to work at a mosque in Al Warqa before coming here. That community was completely Arabic, here there are people from so many different nationalities and so many different languages.
“I can handle Arabic and English, but I’ve had to find interpreters for all the other languages when they come to me with questions.”
Construction foreman Bilal Akram, who works at a building site next to the mosque, said it was a lifeline for him and his colleagues.
“If it wasn’t for this mosque we would be stuck trying to scrape up some money to get iftar, which can be expensive,” said the 30-year-old Pakistani. “Many people come for iftar at this mosque and we are lucky to have it so close. It has been a blessing for us.”
Real estate agent Mohammed Khurram, 31, said his clients had been asking for flats next to the mosque since it opened late last year.
“Everything within walking distance from here has been in high demand,” said Mr Khurram, from Pakistan.
“Dubai Marina definitely needs more mosques. The majority of people here are Muslim.
“The imam is very good, is always on time and gives good advice. The mosque has excellent facilities, but the ablution stations are not working properly and that needs changing.”
Emirati stand-up comic Ali Al Sayed moved from Jumeirah Lakes Towers last month to a flat just across the street from the mosque.
“Growing up, my father always made sure we lived near a mosque, and that has rubbed off on me I guess,” Al Sayed said.
“I come for fajr [dawn] prayers and there are four or five rows of people. I hope that continues after Ramadan.
“One thing I’ve noticed is people stick around to talk after prayers. Only a handful of people did that at the last mosque I used to go to, here everyone does it.”
The sense of community has helped to make this mosque a special place for Mr Saleem.
“If someone misses a few days people start asking about him and making sure everything is fine,” he said.
malkhan@thenational.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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)
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Volvo ES90 Specs
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
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Results
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions Dh90,000 2,200m
Winner: Mudaarab, Jim Crowley (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Hassan Al Hammadi.
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Salima Al Reef, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Bainoona, Ricardo Iacopini, Eric Lemartinel.
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: Assyad, Victoria Larsen, Eric Lemartinel.
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1 Dh5,000,000 1,600m
Winner: Mashhur Al Khalediah, Jean-Bernard Eyquem, Phillip Collington.
Company%20Profile
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- 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
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
