• Mohamed Ramadan, considered the most famous and popular actor today in the Arab world, at the Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai on July 8, 2021.
    Mohamed Ramadan, considered the most famous and popular actor today in the Arab world, at the Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai on July 8, 2021.
  • Mohamed Ramadan's new music video ‘Versace Baby’ is shot in Dubai.
    Mohamed Ramadan's new music video ‘Versace Baby’ is shot in Dubai.
  • The singer's music video ‘Versace Baby’ was shot in Dubai
    The singer's music video ‘Versace Baby’ was shot in Dubai
  • Ramadan performs at a concert in Egypt on August 23, 2019.
    Ramadan performs at a concert in Egypt on August 23, 2019.
  • Ramadan launches his single 'Ya Habibi' in Dubai.
    Ramadan launches his single 'Ya Habibi' in Dubai.
  • The red carpet closing ceremony of the 7th Dubai International Film Festival, on December 19, 2010.
    The red carpet closing ceremony of the 7th Dubai International Film Festival, on December 19, 2010.
  • Ramadan poses for photographers after the Alexandria 25 Film Festival on August 10, 2009.
    Ramadan poses for photographers after the Alexandria 25 Film Festival on August 10, 2009.
  • The third Gouna Film Festival, in Egypt, on September 19, 2019.
    The third Gouna Film Festival, in Egypt, on September 19, 2019.
  • Ramadan poses for photographs with his honorary award during a New Year party held at El Shorta club in Cairo, on December 28, 2009.
    Ramadan poses for photographs with his honorary award during a New Year party held at El Shorta club in Cairo, on December 28, 2009.
  • Egyptian singer Mohamed Ramadan performs at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards in Lagos on November 24, 2019.
    Egyptian singer Mohamed Ramadan performs at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards in Lagos on November 24, 2019.
  • Egyptian director Saeed Hamid, actors Omar Sharif and Ramadan pose for photographs during a press conference in Cairo for the film 'Al Tareek Ela Darfour', on December 5, 2009.
    Egyptian director Saeed Hamid, actors Omar Sharif and Ramadan pose for photographs during a press conference in Cairo for the film 'Al Tareek Ela Darfour', on December 5, 2009.
  • The opening ceremony of the 40th Cairo International Film Festival on November 20, 2018.
    The opening ceremony of the 40th Cairo International Film Festival on November 20, 2018.
  • A concert performed at a resort in the North Coast, Egypt, on August 23, 2019.
    A concert performed at a resort in the North Coast, Egypt, on August 23, 2019.
  • Ramadan became the first playable Arab character in Garena's 'Free Fire' mobile game.
    Ramadan became the first playable Arab character in Garena's 'Free Fire' mobile game.
  • A preview shot of Ramadan's character, Maro, in 'Free Fire'.
    A preview shot of Ramadan's character, Maro, in 'Free Fire'.
  • A scene from the series 'Moussa'.
    A scene from the series 'Moussa'.
  • Ramadan's image is projected on to a screen in Times Square, New York.
    Ramadan's image is projected on to a screen in Times Square, New York.
  • A scene from the 2020 drama 'El Prince'.
    A scene from the 2020 drama 'El Prince'.

Egyptian star Mohamed Ramadan announces new film ‘Number One’


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

Mohamed Ramadan is set to return to the big screen.

The Egyptian actor and singer made the announcement on his social media channel by uploading footage of himself wearing a fur coat and sunglasses on a video shoot.

Ramadan revealed that production has begun on the film, named after his 2018 hit song.

"We have started working on my next movie, Number One, written by Ahmed Adel, directed by Yasser Samy, produced by Youssef Al-Taher," he said. "Cinemas in Egypt and the Arab world are preparing a reception worthy of my audience."

The film is reportedly an action comedy with Ramadan playing the role of a martial artist. The star will also contribute to the soundtrack. With no release date mentioned, the film could hit regional cinemas during the Eid Al Fitr holidays next April, when the Egyptian film industry traditionally releases blockbuster films.

It will be interesting to see if Ramadan can translate his growing popularity on television and music streaming platforms to movie theatres.

Since his last film, 2019’s El Kenz 2: Al-Hobb wa Al Maseer (The Treasure 2: Love and Destiny), which is available on Netflix, Ramadan doubled down on his television work and appeared in back-to-back hit dramas including 2019's Zelzal, 2020's Al Prince and this year's El Meshwar.

At the same time, he has rapidly expanded his fan base by releasing more songs complete with zany music videos, some of which went viral across the region. These include 2020's Corona Virus, a catchy public safety message in light of the spread of Covid-19.

In line with Ramadan's style, the rap and sung lyrics of the single — written by El Power El Aali and Bldozer — are full of vibrant Egyptian colloquialisms and scatting.

"I am the prince, I am the gentleman," the chorus goes. "A mask I wear and gloves as well. I say hello from afar and with no hugs. Coronavirus — that way I am safe."

The following year, Ramadan landed another hit with Versace Baby.

With a video shot primarily at the Palazzo Versace Dubai hotel, the track is an ode to extravagance as Ramadan declares: "Spend money, make it rain... Work out until we feel the pain. Then we party. We don't care. Every day, re-do the same.”

In a previous interview with The National, Ramadan said his diverse career is driven by a desire to be “number one.”

“I am not saying that I am number one, but that is what I work very hard to be," he said. "It's about encouraging you to be the best that you can be.”

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

Brief scores:

Manchester City 2

Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'

Crystal Palace 3

Schlupp 33', Townsend 35', Milivojevic 51' (pen)

Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: May 19, 2022, 8:30 AM