Ask Ali: Why it is rude to show the soles of your feet



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

 

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Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
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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.

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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
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6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
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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.
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures

Monday, Sept 30

Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
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Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)

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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

 

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The Sand Castle

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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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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

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