Compère Abdel Rahim Alawiji in Here is the News from Over There (Over There is the News from Here) at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Courtesy Topher McGrillis
Compère Abdel Rahim Alawiji in Here is the News from Over There (Over There is the News from Here) at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Courtesy Topher McGrillis
Compère Abdel Rahim Alawiji in Here is the News from Over There (Over There is the News from Here) at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Courtesy Topher McGrillis
Compère Abdel Rahim Alawiji in Here is the News from Over There (Over There is the News from Here) at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Courtesy Topher McGrillis

Middle East life is a cabaret at Fringe festival


  • English
  • Arabic

It began with the offer of sweet black tea in a styrofoam cup from a Lebanese writer wearing a kilt. It ended with a Tom and Jerry cartoon illustrating a Syrian ballad. In between there was an Egyptian poem about womanhood, a short play by a leading Scottish playwright about conflict, and an elderly woman weaving at a loom, her scuttling hands projected onto a large screen.

Here is the News from Over There (Over There is the News from Here) is a mash-up of poems – some in Arabic, some in English – and short stories, plays, songs, music and commentary, all from or about the Middle East.

Even by the standards of the edgy Edinburgh Fringe, Here is the News ... pushes the limits of what counts as performance. Billed as a cabaret, it's staged late at night in a former lecture theatre of the University of Edinburgh's old veterinary school.

“There is a speed and informality to the cabaret form that allows for a more conversational tone,” says the show’s director Lorne Campbell, who is also the artistic director of the prestigious English theatre company Northern Stage, which backs the project.

“I wanted the audience to experience it comfortably and at ease, not to approach the Middle East with a serious and pious head on, as so often happens. I wanted it to be as if having a coffee with someone, exchanging thoughts and stories.”

Hence, the sweet tea offered by the kilted emcee, who is leading Lebanese satirist and playwright Abdel Rahim Alawiji, as we make our way to our seats.

The serious aim behind this late-night show is to present a ­different Middle East to Edinburgh audiences.

“In Britain, we are presented with only a very narrow and ­agenda-driven set of stories and images of life across a vast and complex region,” says Campbell. “I want to create a space where alternative stories and perspectives can be told by a wide range of writers and creators.”

More than 20 writers from countries across the region – including the UAE, Morocco, Syria, Algeria, Palestine and Iraq – were commissioned to produce original pieces for the production. Some are delivered by the creators themselves, others are read by actors.

Here is the News ... is the creation of renowned Scottish playwright David Greig, who was inspired by 10 years of travel to Damascus, working with London's Royal Court Theatre and the British Council.

He led the protests at last year's Fringe against an Israeli hip-hop opera that had received a small amount of Israeli government funding, forcing it to close. As a result, Greig launched the Welcome to the Fringe fund to support Palestinian and Israeli artists who reject state support to come to Edinburgh. Here is The News ... is partly funded from this source.

Greig imagines his creation as ever-changing.

“Some nights might be raucous, some moving, some intellectual,” he says. “There are new writers every day. We keep some bits of material that go down well and do them again. Other bits will develop as we go along. Others disappear. The idea is that the audience comes back many times and has a building experience.”

Each performance features three main elements. The night I watched it, on its third run, Greig had written a short play for three actors about conflict – which he had scribbled down the previous afternoon between rehearsals for Lanark, his play that opens this month at the Edinburgh International Festival.

His short play was followed by an Egyptian writer reciting her poem about being an Arab woman. Then Alawiji read out a ballad by Syrian writer Abdallah Alkafri in Arabic, before an audience who did not understand the words but could feel the rhythms. A live Twitter feed has yet to be added, but will be done over the next week, sharing the performances on social media.

This Middle Eastern cocktail is loosely emceed by Alawiji – ­although on the night I was there, Campbell kept butting in, so eager was he to describe the purpose of the project. It was as if the director was worried we might not understand the emerging tapestry of what we saw, instead seeing a mess. But his continual elucidation gave the night the feeling of an after-hours university seminar as much as a show.

The weaver was constantly on stage. She is important – a ­metaphor. The show aims to create “an epic new ballad – weaving a new tapestry” about the Middle East. In this cabaret form, the rich complexity of Middle Eastern voices are represented and dialogues begin. The Fringe brings a unique opportunity to do this, says Campbell.

“Theatre, and in particular theatre in a festival context, is a space to try to meet and create a basis for further deeper, better understanding and conversation.”

• Here is the News from Over There (Over There is the News from Here) runs until August 29. Visit www.summerhall.co.uk, www.northernstage.co.uk and www.edfringe.com for more information

artslife@thenational.ae

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Scoreline

Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan

 Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’

Company name: Farmin

Date started: March 2019

Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi 

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: AgriTech

Initial investment: None to date

Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs 

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 

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

The Specs:

The Specs:

Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 444bhp

Torque: 600Nm

Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT

On sale: now.

LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES

Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)

FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm

Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm

Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm

Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm 

Thursday

Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm

Sevilla v Roma  (one leg only)  8.55pm

FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm 

Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm 

Tips for SMEs to cope
  • Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
  • Make sure you have an online presence
  • Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
  • Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
    Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

The Bio

Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.

Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.

Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.

Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

While you're here
How to invest in gold

Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.

A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.

Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”

Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”

Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”

By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.

You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.

You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.

Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast