Follow the latest updates on Expo 2020 Dubai here
Sitting in a villa surrounded by lush green landscapes in The Springs, Adrian Malinowski says it was a leap of faith that brought he and his family to Dubai.
Since landing in the desert from Warsaw in Poland in the summer, Mr Malinowski and his wife Agnieszka Malinowska have moved into a new home, enrolled their two young children in school and, like most in Dubai, tried every tip and trick to cool down in the soaring heat; albeit unsuccessfully.
In January last year, Mr Malinowski was presented with a career move he could not refuse.
Polish people are very family orientated so it was a bold move. At first, my children were a little insecure, they were leaving friends, family, but now they love it here
Adrian Malinowski,
general commissioner for Polish Pavilion
“People work their whole life to be offered a position like this,” he told The National.
“The opportunity to become the commissioner general of the Poland pavilion at Expo came about right before pandemic struck and I never got the chance to visit the city before the travel ban happened.
“So there I was, working in a job that was 4,800km from the city I was living in.
“I had to get to know my team and be hands-on with all things Expo without even setting foot in the city.”
Unlike others that have moved to Dubai temporarily to work at the world’s fair, Mr Malinowski made the decision to uproot his family in Poland and settle in the UAE. For him, there was no other way to do it.
“When I took that job, my main goal was to ensure my family were able to move with me,” he said.
“Polish people are very family orientated so it was a bold move. At first, my children were a little insecure, they were leaving friends, family, but now they love it here.
“We quickly learnt that the pool was a great way to cool down, that’s where we spend a lot of our time unwinding together as a family.”
Emirati food is now a favourite
Although only six weeks into their new life abroad, the couple said they have quickly adapted to life in the UAE. So too have their children, aged 8 and 4, who have already come on "leaps and bounds with their English language".
From trying the local cuisine – machboos and shawarmas being top favourites – to visiting the wadis and mountains in Sharjah, their plan to stay in the country for a only a year could be up for debate come August 2022.
“We have heard many people say they came to Dubai for a short time but they ended up staying longer, that speaks volumes,” he said.
“We love Poland, it’s our home, but this is our first time living away as a family. It’s a great adventure and who knows how long it will last.”
Asked whether they were happy to trade the lush green landscapes in Poland for the beige hues of Dubai, the couple said it had been “a fair trade off”.
“Okay, so we can’t stroll in the woods of Poland or walk through green fields for miles, but the services here are top notch, life is good and the people are so diverse,” said Mr Malinowski.
“We have lost some aspects of home but in the same breath, we have gained more in our new home, Dubai.”
Now affectionately called as “ambassadors for Poland” by friends, the family said Expo was a great platform to give the people of the UAE and the world a taste of what Poland had to offer.
Under the theme "Creativity Inspired by Nature", Ms Malinowska said the pavilion showed how well the country could adapt in an ever changing world.
“It is something we have had to do for the past 18 months because of the pandemic. We were forced to adapt new situations and we came out of it,” she said.
“When people visit the Polish pavilion, we want them to see that our home is a very interesting place.
“We get creative through art, technology, games, I think it will surprise visitors because maybe they are not so familiar with Poland?”
Positioned in the Mobility District, the pavilion is open from 10am to 10pm daily.
Visitors can take a rest in the shade of a kinetic sculpture representing flying birds, experience contemporary Poland through design and immersive projections and enjoy live performances from pianists, DJs and singers in the outdoor zone.
Expo 2020 Dubai - in pictures
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
More coverage from the Future Forum
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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
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
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.
