Nicola Jayne Augusti is a British expat who launched her swimwear business three months before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Sales hit zero during the outbreak, but things are slowly returning to normal for her as sales increase again. 'The National' spoke to four small business owners on how they overcame challenges to keep their ventures afloat amidst a pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Nicola Jayne Augusti is a British expat who launched her swimwear business three months before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Sales hit zero during the outbreak, but things are slowly returning to normal for her as sales increase again. 'The National' spoke to four small business owners on how they overcame challenges to keep their ventures afloat amidst a pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Ms Augusti said she used social media, especially TikTok, to help promote her brand. In the past months, she has sold 28 of her products and said the numbers are increasing every day. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Ms Augusti said she used social media, especially TikTok, to help promote her brand. In the past months, she has sold 28 of her products and said the numbers are increasing every day. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Anabia Jamshed, from Pakistan, said sales hit zero when the pandemic hit last year. The 34-year-old sells embellished household and decor pieces on an online platform that is licensed by Dubai’s economic department. She used social media to market her products and increase sales. Courtesy: Ms Jamshed
Anabia Jamshed, from Pakistan, said sales hit zero when the pandemic hit last year. The 34-year-old sells embellished household and decor pieces on an online platform that is licensed by Dubai’s economic department. She used social media to market her products and increase sales. Courtesy: Ms Jamshed
Ms Jamshed sells embellished home decor pieces. She has a master's degree in interior designing. Courtesy: Ms Jamshed
Ms Jamshed sells embellished home decor pieces. She has a master's degree in interior designing. Courtesy: Ms Jamshed
Nasser Sultan Lootah is a 16-year-old Emirati who sells manga books, clothing and anime merchandise online. The store is licensed under his mother’s name. Courtesy: Mr Lootah
Nasser Sultan Lootah is a 16-year-old Emirati who sells manga books, clothing and anime merchandise online. The store is licensed under his mother’s name. Courtesy: Mr Lootah
Salem Rashed Alnuaimi, 24, is an Emirati who overcame challenges during the height of the pandemic to save his online business. He sells led lights of popular characters from anime, video games and movies. Courtesy: Mr Alnuaimi
Salem Rashed Alnuaimi, 24, is an Emirati who overcame challenges during the height of the pandemic to save his online business. He sells led lights of popular characters from anime, video games and movies. Courtesy: Mr Alnuaimi

UAE

How UAE's savvy small business owners bounced back from the pandemic

Entrepreneurs set about rising to the challenge when Covid-19 struck

Sarwat Nasir
Sarwat Nasir
UAE

May 04, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Related: 10 popular freelance jobs in UAE and what they pay

Small business owners in the UAE say they refused to give up on their dreams when the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic threatened their livelihoods.

Stay-home measures and travel restrictions had a far-reaching effect on traders – big and small – all over the globe.

Independent business owners, many of whom invest their savings in their projects, were placed under particular strain by the financial fallout of Covid-19.

The National spoke to four small business owners who got creative to get through difficult times and now see hope on the horizon.

Swimwear brand emerged from troubled waters

Nicola Jayne Augusti, 32, is a British resident of Dubai who quit her corporate job in 2019 to launch a swimwear brand, but three months later, the pandemic hit.

“I was previously a Champion Bikini Fitness competitor and wanted to launch a business that helped women get healthier, feel more confident and comfortable in swimwear,” said Ms Augusti, whose business operates under the name Nicky Bikini on social media.

“When Covid-19 hit, global travel got cancelled, people couldn’t leave their homes and swimwear sales reached zero.

“I was very scared because I had left my corporate job with enough finance for six months to get my business off the ground, but now that no sales were coming in, I knew that money would dwindle fast if I didn’t problem solve.”

Nicola Jayne Augusti quit her corporate job to launch her own swimwear brand in 2019. She diversified to stay afloat during the pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Nicola Jayne Augusti quit her corporate job to launch her own swimwear brand in 2019. She diversified to stay afloat during the pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ms Augusti said she used social media, especially TikTok, to help promote her brand.

“Social media helped in a number of ways,” she said. “It helped keep my finger on the pulse with behaviours of consumers during the lockdown.

“Home workouts became a huge priority. Off the back of this I decided to launch an activewear arm of my business and sales took off in the space of home workout gear.

“I noticed the social media platform TikTok was also rising at this time and I used it to tell the story of how my small business was coping during the pandemic.”

One of Ms Augusti’s videos on the Chinese social media platform gained more than 100,000 views, helping her reach a record number of sales.

In the past month, she sold 28 of her products and said the numbers are increasing every day.

The art of the sale

Anabia Jamshed, from Pakistan, faced similar challenges during the first wave of the pandemic.

The 34-year-old sells embellished household and decor pieces on an online platform that is licensed by Dubai’s Department of Economic Development.

Anabia Jamshed sells household and decor pieces online. Courtesy: Anabia Jamshed
Anabia Jamshed sells household and decor pieces online. Courtesy: Anabia Jamshed

She said sales dropped sharply in the first months of the pandemic.

