Zareen Khan, left, and Mona Kattan will send video shout-outs to fans via new digital platform Halahi. Toifa and Getty Images
Zareen Khan, left, and Mona Kattan will send video shout-outs to fans via new digital platform Halahi. Toifa and Getty Images
Zareen Khan, left, and Mona Kattan will send video shout-outs to fans via new digital platform Halahi. Toifa and Getty Images
Zareen Khan, left, and Mona Kattan will send video shout-outs to fans via new digital platform Halahi. Toifa and Getty Images

Halahi: You can now get Mona Kattan, Zareen Khan and more to send you a personalised video shout-out


Janice Rodrigues
  • English
  • Arabic

Ever thought you would be sending a message to a friend … through a celebrity?

Well, now you can do exactly that through Halahi, the region’s first digital platform that allows fans to request personalised video shout-outs from big names.

What is Halahi?

Through the new platform, you can get access to more than 160 regional stars – from actors and musicians to entrepreneurs and influencers – and pay to have them share a message, either to you or a friend.

Prices range anywhere from about $5 (Dh18.3) to $700.

Some of the names currently on the platform include beauty entrepreneur Mona Kattan, Indian actress Zareen Khan, Turkish actress Gizem Karaca and Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef, with more celebrities joining every day.

“This concept exists in the US, and it has been proven to work," says Halahi's chief executive Sara Al Madani. "We wanted to be the first to bring it to the region. I know a lot of people feel very connected to their favourite celebrities, but what are the odds of actually meeting them in public or speaking to them? This was a chance to create an authentic relationship and create memories for fans and celebrities.”

Al Madani, along with Saif Belhasa, Ibrahim Naji and Mohamed Amine Belarbi, set up the platform to “bridge the gap between fans and celebrities, and build lifelong digital memorabilia in a world oversaturated with likes and comments”.

How does it work?

Fans looking for a personalised messaged can visit the Halahi website, or download the app (available on the Apple App Store or Google Play store), then choose their celebrity and type out what they would like the star to say.

The celebrity in question can then decide whether or not they want to send along the message. If they are comfortable with it, the video will be sent through the platform to the fan, and can be saved and shared onto social media.

If the star is uncomfortable with the message, however, the fan is given a full refund.

The platform’s algorithm is also designed to keep information private and to pick up on any offensive statements, adds Al Madani, who is also listed on the site and will offer her own personalised shout-out for $80.

'A more authentic interaction'

“The platform is designed to help celebrities as much as it is to help their fans, and allow them to interact in an authentic way. Especially during this pandemic, a lot of the celebrities are not working and this gives them an opportunity to generate extra income,” she adds.

“Meanwhile, because of the pandemic, I feel like a lot of people are feeling down … they’re looking for a reason to smile. And this gives people a lot of creativity when choosing a gift for someone.”

To create a more authentic interaction, Al Madani says the videos sent will be as real as possible, with no editing.

People in the Middle East have spending power and use a lot of social media

The concept behind a celebrity shoutout platform is not new.

In the US, Cameo was launched approximately four years ago with the mission to "create the most personalised and authentic fan experiences in the world". Some stars currently on its list include Bonnie Wright of Harry Potter fame, Sean Astin, who acted in The Lord of the Rings, and Ashley Greene from the Twilight series.

While Cameo has reached a moderate level of success in the US, Al Madani believes that Halahi has greater potential in this region.

“In the US, people are not heavy social-media users. People in the Middle East have spending power and use a lot of social media. We know it can grow to become quite big.”

How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
  • An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital 
Country-size land deals

US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:

Louisiana Purchase

If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.

Florida Purchase Treaty

The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty. 

Alaska purchase

America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of  Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".

The Philippines

At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million. 

US Virgin Islands

It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.

Gwadar

The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees. 

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Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

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Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

CHELSEA SQUAD

Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku. 

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1987

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1921

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Abu Dhabi GP starting grid

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2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

3 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

4 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

5 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7 Romain Grosjean (Haas)

8 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)

9 Esteban Ocon (Force India)

10 Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)

11 Carlos Sainz (Renault)

12 Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)

13 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

14 Sergio Perez (Force India)

15 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)

16 Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)

17 Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)

18 Stoffe Vandoorne (McLaren)

19 Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)

20 Lance Stroll (Williams)

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

SPEC SHEET

Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support

Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR

Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps

Audio: Stereo speakers

Biometrics: Touch ID

I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)

Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular

Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue

Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)

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  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
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  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The biog

Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981

Profession: Driver

Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)

Favourite drink: chai karak

Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

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Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

The specs: 2019 Audi A8

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Engine 3.0L V6 turbo

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque 500Nm @ 1,370rpm

Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5