During their careers, many Federal National Council members have had demanding jobs, either at the federal or local level or in the private sector. While some left their jobs after joining the council, others did not have a choice: the law does not allow members to hold federal positions while on council because of a possible conflict of interest.
Several members, however, have retained their positions in local government. Here are five council members heading some of the biggest entities in the various emirates.
Marwan bin Ghalita, Dubai
Since 2007, Mr bin Ghalita has been the chief executive of Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera).
His dreams of joining the FNC began in 2005 when constitutional changes were made, allowing half the council to be elected. After an unsuccessful bid in 2006, he came back strongly in the 2011 elections and won.
Mr bin Ghalita said that his popularity from that position played a role in his election success. Like other members, however, he has faced some difficulties in juggling his roles and had to adjust to a change from being the person in charge at Rera to having just one vote in the FNC.
Noura Al Kaabi, Abu Dhabi
Before joining the council, Ms Al Kaabi was the chief executive of media hub twofour54. She said time management was the key in balancing her two roles.
Her appointment was welcomed by many, particularly young people who have named her as a role model because of her successful career, transparency and down-to-earth attitude.
Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Abu Dhabi
After joining the FNC in 2006, Dr Al Qubaisi has been in the press regularly – and with good reason.
After a productive four years, she was appointed for another term in 2011. Today she is not only the first deputy speaker in the FNC, but also the first woman appointed to the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and the general director of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec).
After seven years on the council, bringing up challenges in the education system on occasion, a noticeable change has followed her appointment to Adec, including a focus on child safety in schools, the recognition of child abuse, and encouraging creativity among pupils.
Afra Al Basti, Dubai
Outside the FNC, Ms Al Basti heads the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children. Her position has aided her on the council where she has strongly supported victims of human trafficking and abuse, both of which she deals with on a regular basis at the foundation.
She has delivered real-life cases to the council to illustrate points and has influenced legislative changes.
Dr Rashid Al Shariqi, RAK
Despite representing the Northern Emirates, Dr Al Shariqi’s day job is in the capital. He takes pride in his role as the director general of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, an internationally recognised food and agriculture organisation.
osalem@thenational.ae
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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
EXPATS
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports