Tears of joy were shed at Jumeirah College on Thursday as soon-to-be university students received their A-Level results and found out the outcome of their future education.
“I was so happy when I read my results,” said Lebanese pupil Mario Aoun, who earned an A* in both mathematics and business and an A in physics.
“I didn’t expect to get these results but I ended up getting them and I didn’t sleep last night but it was definitely worth it.”
He plans on studying mechanical engineering and business finance at the University College London (UCL). “I will be able to celebrate now. It was difficult and it was very hard but if you work hard, it just pays off, that’s the way it is,” the 18-year-old said.
Top A-level results have risen for the first time in the past six years in the UK, Wales and Northern Ireland with A* and A grades making up 26.3 per cent of entries.
Last year, the UK national average was 8 per cent A*, 25.8 per cent A* and A and 52.9 per cent A* to B, 77.6 per cent A* to C and 98 per cent A* to E.
This year pupils in Dubai received their results at the same time as Malala Yousafzai, the 20-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was accepted into Oxford University to study philosophy, politics and economics.
Back in Dubai, Briton Samantha Edensor hugged her mother in excitement when she saw her three A* in biology, chemistry and mathematics. “I was predicted two A* but I didn’t know I was going to get them so I’m a bit surprised,” she said. “I was so ill during the exams and I had glandular fever so I had doctors come in with an IV straight to my biology exam.”
She plans on studying medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. “I’m incredibly proud and quite awestruck really,” her mother Louise said.
“She’s worked so hard and she really deserves it. She really liked Brighton because it’s a very small medical school and they only take about 125 students a year. It’s really tiny so it was perfect and it was her top choice so I’m so glad she got in.”
Devika Dehiya, from India, got an A* in biology, two As in chemistry and physics and a B in mathematics. “I’m not sure about the maths because that’s supposed to be one of my strongest but I think it maybe got side-lined because of my other subjects,” she said.
“I had no idea what to expect because this is the new A-Level, which means I had no idea what the boundaries would be like. I feel they were a lot harder, I didn’t walk out feeling confident because they were new but I’m thrilled I got my requirement.”
The 18-year-old needed two As and a B to get accepted to study medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. “She’s had a fantastic home-run, she’s secured a seat and she’s completely thrilled,” said her emotional father, Deepak.
“We’re super proud. She’s absolutely pulled out all the stops in the past year and the amount of efforts she put in was incredible. My words to her this morning were that irrespective of what you get, the effort you put in is worth celebrating.”
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Read more:
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The school has outdone itself this year with an increase in A* results from 7.8 per cent in 2015 to 18.2 per cent.
“I’m pleased that 52 per cent of all grades were A or A* up from 30 per cent two years ago,” said Simon O’Connor, principal of Jumeirah College.
“I am thrilled that seven students got straight A* and 39 straight A* and A. The impact of that means they can go on to universities around the world – we’ve got students going to top Ivy League universities, including Oxford and Cambridge and that’s a real mark of this because it’s the qualifications they can take into the world and demonstrate how clever and able they are and hopefully, continue their lives to be successful as well.”
This year also marks the school’s largest cohort of students at 138 compared to 110 a few years ago.
“There was a certain nervousness going into today,” he said. “There are also new specifications this year. Last year, students would have done their A levels in two chunks whereas now, a lot of the subjects they have to do it all in one, which is more difficult on them. Having to do two exams at the end of two years as opposed to twice after the end of one year meant there was a bit of uncertainty but what we’re absolutely thrilled with is the fact that our results have gone up yet again, and quite significantly.”
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
more from Janine di Giovanni
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Specs
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
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Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Honeymoonish
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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