One of Egypt’s most popular and influential voices in the Arab hip-hop music scene, Wegz has released a new single titled Ana. The song is true to the rapper's style and voice, and blends elements of traditional shaabi music with modern trap beats.
It has a cover showing a woman sitting on the balcony of a home, listening to the song, dressed in a shiny modern take of the Egyptian Jalabiya (a loose-fitting, traditional garment) styled with vintage gold jewellery.
While the portrait does not seem to have much in common with the track, it was selected as the cover art for a reason. The spirit of the song is greatly influenced by one of the Arab world’s most popular entertainers – the Egyptian dancer and actress Fifi Abdo.
“Fifi Abdo’s dynamic presence and unapologetic attitude make her the perfect embodiment of strength and authenticity,” Wegz said.
Shot by the urban contemporary photographer and portraitist Mohammed Sherif, the artwork for the single is a candid but stylised photograph of Abdo in one of her characteristic poses and expressions. Wegz teased the release of Ana to his more than four million followers on Instagram and three million subscribers on YouTube with a short video of Abdo at the photo shoot for the cover art.
The image and Abdo’s styling are meant to appear opulent and flamboyant, mixing a modern sense of glamour with traditional elements of extravagance. It’s a tone and aesthetic consistent with her public persona over the years, one that is considered charismatic and bold – elements that Wegz has fused into his style of music, particularly in his new single.
Who is Fifi Abdo?
Whether familiar with her work or not, you have most likely come across a meme or gif of Abdo on social media. She is one of the few Arab entertainers with a unique and expansive body of work in the region that has also broken into universal contemporary internet pop culture.
Abdo first rose to fame in the early 1970s as a belly dancer. Her unique style, including elaborate costumes and circus tricks as well as her natural charisma and down-to-earth attitude, made her an incredibly popular dancer for almost three decades. While she dabbled with film and television shows in the 1970s, often playing a belly dancer, she started to take on more active roles as an actress in the 1980s.
She starred in the popular film One Woman is Not Enough in 1990 alongside renowned Egyptian actors Ahmed Zaki and Yousra, which tells the story of a journalist’s affair with three different women.
She was also part of the cast of one of the Arab world’s most popular musicals Belt Me Up (to Dance) in 1994, which starred several prominent Egyptian actors including Mohamed Henedy and Hassan Hosny. Abdo played a prominent role and had a notable dance performance. The play follows a poor man who lives with his wife, played by Abdo, and their sons in a small villa that he refuses to sell to developers.
While Abo retired from dancing in the early 2000s, she continued to act in films and television. She starred in popular Ramadan shows including 2003's The Truth and Mirage, 2006's The Green Market and 2018's The Guile of Women.
How Fifi Abdo became an online muse
Over the past decade, Abdo has captured the attention of a younger fan base in the Arab world and abroad, thanks mainly to her active social media. She's done this by posting videos of herself dancing in various locations in Egypt and around the world, and videos talking directly to her fans. She’s accumulated more than eight million followers on Instagram.
Aside from this, many of Abdo’s clips from television dramas and interviews have resurfaced online and gone viral, becoming memes and gifs, which she also shares. Her online popularity surged when Saint Hoax, a Syrian artist, satirist and sociopolitical activist with more than three million followers on Instagram, started using many of her clips as part of his online political commentary.
Wegz isn’t the only artist who has been inspired to capture Abdo’s charisma as part of his work. Acclaimed Egyptian artist and photographer Youssef Nabil, as part of his series of portraits included her as he explored culturally significant Egyptian personalities.
Nabil reinterpreted Abdo's persona in his work where she appears as a belly dancer smoking shisha and as a glamorous actress in diamonds smoking a cigarette.
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
RIDE%20ON
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The five pillars of Islam
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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Results
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
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Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
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