"We all that know art pieces are known to be extremely slow-selling commodities,” said Ms Jamshed, who earned a master’s degree in interior design to pursue her lifelong passion and set up her business.

“So, financially, it was a huge struggle, where people didn’t want to go out even or connect, let alone spend on things other than the basic necessities.”

Ms Jamshed also used social media to help market her products and created videos to promote her brand.

Now, sales are slowly starting to pick up, with up to eight of her products sold on average each month.

“Each of my creations presents a story in itself,” she said. “It must never be out of any context at all. After all, this is the era of personalising, storytelling and emanating a nostalgic, cosy, snug and homey vibe.”

Teen entrepreneur 'found gap in market'

Nasser Sultan Lootah is a 16-year-old Emirati who sells manga books, clothing and anime merchandise online. The store is licensed under his mother’s name.

Despite his young age, he is quickly building up business experience.

His most recent venture, the Japanese bookstore he launched in August 2020, has been the most successful so far.

“When the pandemic was reaching higher numbers of cases, I was worried about my business failing due to lower sales,” he said.

“It was very hard for me to get my products because I get them shipped from overseas. Thankfully, my business began to grow slowly and sales where increasing, which gave me hope.

Nasser Sultan Lootah sells manga books and other merchandise online. Courtesy: Nasser Sultan Lootah
Nasser Sultan Lootah sells manga books and other merchandise online. Courtesy: Nasser Sultan Lootah

“Personally, I am very into manga and anime, but when the virus started many people couldn’t go out and buy these books. It’s then I realised that there were barely any libraries that would sell these books or deliver them, so I found a gap in the market which inspired the idea for my business.”

In the past couple of months, Nasser Sultan has sold 230 books. He charges about Dh40 to Dh45 for each book, while the clothing and anime figures go for about Dh100 each.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Salem Rashed Alnuaimi is another Emirati who overcame challenges during the height of the pandemic to save his online business.

The 24-year-old sells figures of popular characters from anime, video games and movies, which are lit with LED lights.

He said what makes him different from competitors is that his business designs and develops the lights locally.

Mr Alnuaimi’s brand gained exposure when they exhibited at the Middle East’s Film and Comic Con in 2019.

“By the end of March in 2020, we had to stop activity due to not being able to produce the lights locally and not being able to ship them because the courier service we were using stopped operating,” he said.

“It was worrying at first, but I was glad that my products aren’t those that have a shelf life and I didn’t have a store front or any employees.

“I was able to resume operations in August. Using Instagram ads to help gain more exposure really benefited me.”

Mr Alnuaimi said influencers on Instagram and TikTok carried out product reviews for him, which helped sales grow.

“Following a couple of Instagram ads and collaborations with social media influencers, my reach increased greatly and sales skyrocketed,” he said.

The cost for one led light is Dh100. Mr Alnuaimi said there zero sales from April to July last year. Since the pandemic restrictions were lifted, there are 30 to 50 sales a week.

7 ways to earn a side income in the UAE - in pictures 

Salman Kaka at his promotions job at a mall, where he has been hired under a six-month contract. Pawan Singh / The National
Salman Kaka at his promotions job at a mall, where he has been hired under a six-month contract. Pawan Singh / The National
Promotion jobs are popular among university students and those on a dependent visa, as firms hiring for these roles offer temporary work permits. Depending on the hours and company, a promoter can earn between Dh3,000 to Dh15,000 per month. Pawan Singh / The National
Promotion jobs are popular among university students and those on a dependent visa, as firms hiring for these roles offer temporary work permits. Depending on the hours and company, a promoter can earn between Dh3,000 to Dh15,000 per month. Pawan Singh / The National
Tenants or home-owners can rent their villas or apartments. Pictured is Sonia Ngninkeu, who rents her one bedroom apartment in the Damac Park Towers on popular home-renting app Airbnb. Pawan Singh / The National
Tenants or home-owners can rent their villas or apartments. Pictured is Sonia Ngninkeu, who rents her one bedroom apartment in the Damac Park Towers on popular home-renting app Airbnb. Pawan Singh / The National
The option is available to Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah residents. A license from the economic and a permit from the tourism authority is required. Ms Ngninkeu said the money spent gets covered "very fast". Pawan Singh / The National
The option is available to Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah residents. A license from the economic and a permit from the tourism authority is required. Ms Ngninkeu said the money spent gets covered "very fast". Pawan Singh / The National
The Dubai Flea Market allows residents to sell old and unique items around their house without having to purchase a trade license. It costs Dh305 to book table. Courtesy: Dubai Flea Market
The Dubai Flea Market allows residents to sell old and unique items around their house without having to purchase a trade license. It costs Dh305 to book table. Courtesy: Dubai Flea Market
Freelancing also offers residents to earn a side income. A freelancing permit is required, with prices in Dubai starting Dh7,500. Professionals in the media, marketing, social media, graphic designing, copywriters, legal experts, IT or a range other fields can get short-term gigs. Alamy
Freelancing also offers residents to earn a side income. A freelancing permit is required, with prices in Dubai starting Dh7,500. Professionals in the media, marketing, social media, graphic designing, copywriters, legal experts, IT or a range other fields can get short-term gigs. Alamy
Some of the most popular ways of freelancing online are on fiverr, where you can work as a translator, writer or for a a range of other required services. Many freelancing jobs get listed on social media, as well. Reuters
Some of the most popular ways of freelancing online are on fiverr, where you can work as a translator, writer or for a a range of other required services. Many freelancing jobs get listed on social media, as well. Reuters
Residents in the UAE can also part-time jobs with a second employer, which is allowed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. A permit is required. Young people aged 15 to 18 can also take on part-time jobs, with contracts that must not exceed one year. Written approval from parents is required. Getty
Residents in the UAE can also part-time jobs with a second employer, which is allowed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. A permit is required. Young people aged 15 to 18 can also take on part-time jobs, with contracts that must not exceed one year. Written approval from parents is required. Getty
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

