Shades of blue, white and gold shine through the patterned dome in the Spirit of Collaboration room at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi.
The space, which hosts bodies such as the Federal Supreme Council, the Arab League and the Gulf Co-operation Council, has now reopened for tours to the public.
The room is one of eight zones that can be visited at Qasr Al Watan, or Palace of the Nation, which offers tours seven days a week, from 11am to 6.30pm.
The design of the room is inspired by the philosophy of the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to reflect collaboration and unity for a successful UAE.
Golden doors and handrails and a navy blue walkway lead to a table in the middle of the conference room, with seating for participants equidistant from one another.
This is to show that no specific leader is more important than others, which explains the circular design as well.
Projections on the vast walls show the UAE's leaders over the years.
During meetings, the space can seat up to 800 people depending on how the room is configured.
Another architectural marvel is the striking chandelier, which is one of the world's biggest. It was built with 350,000 crystals and weighs 12 tonnes. It is illuminated only on special occasions.
Qasr Al Watan opened to the public in 2019. The decision to create the cultural landmark came from former president Sheikh Khalifa to boost cultural understanding of the UAE.
The emblem of the country, a golden falcon with a UAE flag disc and seven stars representing the seven emirates, is also on the walls of the room.
Visitors can roam around Qasr Al Watan on their own or take part in a group or private tour.
Group tours are offered in English, Arabic, Russian and Chinese and cost Dh20 a person and last 30 minutes, while private tours are offered in English or Arabic, priced at Dh600, and last one hour.
The tours typically run between 11.30am to 4.30pm.
There are also self-guided tours that are available in English, Arabic, German, Russian and Chinese and come with a multimedia guide and headset at the palace's ticketing booth.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
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Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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