There is no moment like the present, and there’s no better word to accurately describe this than now.
Expressing a sense of immediacy and urgency, the word, in any language, isn’t often used subtly.
This week’s Arabic word of the week, al aan, is no exception. It's a noun that means this very present moment and even has a plural variation, awina, which is used to describe a collection of present moments in the past.
Al aan is a word in classical Arabic but is understood across dialects. However, many dialects have their own versions of al aan which are more commonly used in day-to-day language, such as al heen in many Gulf dialects, hassa in the Iraqi dialect, hallaa in the Levantine dialect and del waati in the Egyptian dialect.
Al aan comes from the verb aana which is derived from the two Arabic letters, alif and noon. Aana means doing something in the present moment, or the time in which to do a particular task. It encapsulates in one word the English phrase “the time is now.”
Ann is another word derived from aana, which refers to a period of time in the past, present or future. Interestingly, aana is also the root word for ayna, which means where, used either as a statement or a question, and the word ayna, a noun which means when.
So the words now, where and when in Arabic all come from the same word, aana, a verb concerned with the direct use of time.
While mostly used in Arabic, al aan has also found its way into other languages such as Farsi and Khalaj, a language spoken in parts of Iran and Afghanistan. In these languages, al aan also refers to the present moment.
The 2005 Arabic film, Al Jana Al Aan, which translates to Paradise Now, is a 2005 psychological drama directed by Palestinian-Dutch director Hany Abu-Assad. Paradise Now won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006 and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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
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