On Women's Day
On Women's Day
War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brown/Black belt finals

3pm: 49kg female: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) v Thamires Aquino (BRA)
3.07pm: 56kg male: Hiago George (BRA) v Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA)
3.14pm: 55kg female: Amal Amjahid (BEL) v Bianca Basilio (BRA)
3.21pm: 62kg male: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) v Joao Miyao (BRA)
3.28pm: 62kg female: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR)
3.35pm: 69kg male: Isaac Doederlein (BRA) v Paulo Miyao (BRA)
3.42pm: 70kg female: Thamara Silva (BRA) v Alessandra Moss (AUS)
3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
3.56pm: 85kg male: Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE) v Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA)
4.03pm: 90kg female: Claire-France Thevenon (FRA) v Gabreili Passanha (BRA)
4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA

If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.

Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC

2009 Finalist

2010 Champion

Jan 2011 Champion

Dec 2011 Semi-finalist

Dec 2012 Did not play

Dec 2013 Semi-finalist

2015 Semi-finalist

Jan 2016 Champion

Dec 2016 Champion

2017 Did not play

 

Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
  1. Steve Baker
  2. Peter Bone
  3. Ben Bradley
  4. Andrew Bridgen
  5. Maria Caulfield​​​​​​​
  6. Simon Clarke 
  7. Philip Davies
  8. Nadine Dorries​​​​​​​
  9. James Duddridge​​​​​​​
  10. Mark Francois 
  11. Chris Green
  12. Adam Holloway
  13. Andrea Jenkyns
  14. Anne-Marie Morris
  15. Sheryll Murray
  16. Jacob Rees-Mogg
  17. Laurence Robertson
  18. Lee Rowley
  19. Henry Smith
  20. Martin Vickers 
  21. John Whittingdale
More on Quran memorisation:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of bank fraud

1) 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.

2) 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.

3) 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.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) 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.

6) 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.

Sanju

Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani

Rating: 3.5 stars

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)

Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

Disability on screen

Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues

24: Legacy — PTSD;

Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound

Taken and This Is Us — cancer

Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)

Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg

Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety

Switched at Birth — deafness

One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy

Dragons — double amputee

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinFlx%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amr%20Yussif%20(co-founder%20and%20CEO)%2C%20Mattieu%20Capelle%20(co-founder%20and%20CTO)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%20in%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5m%20pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venture%20capital%20-%20Y%20Combinator%2C%20500%20Global%2C%20Dubai%20Future%20District%20Fund%2C%20Fox%20Ventures%2C%20Vector%20Fintech.%20Also%20a%20number%20of%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman,  Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)

liverpool youngsters

Ki-Jana Hoever

The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.

 

Herbie Kane

Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.

 

Luis Longstaff

Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.

 

Yasser Larouci

An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.

 

Adam Lewis

Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT

Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000

Engine: 6.4-litre V8

Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier

UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs

Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)

1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0

Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am

Switching%20sides
%3Cp%3EMahika%20Gaur%20is%20the%20latest%20Dubai-raised%20athlete%20to%20attain%20top%20honours%20with%20another%20country.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVelimir%20Stjepanovic%20(Serbia%2C%20swimming)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20raised%20in%20Dubai%2C%20he%20finished%20sixth%20in%20the%20final%20of%20the%202012%20Olympic%20Games%20in%20London%20in%20the%20200m%20butterfly%20final.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJonny%20Macdonald%20(Scotland%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBrought%20up%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20represented%20the%20region%20in%20international%20rugby.%20When%20the%20Arabian%20Gulf%20team%20was%20broken%20up%20into%20its%20constituent%20nations%2C%20he%20opted%20to%20play%20for%20Scotland%20instead%2C%20and%20went%20to%20the%20Hong%20Kong%20Sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20daughter%20of%20an%20English%20mother%20and%20Emirati%20father%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20in%20Dubai%2C%20then%20after%20attending%20university%20in%20the%20UK%20played%20for%20England%20at%20sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Turkish Ladies

Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

Panipat

Director Ashutosh Gowariker

Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment

Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman

Rating 3 /5 stars

JAPAN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa

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