As families gathered to celebrate Eid, there was no time off for hardworking leaders and servicemen. For while the festivities for most meant spending time with loved ones, those in the frontline of service to their country did not press pause.
Ramadan encourages us to strive to be our best selves. Eid is a time to reflect and celebrate our values and strengths. This was even more evident over the weekend.
That didn’t just mean the gallant troops fighting insurgents in Yemen but extended to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, who flew out to Addis Ababa to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and discuss ties.
After his official duties, Sheikh Mohammed visited the family of fallen soldier Sub-Lt Khalifa Al Khatri, who was killed in Yemen, to offer his condolences and to honour a true UAE hero.
Meanwhile several ministers and leading officials were on duty. Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, spent Eid with troops in Yemen. “This was one of the best Eids of my life,” he tweeted. “They inspired me with their courage, their spirit and their determination to help our brothers in Yemen.”
Others, including Maryam AlMheiri, chief executive of TwoFour54, were also visible, performing public duty on a day when they could be excused for taking a back seat.
The message they sent out was that they were part of a united, wider UAE family, one whose individual parts matter as much as the whole.
Ramadan this year was unprecedented. Instead of the brakes going on for a long, slow, uneventful summer, there has been waves of even more announcements of economic and societal reforms. In more way than one, the UAE has pushed further ahead with its evolution.
Just as this has been an Eid like no other, the coming months are set to reimagine the landscape of the UAE in a way that has never before been seen.
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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WISH
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
