Work, or the "real world" that our parents talked about as we grew up, is a pretty similar process throughout the world. We show up in masses in the morning, sit in our offices or cubicles for eight or more hours, then leave in the evening. From a cultural perspective in the UAE that is how work is defined, and if you do anything else, explaining it to others seems awkward because it doesn't fit into a traditional definition we have of work.
I haven’t had a steady “nine-to-five job” for about a year now and I remember my father coming over for breakfast before Friday prayers and asking me what I had been up to. “I’m just freelancing at the moment, Dad,” I said, awaiting a painful response, and it came. “You’re unemployed son, that’s what you are, unemployed.”
“I love you too, Dad,” I said.
On a serious note though, my parents have always been supportive of my professional decisions. I just think it’s the lack of structure that worries them. For them, work had set times – there was a time to work, rest, get paid, take vacation and then retire. However, I was never good with set times, or at least time at work being used as an indicator of the value it created.
If you believe that every human is unique, that some people are productive in the morning, some in the afternoon and some at night, then why force everyone to be productive in one set period in the day, that is only to the advantage of one or two groups? I believe that set times cater to more industrial-like organisations, but other than being present for meetings and working sessions, I don’t know what purpose it serves other than to take attendance.
Netflix, the entertainment company known for its video-on-demand and streaming media, gives employees control of their time and company resources. They have unlimited vacation and can take expenses without approval if they are deployed in the best interests of the company. Its rationale for treating employees this way is that they “hire fully formed adults” – adults who are responsible and care about the company and their careers in it. Netflix does not measure people by how many hours they work; they care about accomplishing great work period.
Now I am not saying that companies need to start giving employees every freedom they like – just because this culture works for Netflix doesn’t mean it will work for every company. However, there is a lesson to be learnt in that giving employees some form of control over their day and a focus on their efforts made in value creation is a win-win.
Given the changing mentality of the incoming workforce and millennials, there needs to be a middle ground between government and private entities and the workforce. I don’t know what that is, but I do know that young people are starting to increasingly question why “work” is the way it is. The answer might be more flexitime, more flexible and virtual-type workspaces where you can log in anywhere.
In a recent job interview I was asked a classic question: “Tell me about your weaknesses, Khalid.” I replied: “I think my weakness in this environment would be having to sit and work out of one place, the same place, for eight or nine hours a day, every day. I am the type who likes to move around, see things and switch things up”. He said, “Well you will have a hard time fitting in here.”
I remember that earlier in my career, I finished work early for the day and wished I could pick up my son from school, but I knew I had to sit around for another three hours until I could go home. Instead of spending a few hours with my family and returning to work the next day energised and motivated, I sat around until it was time to go home, thinking about what I could have done with that time, wishing I could be treated more like an adult.
Khalid Al Ameri is an Emirati columnist and social commentator. He lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife and two sons.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
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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
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%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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.
Company%20profile
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey