Last week's Cabinet reshuffle brought many surprises, not just in terms of some of those taking up Cabinet posts for the first time but also in terms of the reorganisation of several ministries and the creation of several ministerial posts.
Internationally, the nomination of our first Minister of State for Happiness and of 22-year old Shamma Al Mazrui as Minister of State for Youth Affairs, as well as the choice of other women for many of the new appointments, attracted considerable attention. More than mere attention, perhaps – amazement too. But then this isn't the first time, and it won't be the last, that the UAE has raised eyebrows abroad with its innovative steps in terms of Government and its emphasis on the empowerment of its women.
Major challenges lie ahead for the new Cabinet. I am confident that the combination of experienced old hands and the impressive clutch of newcomers will serve the country well in the years ahead.
I shall devote this column, though, to one of the new portfolios, allocated to a tried and tested Cabinet veteran, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, formerly Minister of International Co-operation and Development, and now Minister of State for Tolerance.
The first woman to be nominated as a Minister in the UAE, over a decade ago, Sheikha Lubna was, in my view, an outstanding success in her former role, not just because of her skills at communicating the UAE's views to an international audience but also because of the way in which she brought together the efforts of the country's diverse overseas aid and humanitarian institutions.
There is now, where there wasn't before, a coherence about the message being given about the country's activities in this field. One result, with all the figures being properly collated for the first time, is that the UAE has been recognised globally as the most generous country, per capita, in the world, in terms of the percentage of its national income being allocated to aid and relief.
Our role as aid-givers for those in need, whether as a result of natural disasters or of man-made catastrophes, is now, deservedly, acknowledged.
That assistance, of course, has never been restricted to one region, to one group of people or to those of one particular belief. Instead, it has gone to countries and to peoples without discrimination, evidence of the UAE's broad and tolerant humanitarian approach.
That should serve Sheikha Lubna well as she comes to grips with her new portfolio as Minister of State for Tolerance. Here too, there is a need for wider international recognition about the spirit of cultural and religious tolerance that is a fundamental part of Emirati beliefs and of the Emirati way of life.
Here at home, that spirit is familiar to all, whether it be in the celebrations of Eid, Diwali or Christmas or in daily life. It is evident, too, in the way in which the diverse aspects of our national heritage are cherished.
In its tolerance, the UAE offers a marked contrast to much of the rest of the world. Elsewhere in the region, the words and atavistic practices of those who, like ISIL, deny the basic human right to the freedom of belief of those whose views differ with theirs, reign rampant over millions of people. In Europe, struggling to cope with the arrival of desperate multitudes seeking an escape from conflict in the Middle East, an ugly xenophobia is taking root that threatens not only new arrivals but also the nature of the societies whose succour they seek. Almost unbelievably, the current Republican front-runner for the next US presidential election, Donald Trump, is a man who calls for a ban on the entry of Muslims into the United States, including those, one assumes, who are US citizens, born and bred.
The UAE has a long, proud record of tolerance. Sheikha Lubna has already proved her ability to speak for this country to the world. She has a powerful message to present. I wish her well.
Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture
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.
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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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
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
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Indika
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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