Last year, James Robinson and Daron Acemoglu published Why Nations Fail. Widely praised for its alternative take on global poverty, the book presented multiple examples of "extractive" economies (where the ruling elite exploits the nation under its control) and explained why some countries were predetermined to fail.
Spread over more than 400 pages, the authors, one a political scientist and economist at Harvard, the other a professor of economics at MIT, delivered an entertaining if occasionally repetitive patchwork of institutional and international mismanagement.
In among its serial offenders (step forward Zimbabwe, Chile, et al), one nation emerged as a kind of inverse poster boy of extractive behaviour. The worst of the worst, the most undemocratic, the poorest of the poor. That nation was, and is, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Formerly known as Zaire, the central African state could and should be doing so much better. Roughly the size of Western Europe, DR Congo has vast mineral resources (diamonds, gold, copper, coltan, cobalt and zinc), but has historically struggled to use those riches for its own benefit.
Once a Belgian colony, its mineral wealth was first exploited by its European ruler before gaining its independence in 1965, when Joseph-Désiré Mobutu took control. Tragically, he eventually repeated the same "extractive" behaviour.
Mobotu embezzled billions of dollars from his nation's economy before his death from prostate cancer in 1997, and is the recipient of that unfortunate badge of dishonour of being the most corrupt African leader of his generation. He was replaced by Laurent Kabila's Rwandan-backed AFDL.
The country and its capital Kinshasa, which famously captured the world's attention in October 1974 as the host of the infamous "Rumble in the Jungle" world title heavyweight boxing bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, later fell into the bloodiest of conflicts with Rwanda, its neighbour on its eastern border, when the genocide began to bleed mercilessly between the two nations in 1994. Sometimes described as "Africa's First World War", an estimated five million people perished in that most harrowing of conflicts. Even today, 10 years after hostilities officially ended in 2003, the feud continues to pulse erratically.
All of this might not make DR Congo your dream destination if you were contemplating what to do with your life. But for Anjan Sundaram, an Indian expatriate who was raised in Dubai before completing his education in the country of his birth and the US, that was exactly what happened.
A decade ago, Sundaram had the world at his feet. After studying mathematics at Yale, he was about to graduate as one of the legion of bright young things the Ivy League routinely floods the job market with, and was considering his options. The investment bank Goldman Sachs had come knocking and had offered him a well-paid position. Something, however, didn't sit right.
Sundaram, speaking on a short visit to the UAE before returning to Africa, takes up the story.
"I went up to their Manhattan skyscraper and I looked down from this cubicle and I thought 'you've got to pay me a lot of money to work here'."
Still unsure of what to do, except perhaps of his gut instinct that he wanted to "throw myself into the world", Sundaram went to settle his final account at Yale. "The cashier was African. I asked her where she was from and she said 'Zaire'. So I said I might go there and she said: 'You stupid Yale kids think you can go and do anything'."
The pair eventually struck up an unlikely friendship and Sundaram, with a pioneering spirit flickering in his heart and, perhaps, a romantic notion of what might await in Africa, later decided to decamp to DR Congo and become a journalist, where he would lodge with the cashier's in-laws. Goldman Sachs would have to wait (they still are).
He travelled, he says, with "very small ideas. I didn't go with grand ambitions. I had heard that four million people had died there, now it is five million, and I had also read that there weren't many reporters there." When he arrived, he swelled the press pack to a grand total of four foreign journalists in what is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, and the 11th biggest in the world.
Sundaram's reporting has since been published in The New York Times, Washington Post and Foreign Policy, and his memoir of life as a "rookie reporter" in the heart of Africa was published yesterday by Penguin India. The rights to release his book in the lucrative US and UK markets have also recently been secured. A decade after his skyscraper moment, Sundaram might well have the world at his feet again.
Entitled Stringer: A Reporter's Journey in the Congo, Sundaram's book has been attracting warm notices in the build up to its release. The novelist and essayist Pico Iyer calls him "a commanding new writer who comes to us with the honesty, the intensity and the discerning curiosity of the young Naipaul" on the book's jacket. Iyer, Sundaram says, doesn't normally do "blurbs", but was sufficiently moved by his memoir to break his own rule.
The book records, Sundaram says, the "struggle of being a stringer [freelance journalist]. The broader story is of going to a place without a plan but with just a little bit of passion and ... going out there and making something of yourself.
"If you are interested in understanding the circumstances of why those millions died or if you have ever dreamed of giving up your office job and pursuing your passion with very little certainty, then this is that story."
It begins with a bang, with Sundaram running in the night, eager to escape from a thief intent on relieving the writer of his worldly goods. Having grabbed the reader's attention, this episode soon gives way to the author's astute commentary on Kinshasa and DR Congo itself.
"The city grew daily," he writes, "it was a centre of migration for the region, like Sao Paulo or Calcutta, and already black Africa's largest capital - a collapsed metropolis, unable to assure even the survival of its nine million people. But still the dispossessed came in floods." The author says he became "immersed" in society. "I wanted to experience that kind of life that I had been cloistered from in Dubai and then in Yale."
He wanted too to break the one-dimensional narrative of constant crisis that dominates much of the reporting from DR Congo.
"It is how the world knows Congo," he records in the books opening chapter. "Death is as widespread in few places. Children born here have the bleakest of futures. It is the most diseased, the most corrupt, and the least habitable - the country heads nearly every conceivable blacklist. One survey has it that no nation has more citizens who want to leave."
What emerges in Stringer is a very human story. There is energy, life and love amid the bewildering, overwhelming streets of Kinshasa and the country at large.
"When you go [to DR Congo] you think you are going to find hunger, famine, suffering all around you, but you go there and you find these neighbourhoods that are teeming with life."
Sundaram has another book in the works (this time concerning Rwanda) and has recently returned from the Jaipur Literature Festival.
"It was an intense five days," he says, without a hint of weariness. The festival was "another world", occupying that hinterland between wordsmith and publishing executive.
"That was completely new to me, understanding what drives a book's success. What publishers want from writers, how to build relationships, how other writers have gone about it. How writers think about writing their next books and how they structure their personal lives in order to write."
Now though, Africa calls once more. "I feel like Congo is a part of my life. I will never leave," he says, before taking his leave from our Dubai meeting point.
Nick March is editor of The Review.
nmarch@thenational.ae
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Company%20profile
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Brief scores:
England: 290 & 346
Sri Lanka: 336 & 243
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
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.
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5