The sellers at Mina Souq are all second-generation and third-generation Abu Dhabi residents from Katawaz in Afghanistan's south-eastern Paktika province, or Balochistan.
The majority of owners of the carpet shops – about 60 of them – are from Paktika.
They are all brothers, cousins and relatives from the same province and each of them can recall fond memories with the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Five years ago, Moosa Khan, an Afghan carpet merchant, became a social media star when he was filmed refusing a high offer on a carpet featuring the image of Sheikh Zayed.
It still hangs in the shop with another image of Mr Khan with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed.
Seeing images of the Founding Father is common at the once-bustling souq.
"He is our father. Don't you have a picture of your father?" said carpet merchant Mohamed Hussain, 60.
The father of eight said the market used to be an open space where hawkers sold pottery, carpets and various items.
"It was near the sea and people slept on the sand," he said.
He recalled a time when a man came to the market at 2am asking his father and others what they needed.
"They said they needed shade. They were sleeping on the sand and wanted shelter," he said.
The next morning, Mr Hussain said they woke up to the sounds of tractors demolishing the area.
The man who had visited them turned out to be Sheikh Zayed and within three months the carpet market was built.
There are no official records of when this took place, but it's estimated to be about 1995 or 1996.
"Our father [Sheikh Zayed] used to visit us every week," he said. "When he first came, he bought two tea pots, a tray and a bowl from my father," said Mr Hussain, who arrived in the UAE when he was a young boy.
Abdul Hameed Khan also remembers Sheikh Zayed buying Arabic jalsas [seating] and a carpet with a picture of Sheikh Zayed with his son, the late Sheikh Khalifa.
"He came every Ramadan after Asr prayers. My father used to sit in the shop while I'd be playing outside. We would run outside when we saw him in his white Mercedes," Mr Khan said.
"Sheikh Khalifa would be driving the car and his aide Akbar would be sitting in the back. Sheikh Zayed would come in and ask for 10 or 20 jalsas. He didn't care about the jalsas, or needed anything, but he cared about us.
"He wanted to support us and we were happy to see him. This was Baba [father] Zayed," he said.
The carpets rolled up and stacked together in the small shops are mostly from Turkey, and prices range from a few thousand dirhams up to Dh12,000 ($3,267).
Now, the shop's monthly profits average between Dh5,000 and Dh6,000.
The sellers live in two-bedroom flats above their shops where accommodation was once free. The rents have increased to Dh40,000 a year.
"Things have become more expensive, but this is home to us," said Abdul Rahman Faizal. "Many of us have spent more time here than our home countries. Soon, I'll bring my sons to run the shop."
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20results%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EIreland%20beat%20UAE%20by%20six%20wickets%0D%3Cbr%3EZimbabwe%20beat%20UAE%20by%20eight%20wickets%0D%3Cbr%3EUAE%20beat%20Netherlands%20by%2010%20wickets%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EUAE%20v%20Vanuatu%2C%20Thursday%2C%203pm%2C%20Zayed%20Cricket%20Stadium%0D%3Cbr%3EIreland%20v%20Netherlands%2C%207.30pm%2C%20Zayed%20Cricket%20Stadium%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGroup%20B%20table%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1)%20Ireland%203%203%200%206%20%2B2.407%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Netherlands%203%202%201%204%20%2B1.117%0D%3Cbr%3E3)%20UAE%203%201%202%202%200.000%0D%3Cbr%3E4)%20Zimbabwe%204%201%203%202%20-0.844%0D%3Cbr%3E5)%20Vanuatu%203%201%202%202%20-2.180%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
LIVERPOOL SQUAD
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
