Ramadan is a time of discipline and self-control, and a month to slow down the pace of life – to focus on faith, family and charity. For professional CrossFit athlete Shaikha Al Qassimi, the test is also to maintain her fitness and nutrition programme.
“I love the downtime, the quiet and relaxed days, and active nights,” Al Qassimi says. “I would say my greatest challenge is to avoid all the delicious deep-fried and sugary delights.”
Al Qassimi’s career so far has had its share of challenges.
“I started in March 2013,” she says. “I watched videos of all these CrossFit women lifting crazy amounts of weight, fast and with great form, doing movements I had never seen or heard of before. I was eager to learn and do it, too. The toughest challenge was the fear of failure. I just needed to replace that with something positive to be able to reach my goals.”
In January, Al Qassimi became a Red Bull athlete, and is also an ambassador for Canadian brand Lululemon Athletica. “I have come a long way in my personal growth and physical performance,” she says. “My biggest achievement is the progress in my performance and my mental game during competitions.”
She draws inspiration from her social-media followers.
“My followers on Instagram and Snapchat motivate me every day and encourage me to keep going. My career is mainly to inspire them and they inspire me back by changing their lifestyles and telling me their stories,” she says.
But not everyone understands her sport or desire to succeed. “Socially, it was very hard when I first started – it still is at some points – having to explain why I spend so much time in the gym or why I train so hard or so much,” she says. “This is a passion, a dream. People will always question what they don’t understand.”
Al Qassimi’s positive mentality helps her through her toughest times, though. “I don’t let negativity affect me,” she says. “I solely focus on everything great and positive to keep me going.”
What album are you listening to at the moment?
Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams. I enjoy how beautifully orchestrated their music is. Coldplay are my favourite band of all time and their current album is very uplifting.
How do you unwind?
At the beach with friends or playing some video games at home.
What has been the best country you’ve visited so far?
Singapore. The sightseeing was great; it’s literally a city inside a forest. The food was delicious and the locals were the nicest.
What is your favourite film and why?
Southpaw – it was very inspirational.
Who inspires you and why?
Annie Thorisdottir, a professional CrossFit athlete from Iceland. She has been unstoppable from the start of her CrossFit journey.
Describe yourself in five words.
Humble, genuine, raw, strong and spontaneous.
If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Super strength. One of my favourite Marvel characters is Jessica Jones, and I would love to have super strength, to do what I do best and at the same time use that strength to fight crime.
What sport do you follow?
Weightlifting. I follow Mattie Rogers on Instagram (@mattiecakesssss). She is one of my favourite athletes of all time. She's incredibly inspirational and her personality is as strong as her lifts.
What’s your favourite cuisine?
Japanese fusion, so I love sushi. My favourite place to eat at is Atisuto in Galleria Mall or Mori Sushi in Downtown Dubai.
When you were growing up, what was your dream job?
A successful entrepreneur.
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%20Profile
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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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
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The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Results
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