RAS AL KHAIMAH // The men who work on Jebel Jais expected something different when they came to the UAE. The tales of Dubai's bright lights draw men from the tropics of Sri Lanka to the mountains of Afghanistan. Most expected work on skyscrapers or in glamorous shopping malls. Instead of a glittering metropolis, these men found work among the dust and stone of a mountain.
Half of the Jebel Jais workforce are farmers who live in traditional stone villages that serve as holiday homes for Emiratis.
Sudeen Fadel Haq, 23, spends 14 hours a day guiding a donkey up and down the mountain. He lives in a traditional stone village at the top of Jebel Jais that his Emirati employer is restoring. It is his job to transport the concrete for this restoration. With no roads, the trip is done by donkey.
Mr Fadel Haq will be the first to welcome the new road. Its construction means cement can be dropped halfway up the mountain, cutting a round trip from six hours to two.
"This road is a wonderful thing, it brings us people," Mr Fadel Haq said. "Hopefully one day we'll get a city on this mountain. I'm from Peshawar and it was great. It was a real city like Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Not like these RAK mountains."
More importantly, the Jebel Jais road provides the chance of some company. He has lived here for six months and he is counting the days until he returns to live in the city this summer.
"Cities are wonderful places," he said. "I mean the city has people, lots to do, friends. In the mountains there's nothing, just rocks. Rocks and animals and donkeys. That's it. We don't even have a television here, just a radio. Did you hear that Osama's dead? It's a big drama with America."
For other workers, the mountain means opportunity. There are about 150 men building the Jebel Jais road who live at a labour camp halfway to the mountain's summit. Each day they might drive the excavators and bulldozers that mould the mountain's contours.
Mahdi, a 19-year-old welder from Afghanistan, has a simple motto to keep his spirits high on the lonely mountain.
"If you try, you can fly," he said, rumbling a lorry down a steep access road. "I will go to any country, no problem for me. Just I want for my future."
Mahdi left school in year nine to support his six younger siblings.
"I abandoned school for work," he said. "All of my family is studying. Just I will work for their books, bags, clothing, caps, shoes. We don't have other support."
His optimism and his television bring joy to the mountain camp. He set the TV up to watch Manchester United matches and boasts that he had the only Cricket World Cup venue on Jebel Jais.
"If I work on this mountain, I can do good for my family," Mahdi said.
azacharias@thenational.ae
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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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)
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
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