DUBAI // Armed with only an abacus and a few pencils, more than 1,500 youngsters have pitted their mathematics skills against the clock.
The annual National Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition is in its eighth year, and aims to help develop children's memory and problem-solving abilities.
The event, held on Friday, was run by the Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS), an international organisation that runs after-school classes to improve concentration skills.
"Basically, what we try to teach children is that they are all geniuses," said Soundari Raj, the managing director of UCMAS in the Emirates.
"Once children realise their potential and understand how smart they really are, that seeps into every aspect of their life and schooling."
The event, at Al Nasr Leisureland, was open to children aged between five and 16 from across the country.
They were seated at tables with an abacus and a few pencils to work out the questions.
Each child was given two large question sheets. The younger children had a total of 150 questions and the older ones 200. They then had eight minutes to answer as many questions as they could.
"It went really well and I enjoyed taking part in the competition," said Shahid Ibrahim, 8, from Delhi Private School in Dubai. "It was good because I was with my friends here and we all enjoyed it."
For Trisha Vijay, 7, her daily practice had paid off.
"I managed to answer 79 questions and they were really easy for me," said Trisha, from Abu Dhabi. "I did about half of the questions in my head and the other half with the abacus because they were a little bit more difficult."
Sai Sidharth Sriram, 8, from Dubai, is an old hand at the competition, having won it in 2008 and 2009.
"I've been taking the after-school class with UCMAS since 2007 and it's really helped me at school," Sai said.
"I do about half an hour a day to improve my speed and concentration, and this time I got about 66 questions answered."
The parents of children who attend the after-school classes say they have seen big improvements in their work.
"My daughter is the youngest in her peer group and was very self-conscious, but since she's been taking these classes she's really come out of her shell," said Dina Abdul Azziz, an Egyptian, whose daughter, 9, and son, 12, took part.
"Her concentration has really improved and that has helped her confidence. She's much more confident about answering questions in class and even does talks in assemblies."
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
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Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
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Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.