Maurits Robert van Gelder’s earliest memories as a child was seeing his pilot father dressed and ready for work. The uniform, including a set of epaulets and imposing cap, always sparked his curiosity.
With his dad working on the flight deck and his mother as a cabin manager, aviation was a big part of Mr van Gelder’s childhood. The sky felt like home.
Weekends were spent in the air with his father flying small planes and helicopters. During school holidays, he would often take off with his parents on long-haul flights, back in the days when he could visit his dad in the cockpit.
"I was basically born and bred in aviation," he told The National.
As soon as I entered the cockpit for the first time my goal was set. I knew right then I wanted to fly jets around the world
“I would always go on flights with my dad. As soon as I entered the cockpit for the first time my goal was set.
“I knew right then I wanted to fly jets around the world.”
The Abu Dhabi resident, originally from the Netherlands, was so inspired by his father that his dream to follow in his footsteps became a reality in adulthood.
At the age of 18, Mr van Gelder, now 29, enrolled and qualified from flight school.
But less than a decade after graduating, his world came crashing down because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Having been made redundant as a senior first officer with Etihad, he was forced to take on work as a real estate agent.
But the goal is to one day fly again.
A child with sky-high ambitions
From as young as he can remember, flying dominated Mr van Gelder's life.
While most children kicked off their uniforms after school and rushed outside to play with friends, he spent his spare time playing flight-simulation games on his computer.
His father even built a child-size cockpit out of Duplo building blocks for him to practise in.
By the age of 14, Mr van Gelder could “procedurally fly a Boeing 747 or 777”, but because of his age he was not yet licensed.
“Flying is in my blood and comes so natural to me,” he said.
“I honestly never thought I would even have to think about another career path because flying was always my only option.
“When I started flight school I took a loan to pay for it and was in €140,000 [$169,020] worth of debt. I didn’t care about socialising or partying, I was just so committed.
“I graduated after just a year and a half and I was 20 when I qualified to fly commercial planes.”
Four months after completing flight school, he was offered a job in Turkey to fly a commercial Boeing 737-800. And just over three years later, in 2017, he landed a job in Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways.
Mr van Gelder then had the privilege of flying alongside his father, who was a captain with the same company before his retirement in 2018.
“I was 25 and was flying around the world in a Boeing 777-300 to places like the US, South Africa, Australia and the Far East,” he said.
“It was always my dream to fly alongside my father and I finally achieved it.
“I was very happy with my job but, as is typical with me, I’m never really satisfied so I made a new goal to become a captain by the time I was 30.”
'My plan is to get my wings back'
As the years ticked by and he clocked up more flying experience, devastation hit last year when the travel industry ground to a halt because of the Covid-19 virus outbreak.
He was one of hundreds of pilots let go by the airline in July.
“The redundancy came via an email. In that one email my entire world fell apart,” he said.
“For me, it was completely out of the blue because I was flying throughout the pandemic so thought I was safe. I was flying on a reduced salary too.
“I would have taken a 90 per cent pay cut in the pandemic had it meant I could still fly, or even keep my job as a pilot, but that wasn’t an option.
“It’s been so incredibly hard not being able to fly, it’s something I worked so hard for.
"I’ve had to take on work as a real estate agent for now.”
Selling homes is a stop gap
For the past nine months, Mr van Gelder has been selling multimillion-dirham homes and apartments in Abu Dhabi.
But no matter how big the sale or commission, he said nothing will ever compare to the feeling of flying above the clouds in the cockpit.
With an overflow of pilots looking for jobs, he has sent off numerous applications but says "airlines just aren't hiring right now".
“There is so much anxiety with my current job, not knowing when the next commission is coming. I’m stretching my money as far as I can,” he said.
"If I could choose between real estate work and flying, it will always be flying," Mr van Gelder said.
“For now, realty is the only thing I can see myself doing to make money, but it doesn’t make me happy. It’s not my passion.
“My entire life plan was to become a pilot and now my future plan is to get my wings back. It has to happen soon. It can’t not.”
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Fact Box
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.
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