One of the benefits of a holiday is that it is an opportunity to step back from the daily challenges of work and to allow the mind to wander off in pursuit of new experiences and new ideas. Not that matters related to work are ever very far away, for me anyway, but the time to think quietly and to stand back is of enormous value.
Apart from pursuing hobbies, like birdwatching in a cooler climate, one of the things I value most is the opportunity to read more. Some of the books I am reading on my current break in the British Channel Island of Jersey are light, trashy novels – they may amuse, but scarcely educate and stimulate.
Others, though, are quite different. I’ve recently derived much pleasure from reading books on British and European medieval history, refreshing and expanding on knowledge learnt at school or university that has long since been forgotten.
I’m currently reading a well-researched study of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a remarkable 12th century duchess who was queen of France and then of England. She was also the mother of two English kings and of the wives of a German emperor, a king of Sicily and a king of Castile, now part of Spain. One of those English kings, Richard the Lionheart, crossed swords with the great Muslim leader Saladin during one of the Crusades.
The details of Eleanor’s marital and political career are fascinating, though scarcely of much relevance to a UAE audience today. But the biography had a throwaway line in a description of London in about 1150 that grabbed my attention and prompted further thought. At that time, over 850 years ago, England was trading with western Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic and the Mediterranean, and “gold was even imported from Arabia”.
That gold, I assume, must have come from what is now Saudi Arabia, where mines were reopened a few years ago. Who today is aware that Arabia exported gold to western Europe so long ago?
There is other evidence, too, of the contribution made by Arabia in the past to the flowering of prosperity and of culture in western Europe. Not long after Eleanor of Aquitaine – and perhaps during her lifetime, too – merchants from the Italian city-states of Venice and Genoa were making their way overland to the Gulf, to trade with Julfar, in Ras Al Khaimah, and the kingdom of Hormuz.
From there, fine Gulf pearls made their way back to the courts and the potentates of Europe. Some of those pearls can be seen in paintings of the Renaissance era. Over 1,000 years earlier, other pearls from the Gulf were highly prized by the ladies of imperial Rome, as, indeed, they were in the courts of late 19th century Europe.
There was the transfer of ideas, too. In 1145, an English contemporary of Eleanor, Robert of Chester, introduced the Arabic system of algebra to Europe. Either he or another early English scholar, Adelard of Bath, were the first to introduce Arabic numerals to Europe, though not until the 16th century did they finally replace the old Roman numerals.
Political and religious conflicts, like those engendered by the initial expansion and then waning of the early Arab-Islamic and the later Ottoman empires, attract attention from historians, and rightly so, although one wishes that they were better known, better understood. These ancient connections of goods and ideas, though, are also fundamental elements of the histories of the Arab world, stretching right into the Arabian peninsula, and of Europe, including its westernmost extremities.
The importance of a greater focus on the history and heritage of the UAE and of the peninsula as a whole, in our educational system is widely recognised: it’s an essential part of the promotion of the country’s national identity. Perhaps, in that, the gold jewellery of Eleanor of Aquitaine has a part to play.
Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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