In June 2010, Arnie Hira took refuge in the business centre at The Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi. He had had a disagreement with his business partner Jordana Lynch and needed space to clear his mind.
The duo, also a couple and both from northern England, were visiting the UAE capital for a break after the recent folding of Mr Hira's business, a glamorous restaurant in Manchester's city centre.
The next few minutes were to change their lives, planting the seed that has grown into the luxury publication Simply Abu Dhabi, which is delivered "by invitation only" to royalty, politicians, celebrities and business leaders in the UAE and around the world.
"I googled 'Abu Dhabi' and found nothing that highlighted the luxury in the city. I identified an opportunity to showcase the capital's luxury lifestyle and eureka Simply Abu Dhabi was born," Mr Hira says.
Now in its third year, the magazine, which was first published in March 2010, is released quarterly with 7,000 printed copies distributed globally. In addition, the title boasts 130,000 Facebook followers, 13,000 LinkedIn connections and more than 500,000 email subscribers to the electronic version.
Mr Hira is thankful he acted on his instincts in that moment.
"I immediately searched for all domain names and trademarks relating to our newborn business and registered the names where applicable. We had a new business," he says.
However, Mr Hira knows only too well that businesses don't materialise and succeed on whim alone.
The 39-year-old entrepreneur's late grandfather and father both prospered with the family business, The Hira Company, which specialises in electronics. Mr Hira worked for the company as a senior sales director handling multimillion-pound accounts until the call to forge a business of his own struck in his mid-30s.
His first venture was the ill-fated restaurant, founded with premiership footballer investors and costing £4.3 million (Dh24.6m). Despite employing top chefs and attracting celebrities such as Jay Z, Kanye West and Lionel Richie, the business closed in 2011.
Retreating to Abu Dhabi to stay with family and reassess his business future, Mr Hira took a leap of faith when he conceived the idea of a publication to promote the luxury nature of the UAE capital.
"Jordana and I went back to the UK and contacted the creative team from the restaurant and told them that we wanted to create a digital publication. We wanted to create an ultra exclusive product in terms of design, imagery and content," he says.
However, media agencies in Dubai Media City showed little interest in the concept except for a senior executive who suggested it should be in print.
Taking the comments on board, the couple returned to the United Kingdom with a desire to make Simply Abu Dhabi a printed title, much like a coffee-table book, but this meant a significant difference in cost.
"We were very tight on finances. It was a very stressful time. However, we decided to sell our cars and invest in a printed version. It was a reality check and time to step up," he reveals.
After announcing the print version in the UAE, several advertisers booked pages and the ball got rolling. They acquired costing from various printers and distribution companies in the Emirates and accepted a quote from UPP printers, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media.
The contract has proved fortuitous and Mr Hira is quick to point out his gratitude for this business relationship.
"We are constantly lured away by other printers offering us more competitive quotes but we consider UPP family. They have sheltered us from harms way since day one and treated Simply Abu Dhabi as their own, it's a wonderful company," he says.
Earlier this summer Mr Hira was back at the Emirates Palace hotel, almost three years to the day from when he had that initial business idea.
Staying there to celebrate the 10th issue of Simply Abu Dhabi, Mr Hira even managed to present his publication to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Mr Hira had noticed Sheikh Mohammed taking coffee in the hotel and asked if he might offer a copy.
Under the slogan "Born in Abu Dhabi, designed in Manchester, distributed throughout the world" the magazine continues to thrive.
business@thenational.ae
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
RESULT
Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')
RESULTS FOR STAGE 4
Stage 4 Dubai to Hatta, 197 km, Road race.
Overall leader Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal) 2. Matteo Moschetti ITA (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
