It’s been 18 months since I brought Frida home, the two of us wide-eyed as I drove us away from a dog shelter in Al Warsan industrial village unsure exactly what kind of dog owner I was going to be, but certain I was going to give it my very best shot.
As is the case for owners of most stray dogs, I have few concrete facts about Frida’s early days. Vets told me she was between one and two years old when she was found living on a building site in Ajman; she had a ripped ear, was underweight, shy and had definitely had one, if not two, litters of puppies.
Fast forward a year and a half, she is a confident and happy pup, who grew accustomed to sleeping on the sofa impressively quickly, charms strangers when they walk past her and has every family member wrapped around her little paws.
So, it feels fitting that on the week of Valentine’s Day, I am here writing a love letter to my little dog, and rescue dogs in general. I have no hesitation in saying that adopting her was the best decision of my life.
Last week, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, took over the care of Grace, a saluki-cross who had been shot with an air gun. In January, Bubbles Pet Rescue group shared images of Grace on social media, detailing the way she had been mistreated, but they had a happy ending for the pup when the Dubai Crown Prince visited.
Sheikh Hamdan shared a video of meeting Grace on his Instagram Story. "Come here ... you are a good girl," he says as he greets her in a veterinary clinic kennel. She then starts walking and wagging her tail and he says: "You're happy. You're in safe hands now."
The Crown Prince is one of countless international royals with a well-documented affection for dogs. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is known for her collection of corgis, but the family also has a history of rescuing pooches. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is a patron of London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and has re-homed two Jack Russell terriers through the charity, Beth and Bluebell; and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had rescue dogs, Guy and Bogart, before she married into the royal family. Japan’s Princess Aiko considers her mix-breed dog Yuri as “a younger sister and close friend”, according to an aide.
Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, was also a vocal dog lover. His favourite pet was said to be Thong Daeng, a puppy who was sent to the palace after the king took an interest in the treatment of Thailand’s street dogs. He loved the dog so much he wrote a biography for her, describing her as "a common dog who is uncommon".
I have not quite got to the stage where I am writing Frida’s biography, but give me a few years and I am sure I will have enough material to give it a try.
Before adopting a dog, I never underestimated the way it would change my life. I knew it was a serious responsibility – in the sense of both time and money. I did, however, underestimate how much I would want my life to change. She is the first consideration when it comes to any travel plans, I can safely say I am more of a homebody than ever before and, when I do go out, I’m happier in a dog-friendly cafe (Social Company in Zabeel House The Greens is a personal favourite, and one of the few places in Dubai that allows dogs inside).
In the past few years, the UAE has become a much more dog-friendly country. Sure, you still can’t walk your pet around Dubai Marina’s Marina Walk, but communities around the Emirates have built dog parks, countless cafes and restaurants allow dogs to sit outside, hotels have started to accommodate pets and Ras Al Khaimah has branded itself as the dog-friendly emirate with its new Ras Al-K9 campaign, which lists the hotels, restaurants, hikes, beaches and parks where dogs are welcome.
In Ras Al Khaimah alone, the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort, the BM Beach Resort, Banan Beach Resort and Bear Grylls Explorers Camp all welcome four-legged guests, as does the JA Hatta Fort Hotel in Dubai, which I recently checked out with Frida and her best pal Pepsi, who both adapted to the room service life at great speed.
As I write this, there are countless dogs in the UAE looking for homes. Rescue groups and shelters, including K9 Friends, Bubbles Pet Rescue and Fujairah’s Animals and Us, all work to keep homeless dogs safe, promoting animal welfare across the country. The UAQ Stray Dogs Centre cares for 780 dogs, 15 cats and four donkeys in its shelter houses, made possible by the centre’s staff of 16 and about 100 volunteers, Amirah William, founder of the centre, confirmed. A total of 632 dogs were adopted from the UAQ Stray Dogs Centre last year, she says.
A conversation I had with my very pragmatic dad in the weeks after I adopted Frida went a little bit like this: “You have just made moving back to the UK a lot more expensive,” he said with a sigh. I reminded him that I have no immediate plans to move anywhere and can start a Frida fund to cover any eventual moving costs. “Have you thought about vet costs?” was the next question, to which I reminded him I had considered my canine finances. He then played with her for a few minutes and said, “I suppose it doesn’t matter, you have saved a little soul.”
There is no doubt that if I hadn’t adopted Frida, she would have charmed the next person who came in to meet her – she has the eyes – but I will always be glad that I got there first.
K9 Friends and UAQ Stray Dogs Centre dogs who are currently up for adoption:
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Brief scores:
Toss: Rajputs, elected to field first
Sindhis 94-6 (10 ov)
Watson 42; Munaf 3-20
Rajputs 96-0 (4 ov)
Shahzad 74 not out
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
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Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
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Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, kick-off 10.45pm
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
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
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Uefa Champions League last 16 draw
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Basel v Manchester City
Sevilla v Manchester United
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
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.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
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
Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
