Haid Al-Jazil could well be one of the most unique places on the planet. The precarious village is perched on a giant rock and overlooks a long, mostly deserted valley in the Yemeni district of Dawan in Hadhramaut province.
Of the hundreds of people who once called this village home decades ago, a 2004 census revealed a population of just 17, all of them defying isolation, loneliness and some of the toughest topography.
Abu Baker Ahmad Bamousa Al Amoudi, his wife, and their eight children are the only family who live in their home alone; others share.
“My late father advised me to stay here until I die. My father and mother lived and were buried here,” the 49-year-old farmer says as he gives us rare access to his remote abode.
Inside the small village
Al Amoudi's mud-brick home is one of 45 in the village and one of just three that are habitable. It offers an impressive view of the valley and its palm groves. A fresh breeze blows on us as we enter the property.
Years of heavy rains, erosion and a lack of regular upkeep have left almost 70 per cent of homes in ruins. “Look at my house,” he says with pride, pointing towards his green guest room. “It looks new and beautiful. I quickly fix problems; it survived while others fell apart.” From its position on the clifftop, he is able to keep an eye on his farmland below. Many years ago, he and his neighbours used to walk on rooftops to visit nearby relatives. “We have an interrelated large family [the Al Amoudi tribe] who lived here for ages,” he says.
As we wander around this intriguing village that dates back 500 years, we find out that the architecture of the structures here was partially responsible for many that collapsed. “Look at that house, once it was teeming with people – 30 people used to live there,” says Al Amoudi, pointing to a derelict property coated with clay. A date engraved on its wooden door tells us it was built almost 100 years ago. Rainwater weakened its foundation and termites gnawed at the wooden ceiling and structural pillars.
The streets we walk along are dirty, narrow and quiet. The only sounds that break the silence are those of the farmer’s donkey or the chirping birds overhead. Our host earns a living by cultivating a farm down deep in the valley. His wealthy relatives in Saudi Arabia also contribute to his survival by sending the family money. There is no school or health facility here. There is no convenience store either. The sick are carried on donkey to the valley and then taken by car to a local hospital, which is almost an hour’s drive away.
Life in isolation
Al Amoudi’s sons used to make their way to junior school there on foot, until a small lorry became available. They dropped out of secondary school when the expense became too much for their father to bear. “I asked them to stay at home, since I had no money to pay for their education,” he says quietly as if a little ashamed.
His six girls have never been to school. “Girls cannot go alone as the road is long and unpaved,” he admits, adding that the villagers put a gate at the main entrance to Haid Al-Jazil four years ago after a thief was caught trying to break into one of the homes. Today, visitors must ring the gatekeeper to gain entry. “I do not open the gate in the evening even if someone calls me,” Al Amoudi says.
The population has fallen dramatically in the past three decades, with many locals relocating to Saudi Arabia where the salaries and lifestyle are more appealing. Those who stayed behind were mostly children or the elderly.
Al Amoudi says that when the older generation died, the younger residents opted to do what their fathers had done before them and head to Mukalla – a port city and the capital of Yemen’s Hadhramaut governorate.
An optimistic outlook for the future
Life here is not easy. The condition of the roads means only off-road cars are able to navigate the way here. Below, there is a small village where people park cars and then load their donkeys for the trek on a high road that is paved with cobblestones. Despite the difficulties, the farmer believes the younger villagers are better off than their ancestors were.
“Life was much harder [when I was young]. Thanks to God, now water is supplied to my house through pipes and there is electricity,” he tells me. The main power grids were built by the local authorities in Hadhramaut, and villagers can access electricity between 6pm and 5am daily. Water services were funded by Saudi philanthropists from Dawan district.
________________
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It’s rare for Haid Al-Jazil to attract outside interest, especially in today’s political climate, with the civil war raging around them. There is a large contingent of security forces in place in Dawan, which has a permanent military outpost where soldiers are trained. It’s also where the army has set up checkpoints, and where raids have been launched on suspected Al Qaeda hideouts.
A compound of mud brick chalets were built 10 years ago by Saudi businessman Abdullah Ahmed Bugshan, overlooking the village with foreign guests charged 15,000 Yemeni riyals (Dh220) per night.
After spending some time in Al Amoud’s beloved Haid Al-Jazil and getting to know the man who wouldn’t give this life up for anything, it is obvious that he remains optimistic that its best days will be back, but first the roads need fixing and expanding.
“We just want the road to be paved, and I assure you that people would come back to their homes.”
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clinicy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Prince%20Mohammed%20Bin%20Abdulrahman%2C%20Abdullah%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%20and%20Saud%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2025%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20More%20than%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Gate%20Capital%2C%20Kafou%20Group%20and%20Fadeed%20Investment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Poacher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERichie%20Mehta%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nimisha%20Sajayan%2C%20Roshan%20Mathew%2C%20Dibyendu%20Bhattacharya%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
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Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
'Midnights'
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
MANDOOB
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Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars