DUBAI // Triumphant grins and thumbs-up signs abounded as contestants in the Your Weight in Gold challenge stood on the scales for their final weigh-ins yesterday.
Most had lost between 3 and 5 kilograms since the Dubai Municipality weight-loss campaign began on July 19, but some - the biggest losers - had dropped as much as 22kg.
The Madan family, who drove from Abu Dhabi, were one of the many who committed to an exercise and diet plan.
"I like to challenge myself and need to for my overall health," said Akhil Madan, 26, a bank officer in Abu Dhabi, who dropped 3kg to 131kg by taking daily 10km walks along the Corniche. "Less carbs and rice, more fruits is what I need to continue eating. The gold was an added catalyst, an added benefit."
The campaign rewards contestants who lose more than 2kg in weight. Those who lose 2kg to 5kg win a gram of gold per kilo lost; between 5kg to 10kg win two grams per kilo; and those who lose more than 10kg win 3 grams per kilo.
Mr Madan, eligible for 3 grams of gold, was understandably happy, but so too were his parents, even though they missed the qualifying target of 2kg.
"I still applaud the programme because it is a trendsetter and it will have a long lasting impact on people's overall health," said Mr Madan's father, Jugal, an insurance manager. "It was worth driving from Abu Dhabi to see how committed people were."
Mothers pushing strollers were among the groups gathered at a room outside the entrance of Al Barsha park, where some of the weigh-ins were taking place. In Zabeel and Safa parks, more than 100 people registered within the first hour. The weigh-ins run from 5pm to 9pm and end Tuesday night.
"I was so surprised with two men who lost a lot - one lost 22kg and the other 18kg," said Mona Ossama of Professionals Regulatory Affairs, who helped participants weigh-in.
"Some women gained weight but everyone said they would continue with the effort."
Participants were as young as 10-year-old Utsav Paudel, who dropped 3kg to 41kg.
"He did not need to lose weight but the rest of the family did so he joined in," said his father, Rabindra Paudel, a Nepali computer engineer who lost 6kg. "The gold was a good motivator but now we want to stay fit. We discuss what to eat and I'm hoping it will become a way of life."
The family shed a total of 17kg and planned to celebrate by indulging in pizza and ice cream - treats that had been off limits for more than a month.
Participation cut across class divisions with labourers, maids, businessmen and schoolchildren queuing up.
"Socially it's a great initiative because it made people from different nationalities and sections get together with a common objective," said Ezzat Ragab, 46, a Canadian chief executive of an engineering company. Casting off 4kg, he now weighs 79kg and hopes to lose a couple of kilograms more to stay healthy.
"I feel more energetic, I can play more with my kids, I have seen the benefits of sticking to a healthy way of life," said Mr Ragab. "The gold is just a trigger and a great idea to promote this. It has had a great impact on people."
There were some disappointed faces such as Ukranian citizens Svetlana and her mother Hannah when their phone numbers were not found in the registration list.
"We are not in the system although we have registered and I have sent several emails," said Svetlana, a new mother who preferred not to disclose her weight, but said her mother had lost 7kg.
"We have been told they will check the system and let us know."
The municipality plans to hold an awards ceremony for all the successful contestants. The three biggest losers will be entered into a draw for a chance to receive a gold coin worth Dh20,000.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
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.
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
