January has a special resonance for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
On this month in 1995, he was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai by his brother and Ruler at the time, Sheikh Maktoum. Eleven years later, on January 4, 2006, Sheikh Mohammed became Ruler of Dubai. During those years in between, he would lead several initiatives that laid the foundations of the emirate as a global centre for trade and tourism.
One of the first projects he introduced was the e-government initiative, which was launched in 1995. This was during a time when most were barely considering the internet in their daily lives and did not foresee the enormous effect it would have on our society.
In late 1995, he announced a staple of the emirate’s tourism calendar: Dubai Shopping Festival. The annual month-long retail event, which was first held in 1996, is famous for its huge discounts, car raffles, firework displays and prize draws. The festival was another way to attract people to Dubai at a time when its global reputation was still emerging.
In the next few years, Sheikh Mohammed would lead several noteworthy projects as crown prince. These included a $540 million airport expansion, as well as free zone projects including Dubai Media City and Dubai International Financial Centre. In 1999, he issued an 18-month deadline to make Dubai government services fully online and ordered the creation of Dubai Internet City, recognising the growing importance of the worldwide digital economy.
Under the direction of Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai’s best known hotel, Burj Al Arab, was officially opened in December 1999. The structure became emblematic of Dubai’s burgeoning status. In 2001, he inaugurated construction of the Palm Jumeirah, another development that would capture the world’s attention and define the new Dubai.
After the death of Sheikh Maktoum, Sheikh Mohammed became Ruler of Dubai on January 4, 2006. The next day he was appointed Vice President of the UAE and in February was nominated for the role of Prime Minister by President Sheikh Khalifa. In February 2008, he appointed his son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, as Crown Prince of Dubai.
Dubai’s drive into the future has accelerated in the years since Sheikh Mohammed assumed the position of the emirate’s leader. He ensured Dubai withstood the challenges of the global financial downturn of late 2008, and saw the construction of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in the first four years of his rule, the Dubai Mall, and the opening of the Dubai Metro in 2009.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
