One of Yemen's most popular writers is selling his collection of more than 8,000 books to raise money for rent and food for his family, reflecting the plight of citizens in Sanaa more than three years after Houthi rebels seized the capital.
Mohammed Al Qaoud, 40, told The National he had built up his library over three decades but was being forced to part with it because he had not been paid in two years as a result of the civil war that broke out in March 2015.
The author of 13 books of plays, poetry and short stories, Al Qaoud works as writer and editor at Al Thawra Corporation, Yemen's largest state-owned printing and publishing house.
However the government, now based in Aden, is unable to pay employees in Sanaa and other areas held by the Iran-backed rebels. Large areas of the south have been liberated with the help of Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE, but fighting continues in northern provinces and along the Red Sea coast.
Increasingly desperate, Al Qaoud offered his collection for sale in a Facebook post on Saturday.
"No longer is the suffering bearable and neither are the dire circumstances we experience in our beloved country. Our children are enduring the dangers of facing extreme harsh conditions and I found the answer to improving their lives would be through book selling," the father of four wrote.
"Therefore, I, Mohammed Al Qaoud, a bookworm, have decided to sell my rich collection of books, which comprises more than 8,000 knowledge and culture books, 20 per cent of which I keep in my residence and the rest in a private library outside.
"The money I plan to raise from selling my books would pay off my debts in addition to the house rent after I have been warned to vacate in a few days if I don’t pay my outstanding one-year balance.
"I offer my sincere apologies to my family for posting this urgent plea. Never before have I ever imagined I would take such a painful action."
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Read more: Yemen's UN envoy meets with Houthi delegation in Muscat
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Al Qaoud said many others in the capital were in the same situation.
"It is not just me — thousands of people in Sanaa are starving but they don't dare to raise their voice and say, 'enough, stop the war, we want to survive'.
"We are dying behind a wall of silence, nobody knows anything about our sufferings, all that is going on around us is fierce war in which there is no place for us who fight with their pens," said Al Qaoud, who heads the Sanaa chapter of the Yemeni Writers Union.
"Death is our fate in Sanaa, we don't have any other choice, we can't flee out because the Houthis will not let us to go, especially those who are known like us, writers and artists."
Al Qaoud asked potential buyers for his books to call or email him, but some people got in touch to urge him not sell, he said, while others, mostly expatriates, offered to help him financially so that he would not have to.
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Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
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2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m
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3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
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3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
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4pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,200m
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4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m
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Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')
Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)
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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
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
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Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
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The specs
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
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Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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'Ashkal'
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Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
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The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
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- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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- Duration: Can linger for days
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- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
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GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
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ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
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The lowdown
Rating: 4/5
