Each year, people across the UAE look forward to the latest collections and the new catalogue from the region’s favourite Swedish home furnishing retailer, Ikea. Each collection is a milestone moment for the brand and features a selection of seasonally relevant products, representing the different individual and family customers in the UAE. As we head into fall and having said goodbye to the catalogue in 2020, Ikea, part of the Al-Futtaim Group, launches its new brand campaign that brings the latest launch closer to customers allowing them to create a perfect home as needs and wants continue to evolve, under the theme of ‘Make your home a space that changes with you’.
Over the years, the Ikea Catalogue has become an iconic and beloved publication with a 70-year legacy and an important success factor for Ikea to reach and inspire many people across the world, with home furnishing solutions and products. But with time, customer behaviour, and media consumption changing, Ikea is amplifying its unique home furnishing knowledge, products and solutions, capturing the strengths of the Ikea Catalogue through its digital channels and connecting with many more of the many people.
Commenting on the launch, Carla Klumpenaar, GM of Marketing, Communication and Interior Design for Ikea, UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman, said: "At Ikea, we believe making a better life starts at home. A beautiful, well-organised home that captures your identity, allows you to be centred, anchored, and grounded, and changes your everyday habits. It can put a smile on your face, a spring in your step and completely change your mood, regardless of what else you have on your mind. We know that home is an ever-changing space and much more than the four walls, so our latest brand platform, Make your home a space that changes with you, conveys that Ikea can be a part of that journey and change with our customers as their lives change."
The video shows the lives of real people with real challenges. It throws light on the days when the course of their life changed; from the day they got married, the day they found out they were pregnant, the day they lost their job or got a new one, the day their parents decided to live with them, the day their children decided to move back in and the day they left their empty nesters. With everything changing, the video conveys how one must change their home to match the direction their life takes.
"We want to get closer to our customers, get to know them better, explore their homes and entertain them in a way that is truly Ikea. This is our Better Life at Home Movement," Carla added.
The findings from Ikea’s 'Life at Home' report indicates four key areas that it will be addressing across the year with products and solutions that will help change the lives and needs of customers across the UAE: affordable homes, smart homes, multi-generational homes with privacy, and sustainable homes within the community.
New home: affordable furniture
Ikea understands the importance of the little things, and how they can help turn a rented apartment into a haven to relax in after a hard day at work. This ensures customers always have the items to transform a space, whatever the budget, with reduced prices of over 1000 existing products in conjunction with the launch of the new collection.
Get connected, get smart
In addition to Wireless charging, Smart Lighting, Smart Sound and Smart blinds, Ikea introduces the fifth product segment from Ikea Home smart – Smart Air. Clean air is fundamental to be able to live a healthier and better everyday life at home and therefore Ikea is proud to launch the FÖRNUFTIG air purifier – a low-price air purifier that seamlessly melts into a home environment and doesn’t look like an electronic device.
Multi-generational homes
An Emirati home normally includes many generations: children, parents, grandparents, and even great grandparents. While family time brings a lot of joy to many people, we all need a space where we can destress and enjoy our own sanctuary. Now, more than ever, the definition of homes have changed; Home is where the kitchen is, the family room is, the me-corner is, the outdoor garden is, and the office is. Solutions and ideas have been carefully selected to address the challenge of privacy within such families who want to create multi-functional spaces in their homes, therefore, making Ikea locally relevant.
Sustainable homes within the community
Healthy and sustainable living are among Ikea’s focus points in its vision and ambition to become people and planet positive. Supporting UAE’s Vision 2021, which focuses on improving environmental quality, increasing the contribution of clean energy, and implementing green growth plans, Al-Futtaim Ikea is creating a movement in society around better everyday living. As part of the collection, Ikea will showcase how customers can live a sustainable life and create a space with a lower environmental impact.
To celebrate the launch, Ikea will be hosting a 'Life at Home' pop-up exhibition at Dubai Festival City Mall from August 25 for three months, which will showcase the products and solutions in action, featuring spaces for affordable homes, smart homes, sustainable homes and multi-generational homes with privacy, enriching every visit with ideas and inspiration.
For more information on Ikea, please visit:
Website: https://www.ikea.com/ae/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IkeaDFC/
Instagram: @ikeauae
Twitter: @ikeauae
About Ikea UAE
Ikea UAE, a member of Al-Futtaim group of companies, offers an extensive range of home furnishing products & accessories of good design, value, and functionality. In the UAE for 29 years, the large format Ikea stores in Dubai Festival City, Festival Plaza in Jebel Ali, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and small format stores in Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi and Al Bawadi Mall, Al Ain closely follow the popular self-serve and self-assembly concept which was conceived in Sweden over half a century ago. Ikea serves a wide choice of refreshments at the Ikea Restaurant and Café.
Customers can also join the Ikea FAMILY loyalty programme to avail of great offers and extended services on every visit to the store. Toll free number for the world-famous brand is 800 4532 (800 Ikea). For more information visit www.Ikea.ae, www.facebook.com/IkeaUAE or @IkeaUAE on Twitter.
About Al-Futtaim
Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and health; employing more than 42,000 employees in more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, we partner with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration, integrity; Al-Futtaim continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day. For more information visit: www.alfuttaim.com.
For more information please contact:
Shifa Al Usman | Impact Porter Novelli | ikea@ipn.ae | T 9714 3304030 E 432
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Scores
Rajasthan Royals 160-8 (20 ov)
Kolkata Knight Riders 163-3 (18.5 ov)
Saturday's results
Women's third round
- 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
- Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
- 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
- Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
- Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
- 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0
Men's third round
- 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
- Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
- 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
- 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
- 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
- Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Read more about the coronavirus
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
