RAS AL KHAIMAH // For thousands of years, ostriches roamed the Arabian Peninsula. They came to represent wealth and elegance, prized for their meat, eggs, feathers and leather. In ancient times they were used as a sacrificial animal, their image painted on pottery and their eggs traded as far away as China.
But their very value was their undoing, and they were hunted to extinction. By the 1960s, the Arabian ostrich was no more. Now, Mohammed al Mehrezi is slowly bringing its cousin, the Somali ostrich, back to the Middle East. It began 17 years ago. On a dusty road in Somalia, Mohammed stood motionless, mesmerized by the strange creatures before him. "I was standing by the road with two large birds," he recalls. "I said, they are not hens, they are not ducks, they are not swans. They are something strange."
The next day, Mohammed took leave from his UN peacekeeping mission and was on a plane back home to Abu Dhabi. In his carry-on baggage: two baby ostriches in a cardboard box. "I bought this first bird for US$10," he says. "The ostrich farm started as a hobby converted into business." Nearly two decades have passed since that fateful day and Mohammed is now the proud owner of 150 adult ostriches and 70 chicks that he keeps at his Digdaga ostrich farm.
In the beginning, his new ostriches brought a mixed reaction from his friends. "They were surprised of this bird," he says. And little wonder. The ostrich is a bird of prehistoric proportions. Ostriches can grow to 150kg, sprint at more than 70km an hour and leap more than five metres in a single stride. Its eyeballs are nearly 5cm across and its taloned toes bear a great resemblance to a camel's foot.
"The people here, they said, 'Either this is a very well grown hen or a poorly cared for camel'. They don't know what is this bird. They were happy to see this bird and my children also love them." Mohammed left his first two chicks under the care of his wife and children at a farm in Abu Dhabi. When he returned on his next trip, he brought six more with him. "When [we] brought them home they started growing. We had a lot of difficulty to grow them," he says, "but then I liked the animal. Because this bird is sort of human. He loves and hates and gets jealous. He has feeling. And he is a shy bird.
"So I thought to expand this project. Due to my knowledge that the ostrich was once an Arabian bird, it lived in the Arabian Peninsula, I became convinced that it could live in this climate." Mohammed purchased more birds from Nairobi, bringing his flock to a total of 20. Within a few months, Mohammed's new pets had laid 200 eggs. "Then I was forced to buy incubators and hatchers. I brought the first from Belgium, because it is also famous for ostrich hatching. Out of 200 I got 80 successful eggs."
"They multiply," he says. In mating season, which lasts from the middle of February until the end of April in the UAE, visitors to the farm can watch the ostriches perform an elaborate dance of flapping and squatting. The birds lay between 20 and 40 eggs, which spend 42 days in the incubator and three days in the hatcher to soften the shell. On Mohammed's farm, each male has one or two mates. "He will restrict his love to these two and he will fight and become very jealous if any other males come near. They are sentimental animals."
But when it comes to business, Mohammed puts his emotions aside. Each bird consumes five kilograms of alfalfa and pellets a day at a cost of Dh12,000 a month for the flock. And so, the birds must earn their keep. For Mohammed's ostriches, it is a case of eat and be eaten. "The ostrich as an animal is a meat producer," says Mohammed. "The meat is very high in protein and very, very low in cholesterol. So it's a good source of meat."
The ostriches are slaughtered at eight to 12 months. Meat costs Dh75 a kilogram and can be bought in supermarkets or eaten in restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and elsewhere. Sometimes, people buy ostriches to slaughter themselves. "A pair of ostriches, male and female, costs Dh700," he says, adding that some people prefer to keep the birds as pets. "The skin can be sold, the feathers can be sold, the fingers can be sold and used like ivory as decoration. The leather can be used for handbags and shoes. The eggs can be used ... as decoration. The bone can be used for artificial teeth. So it is a fully used animal."
The bird produces three types of feathers. Two kilograms of fine feathers can fetch as much as Dh200 in Europe, says Mohammed. In 2005, Mohammed's curiosity took him to an ostrich egg carving centre in Jordan. There, he met a local artisan who offered to carve and paint eggs for Mohammed. "We do date trees, pictures of the sheikhs, al maha animal [the Arabian oryx], sometimes we do the ostrich itself."
The decorated eggs sell for US$100 (Dh367) at souvenir shops and hotel boutiques. As a mark of success, he boasts that his ostrich eggs are sold at the Burj al Arab hotel. The artist produces about 1,000 per year. For the brave, eggs can be cooked. "Like an omelette," suggests Mohammed. "One egg is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs. It's all white, like custard after cooking." And, he adds, it tastes like blue cheese.
Mohammed does not name the birds but he remembers his first two ostriches with love. "They were very friendly. They ate my ghutra, they ate my fingers. They try and play with me but most of my ostriches are friendly." Mohammed's current farm is a desert lot shaded by ghaf trees that was originally donated by Sheikh Saqr Al Qassimi, the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah, in 2002. His old ostrich farm is now a date orchard.
Although Mohammed's farm is renowned, his story has remained largely unknown. "Most people don't know who is the owner," he says. "When Sheikh Saqr gave me the land it was to have a bird zoo. It is famous and I want to make it as a retreat. "I'm planning to have some other birds. Just yesterday I bought two emu and I'm going to buy a white ostrich." For Mohammed's flightless birds, the sky's the limit.
azacharias@thenational.ae
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Mountain%20Boy
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
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
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
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UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Specs%20
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Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
The%20specs
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley