Farah Malhas, 36, had just finished having lunch at a friend's house in Beirut when she felt a tremor.
There was, however, little indication of the enormity of what was about to happen.
"Initially, and because the [first] blast was felt underneath the building, I thought the overworked generators had exploded," she says, referring to the backup motors so commonly used in Lebanon because of electricity cuts. "When the second explosion occurred, the entire building shook or rather danced. Dust and rubble entered through the open windows, screams were heard outside and we sat there frozen, waiting for the building to collapse."
It was a moment of dread shared across the city. Everyone expected the worst. “Minutes later, when what we all anticipated did not happen, we ran to the corridor and sat on the floor trying to call loved ones in an attempt to figure out what was going on,” the artist says. “No one knew, and people were speculating. Then it became clear, there was an explosion at the port.”
It has been two months since the explosion ripped through the port in the Lebanese capital and left at least 190 dead and 6,000 injured. Malhas, who will be exhibiting her artwork at World Art Dubai, which opens on Thursday, October 8, has yet to process the latest catastrophe to befall a city not short on catastrophes.
"To be honest, I do not think that I have really come to terms with what happened," she says. "I do not think anyone truly has. In less than a second, Beirut was completely destroyed. It was and still is like living in an apocalyptic movie.
"The extent of the damage was unfathomable. It only became clear the second morning. My home, which is in the Achrafieh neighbourhood, had been badly damaged. Glass facades were blown into the property, aluminium frames detached from the walls and were piled over the furniture and balcony. Stone fragments from the walls that once held these structures were scattered everywhere, doors split into two."
After assessing the wreckage at her apartment, Malhas's thoughts turned to her shop, Afaf – The Cake Lounge. Named after her maternal grandmother, it also acts as a studio for her paintings. Getting there was like walking "through Armageddon", she recalls.
"It was fewer than 500 metres away from the site of the blast, so we assumed it sustained some sort of damage. But nothing could prepare us for what we saw. My reaction was one of total disbelief. I did not know whether to laugh or cry. It was all gone. Everything."
It is profound to want to create and recreate close to a dozen pieces in such a short amount of time, but I decided to take this as a personal challenge of sorts, because if I can do this then I can do anything
Malhas had been preparing to introduce her paintings to the world for the first time at World Art Dubai, alongside the works of artists from more than 20 countries. Though her life was thrown into turmoil in a matter of minutes, she did not allow herself to wallow in self-pity.
“I did not have the time nor luxury to emotionally deal with what occurred because we were all busy picking up the pieces of what each of us lost.”
As she looked to recover her bearings, she started painting again. "Hope and my love of art made me pick up my brush again," Malhas says. "It is profound to want to create and recreate close to a dozen pieces in such a short amount of time, but I decided to take this as a personal challenge of sorts, because if I can do this then I can do anything."
As a child Malhas was encouraged by her father, Abdel Elah, a painter himself, to express herself through art. Born and raised in Amman, she moved to London in 2002 with plans to go to art school, but these fell through because her family could not see a future in the arts for her.
Then, in 2009, she went to Canada briefly before moving to Dubai for three years. Throughout that time, Malhas persevered with art.
Her unique style combines slivers of Arabic poetry with cartoonlike characters, utilising mostly – among other raw materials – oil, acrylic and spray paint on large canvasses.
It was the tragic and unexpected death of her father from a sudden illness in 2012 that led her to Beirut – where her father had lived as a student – two years later. This set her on the journey of self-discovery, which continues today.
"While studying for my master's, I reignited my passion for baking out of my home kitchen," Malhas says.
"With my grandmother's recipes in hand, I started supplying desserts to an array of local restaurants with the aim of one day opening my own. A few years later, in 2017, I took a leap of faith and opened a cafe and bakery in the Gemmayzeh neighbourhood – a melting pot of culture, heritage and all things art."
Malhas spent a year getting the place up and running, from overseeing its architecture and interior design to its menu creation. "It had to be perfect," she says.
After her art cafe was destroyed in August, Malhas and a group of friends set up an online fund-raiser, which she hopes will cover her losses and, if enough donations are raised, will resurrect the space in some form.
Malhas says that despite the recent trauma, her art has always been about perseverance, starting when she moved back to Lebanon.
"My art is not about Beirut. It is mostly inspired by my own collage of sorrow and tragedy," she says.
“For me, this specific style of work has become a means of therapy and a way to make light of heavy situations.”
For now, Malhas is looking ahead to experiencing World Art Dubai for the first time. "I am grateful for all the love and support I have already received from World Art Dubai. I hope to make them proud," she says. "I look forward to introducing my art to Dubai and the region. From there, I shall take things one step at a time.
"If anything, 2020 has taught me not to plan ahead too much," she says. "Things can and will change in a split second. Live in the moment, be grateful and stay away from anything and everything negative. Life is too short; death is but a brushstroke away."
World Art Dubai runs from Thursday, October 8 to Saturday, October 10 at Dubai World Trade Centre. More information is at www.worldartdubai.com
Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Types of fraud
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.
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.
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.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
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.
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.
* Nada El Sawy
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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