One of the Arab entertainment industry’s biggest open secrets has been revealed.
Well, sort of. After countless and unsubstantiated reports that pop star Amr Diab and fellow Egyptian actress Dina El Sherbiny are married, the duo have somewhat confirmed their relationship status in a lavish new music video.
While the visuals for Diab's latest single, Amaken El Sahar, show the couple without wedding rings, their connection appears to be the real deal, to the delight of their fans.
Released on Tuesday, Amaken El Sahar has amassed more than three million YouTube views in 48 hours.
Directed by Ahmed Al Najjar, the video is essentially a tribute to their romance. The production is set in a coastal destination where Diab, 58, and El Sherbiny, 35, are on vacation.
Opening with a sunrise walk, an Egyptian wedding party beat kicks in and the couple launch into a sunkissed day of dancing, laughter and food, all shared with friends.
What makes Amaken El Sahar intriguing, though, is how intimate it is. Diab and El Sherbiny share nearly every scene together as they hang out, make jokes and celebrate their union with friends.
If you are Diab fan, this is as personal as it gets. For such a megastar, the singer is a notoriously guarded figure and rarely provides interviews.
Rumours of their relationship first surfaced early last year when unofficial photographs began appearing of the couple at industry events.
After months of no comment, it was El Sherbiny who first made light of their relationship last June, around the time she was plugging her latest drama, Zay El Shams. Appearing on the television programme El Hekaya, she described Diab as her biggest supporter.
"He is so happy with my success and stood beside me a lot,” she said. “He loves hard-working people.”
That appearance came on the back of the buzz generated in a Ramadan television advertisement, which featured the couple sharing an iftar with friends.
Diab all but confirmed their relationship in February this year. He uploaded an Instagram post of the couple sharing an intimate meal with the caption "Happy Valentine’s Day" and the hashtag #justasyouare.
The day happened to coincide with the release of Diab's latest album Sahran, which El Sherbiny plugged on her social media channels using the same photo. "Celebrating the best album ever with my legend Amr Diab," she said. "Valentine's Day couldn't get better! Congratulations my love."
Further proof of their relationship was provided earlier this month when Diab dropped the music video to his nationalist pop track Ya Baledna Ya Helwa, which featured the couple dancing in a beachside setting.
As Najjar also directed that video, it is possible that both Ya Baledna Ya Helwa and Amaken El Sahar were shot at the same time. With so much information about the couple now out in the open, the only missing piece is official confirmation of their reported marriage.
Chances are we will find out soon enough, when both are ready with something to say.
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
