For Emirati Saleh Hamed, shopping for kanduras has always been a stressful experience.
From finding the right tailor and choosing the right fabrics, to the never-ending rails of white material, Hamed often found that his shopping trips threw up more questions than they answered.
“I’ve never found kandura shopping to be the nicest experience,” Hamed tells The National.
“I tend to be a very discerning customer, I like to know what I'm paying for. But often I would find that people couldn’t tell me why one kandura cost Dh250 and another cost Dh150, when on the surface they looked very similar. I just felt like things could be done better.”
After speaking to some of his friends, he realised he was not alone in his thinking. “I remember when I first started wearing kanduras, I'd have friends who were non-national, and they would ask about my kanduras and I’d tell them: ‘why don't you make one?’ but then them taking the step of going to a tailor, especially if they don't speak the language, for example, or even if they did, it can be a difficult and off-putting experience.”
As a result, the idea for CanCan was born. Hamed, who co-founded the app with Mohamed Al Jneibi, Yaqoob Al Shehhi and Khalid Al Hashimi, used his background in computer science to develop an app that not only simplifies the kandura experience, it revolutionises it.
CanCan is the world’s first platform in the traditional menswear market to use AI technology. Using body scanning imagery, CanCan takes accurate measurements through a smartphone camera, taking into account factors such as weight, height and age. These measurements can then be shared with its partner tailors to create a made-to-measure kandura that will be delivered to the customer's door within four days of purchase.
Hamed believes that CanCan will streamline the process of shopping for kanduras and open up the market too.
“Take women for example, they are not able to go to a tailor to buy kanduras for their husbands or sons, but they can order through our app,” he says. “And not only that, but a lot of these tailors are small, local and family run businesses, a lot of them do not have an online presence and are not reaching new customers.
“If there’s a tailor in Sharjah for example who is doing something new with his kandura designs, it’s unlikely a customer from Abu Dhabi would hear about it or make the journey. But we can offer that service for them through CanCan.”
CanCan also hopes to expand into other countries in the region and around the world, helping to connect customers with styles and garments native to their country that they might not be able to find in tailors where they live.
“If we could offer a service for people to order authentic styles and designs from home, that we know will fit perfectly and be delivered in a few days, it could really help people to feel connected,” Hamad says. “And not only that, we want to reach new markets too. We're taking the kandura to the world, basically, to anybody in the world. And I think it will help to build new relationships and new pathways, and new opportunities for cultures to meet.”
CanCan has a big focus on sustainability, with the hopes of prolonging the lifecycle of kanduras.
“Sustainabily is a key objective,” Hamad says. “We are a start-up right now, but as we grow, we want to tackle some of the things about the market that we are not happy with. What we want to do is have a unique ID for every single kandura that we make, to trace it through its life and then have a programme that allows people to give their kanduras back when they are done with them, and we'll refurbish them to a certain degree, and then we'll give them to less fortunate people or reuse the materials for other things.”
Sultan Al Darmaki, chairman of Al Darmaki Group, was one of the early investors in the start-up.
“CanCan is living proof that homegrown ideas and concepts work in the UAE and internationally, and can be a catalyst for others to take risks and explore new territory," he says. "The team is harnessing innovation to deliver a product that is integral to our culture in a way that suits today’s fast-paced lifestyles and consumers’ increasing reliance on technology. I am delighted to be part of this exciting new venture, and to promote growth among young, forward-thinking entrepreneurs."
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
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.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
