Emirati singer Ahlam has said she will collaborate with K-pop giants BTS
Emirati singer Ahlam has said she will collaborate with K-pop giants BTS
Emirati singer Ahlam has said she will collaborate with K-pop giants BTS
Emirati singer Ahlam has said she will collaborate with K-pop giants BTS

Ahlam x BTS? The Emirati singer says she is collaborating with the K-pop band


Sophie Prideaux
  • English
  • Arabic

Emirati singer Ahlam has sent fans into a frenzy on Twitter by announcing she will collaborate with K-pop band BTS.

The The Voice Ahla Sawt host confirmed the collaboration in response to a fan who tweeted her to ask if she would be working with the seven-piece band.

“Please answer me Ahlam, will there be a collaboration with BTS?” the tweet said, to which she replied, “Yes, of course there is”, alongside three dancing emojis.

While Ahlam did not elaborate on the tweet further, it was enough to spark major excitement from fans in the region and around the globe, causing the hashtag #AhlamxBTS to trend.

The singer then posted her amusement at the attention the tweet was getting, saying “one tweet made up of five words has gone worldwide”, alongside several laughing emojis. Does this mean she was joking?

With so many K-pop fans in the region and Ahlam one of the Middle East’s biggest stars, this meeting of worlds would certainly welcomed by many.

In fact, K-pop fans in the UAE have been embarking on an ongoing quest to bring BTS to the country to perform, with the hashtag #UAEwantsBTS regularly trending on Twitter.

Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena even responded to the requests, saying, “We’ve received all your requests and trust us, we want #kpopinuae too! Your enthusiasm continues to inspire us and we’re working to bring the best to Coca-Cola Arena! #UAEwantsBTS #wewantbtsinuae”

Perhaps a collaboration with Ahlam could finally bring them here.

Watch this space…

Will Ahlam be collaborating with Jin and the rest of BTS soon? She certainly seems to think so
Will Ahlam be collaborating with Jin and the rest of BTS soon? She certainly seems to think so
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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

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  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

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5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.

5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright

UAE%20FIXTURES
%3Cp%3EWednesday%2019%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3EFriday%2021%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3ESunday%2023%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Singapore%3Cbr%3EWednesday%2026%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2029%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Semi-finals%3Cbr%3ESunday%2030%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Third%20position%20match%3Cbr%3EMonday%201%20May%20%E2%80%93%20Final%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.

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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)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wonka
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Crazy Rich Asians

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan

Four stars

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

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● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

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Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.

Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.

Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.

Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.

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Rating: 4/5

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

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.