After several years of being made fun of by our friends and relatives, both my family and my in-laws finally decided that enough was enough and that it was time to pay an overdue visit to a local builder.
The reason for the amusement was that, while all of us had acquired our government-given lands and loans to build homes at the same time, my family had procrastinated.
As a result, while our friends and family had done their homework and were already living in their brand new furnished homes in places like Al Shamkha, Al Wathba, Madinat Mohammed bin Zayed and Khalifa City B, the same areas where our own land was, we had yet to begin.
Seeing and experiencing the process of building a house from scratch is an interesting and enlightening experience. You end up discovering a great deal about ceramics, metal, cement and, of course, the lives of the workers who are guided by the contractor's engineer and supervisor, who direct them and make sure everything is going according to the blueprint.
What you also discover, though, is that most of these workers live in very poor conditions. In fact, some even make their homes in the very place where they work.
By day they toil, putting up beams, pouring cement, installing this and that, and all the while their feet are encased in nothing more than sandals, their elbows and knees are unprotected, and their heads are either wrapped in feeble turbans or left bare, vulnerable should anything fall on them. At night they sleep where they work.
On my first trip to our little building site, I watched an East Asian worker who was standing on what was not exactly the firmest scaffolding in dusty footwear and with nothing to protect his head.
The very least the contractors should provide are helmets. It may be that in their own countries they do not have this option and that safety regulations are unknown. But this does not excuse us from insisting on something that is basic common sense.
Then there is the question of payment. To think that these men come from so far away and then sometimes do not even get their meagre salaries on time is truly a disgrace. As Muslims, we should not forget our Prophet's words: "Give the worker his dues, his rights, before his sweat dries." The very least that can be done for them is to pay what they deserve on time.
Another equally important measure to ensure that their basic human rights are met is to provide decent housing.
I have mentioned that the men working on our houses often live on the premises and I was not joking: in a corner of our site they have set up shacks, with tin roofs and flimsy walls. Inside, from what I have glimpsed, are little more than wooden boards and small gas stoves. Sometimes I can smell dinner being prepared by one of them.
After a while, my father took pity on the workers and asked my mother to prepare a giant feast-like lunch for them of biryani rice and chunks of mutton.
Perhaps a month after this gesture, one of the workers approached my father and shyly asked if such a feast could be prepared again, and so my father asked my mother to prepare it once more.
I have witnessed this event several times now. First my mother flings open the back door near our villa's kitchen in anticipation of the tremendous cooking odours that are about to be released. Next, a gigantic gas stove is placed on the floor, just like the ones I'm sure local biryani restaurants use for their own cooking. The gas is switched on and a huge metal pot is placed on top of it. Jugs of water are then poured in and it takes quite a while before it is boiling. Oil and great chunks of chopped onion are added, as well as cinnamon bark and cardamom. As soon as the onion begins to char, soaked rice is added.
The meat is already in the pressure cooker to reduce the overall cooking time. Copious amounts of garam masala and spices are then added to both the rice and the meat. It is truly a sight (and a smell) to behold. Once everything is ready, it is time to load it into the car and take it to the men. My father complains that his back hurts too much for him to carry the monstrous pot to the back of his station wagon and my mother rolls her eyes, even though we know that really he is no stranger to hard work.
As a doctor, he has been on his feet dutifully rushing from patient to patient at all hours of the day and night for the better part of 30 years. Apparently general surgeons in Al Mafraq Hospital are always understaffed and overworked, and there has always been a soft spot in his heart for the woes of the common labourer.
And so there should be, after treating so many of them during a lifetime in medicine. Over the years he has told us of so many accidents to workers on building sites that could have been avoided if they were professionally managed and made safe.
One wonders what happens to the families back home when these men are killed in accidents, or temporarily unable to work through injury or sometimes permanently disabled.
I had always thought an Indian city such as Delhi would be a cheap place to live, and that there would be plenty to choose from when it came to finding housing. A little research, though, reveals that a good, clean place is not always cheap. Which brings us to the issue of workers' salaries. These can be as low as Dh300 a month.
How can such a salary be divided? What should the priority be? His food? His clothes? His shelter? His family back home? The mind boggles.
"Poor things," my father says having watched the labourers eat. As he settles back at our house, he is feeling more than a bit pleased about what he has done. "They all sit down together and eat - I'm sure mutton is like a luxury to them."
I ask my mother more than once why she tires herself out making this feast when, for the same price or less, she could have sent my father to buy a mutton biryani from any nearby Indian restaurant.
"I want the ajer," she simply says, which is equivalent, I suppose, to "karma".
The last time my husband and I passed the site, the workers were standing in a familiar formation in the middle of the street, playing what was undoubtedly cricket. The ball is thrown by a bearded man with a strong arm and then deftly hit by a bat, which is really no more than a forgotten plank of wood. The ball flies off and those waiting are eager to catch it.
My husband makes his feelings clear on this sport, declaring it a boring game and voicing his amazement that it is as popular as it is: "The only people who really see any action are the pitcher and the hitter. All the others just move when the ball is hit."
He is a passionate football player and so there is not much to say on the subject of cricket. We enter the abandoned site, looking over our own new apartment that now stands in the enclosed premises of my in-laws' home. I'm sure it is not going to offer the best privacy in the world, but it has its own living room, bathrooms and most importantly kitchen.
As I look out on to the tin roofs of the labourers' shacks, I realise how grateful I am for their help and wish that more could be done to protect their rights and help to ensure that the work that they do is properly appreciated.
Iman Ateq al Musabi is an Emirati national who is Zayed University's last known English literature graduate. Raised in Scotland, she graduated in Abu Dhabi and is currently writing The Great Emirati Novel. She is mother to a son who is convinced he was born to fight monsters
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20Profile
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
- 1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
- 2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
- 3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
- 4th ODI, Sunday, April 16
Squads:
- UAE: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
- Zimbabwe: Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Honeymoonish
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
Brief scores:
Toss: India, opted to field
Australia 158-4 (17 ov)
Maxwell 46, Lynn 37; Kuldeep 2-24
India 169-7 (17 ov)
Dhawan 76, Karthik 30; Zampa 2-22
Result: Australia won by 4 runs by D/L method
Brief scoreline:
Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first
England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66
South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,050,000
On sale: 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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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.
Switching%20sides
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