Dear Ali: A friend of mine who has been living in the UAE longer than me and my family has often warned me not to display the soles of my feet in front of an Emirati. I still don't understand why. Could you please explain? GA, Dubai
Dear GA: Yes, it's true that displaying the soles of the feet doesn't come across as a good gesture. One of the main reasons why such an action is perceived as an insult is because the feet are often perceived as unclean, especially the soles. If you show them to Arabs, they would generally get offended, but from my experience of communicating with people from different parts of the world, this is also considered impolite in many other cultures. In the Arab world, a shoe is perceived as dirty. This is why we always take off our shoes before we enter a house or mosque. In Asian cultures too, you have to always take off your shoes before entering a home. As an Arab, you can use the shoe to offend someone else. Examples: the famous incident where a shoe that was thrown at the US president by an Iraqi journalist in 2008 and hitting the shoes against the statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Now, if you accidentally did show the soles of your feet then you can apologise. Every Emirati would understand that you didn't have the knowledge and didn't mean anything wrong by it, but it could come across as really negative if you felt the Emirati was uncomfortable and you still didn't conceal the soles of your feet or at least apologise. Just be aware of the meaning of this gesture when you interact with everyone - not just Emiratis. Believe me when I say, I used to feel shocked on seeing some students at my school back in the States put their legs on top of the desks while the teacher was teaching. It was a scene I never appreciated. What made it worse was that many teachers didn't care, but I can assure you that in our region, this would be taken negatively and people can be judged by their impolite attitude and behaviour.
Dear Ali: What should I do if I am supposed to sign an Arabic document but don't understand Arabic? BT, Dubai
Dear BT: Thank you for bringing this up. Even if the document is in English you would have to read it thoroughly and make sure you agree with the content before you sign it. Now, I don't know the circumstances or what document you are dealing with here. Usually, documents needed for court cases are always in Arabic because that is the only way they can be used for the court process. I do recommend you ask for an accurate and trustworthy translation into your native language before you sign anything. We refer to them in the country as "mutarjim qanoni", meaning "legal translator or translation office".
Dear Ali: I am an art teacher and am very fascinated about the calligraphy I have seen in the UAE. Could you tell me more about it? RT, Sharjah
Dear RT: In our culture, calligraphy is one of our favourite and valuable aesthetic pieces of art, which you can find on or in buildings across the UAE, particularly in mosques, such as in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or on objects that are often placed in homes as a form of decoration. Calligraphy has been used throughout the history of the Arab world. It expresses the desire to portray the beauty as well as perfection of the Holy Quran in an appropriate art form. At the same time, it is fascinating how it has its own language - with the way the artists use their talent to create such beautiful works. The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization has regular calligraphy exhibitions. There is also the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha that is worth visiting.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question and to find his guidebooks to the UAE, priced at Dh50.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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