Ramadan television is often all about the next big thing.
Each year brings hundreds of hours of new dramas featuring the latest crop of stars.
With so much content coming our way, viewers, naturally, only sample a fraction of what is on offer. Hence the repeat of programmes throughout the year until another batch of shows are released the next holy month.
With such a focus on the here and now, classic and forgotten dramas often fall by the wayside.
However, the growing popularity of streaming sites has given many much-loved series – particularly from the 1980s to early 2000s – a fresh lease of life, and has enchanted new generations of audiences with timeless and thrilling tales spanning societal, political, religious, urban and rural concerns.
Best of all, you don’t have to dig too deep into the online rabbit hole to find these gems.
Many titles are readily accessible online on the likes of YouTube and MBC’s Shahid.
From Egyptian thriller Raafat Al Haggan to Syria's Al Fousoul Al Arba'a, roll back the years this Ramadan with these classic offerings available online.
1. ‘Raafat Al Haggan’ (YouTube)
Running for three seasons from 1988, Raafat Al Haggan was the Game of Thrones of its time.
Based on the true story of the titular character (played with panache by Mahmoud Abdel Aziz), an Egyptian man spends 17 years engaged in clandestine operations in Israel.
The programme, written by Egyptian novelist Saleh Morsi, was rich and thoughtful with Egyptian and Israeli characters full of moral complexities rare for its time.
2. ‘Zeinab Wal Arsh’ (YouTube)
Starring Mahmoud Morsi and Soheir Ramzy, and set in the offices of a struggling Cairo newspaper, this tale of love, deceit and political intrigue, released in 1980, has the seasoned lead couple playing characters 10 years their juniors.
However, they are such pros that you can forgive the discrepancy.
3. ‘Saqr Quraish’ (MBC Shahid and YouTube)
Directed by the late and influential Syrian filmmaker Hatem Ali, this 2002 landmark and lavish drama traces the rise and fall of the seventh and eighth century Umayyad dynasty.
The series set a new benchmark for Arabic drama in terms of its production values and action sequences, as well as with its premier Syrian ensemble cast, including Sulaf Fawakherji, Khaled Taja, Bassem Yakhour, Jamal Sulaiman and Taim Hassan.
4. ‘Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz’ (YouTube)
Starring Nour El Sherif, the 1994 series centres on Omar II's brief but influential reign as the leader of the Umayyad Caliphate from 717-720 AD.
El Sherif gave a commanding performance as he delivered his lines in the classical Arabic dialect of Fusha, making the programme as entertaining as it was educational.
5. ‘Al Fousoul Al Arba’a’ (YouTube)
Another classic Syrian series directed by the late Hatem Ali, Al Fousoul Al Arba'a debuted in 1999 (with a second part released in 2002) and follows the lives of a number of Damascene families and how their relationships are defined by cultural and societal barriers.
The series was acclaimed for its authentic portrayal of urban Syrian life at the time.
6. ‘A’ilat El Hajj Metwalli' (YouTube)
A classic Egyptian comedy series, this show has seemingly continued to run each year across various regional channels since its debut in 2001.
While the plot may sound flimsy – a successful businessman (Nour El Sherif) gets married to four women at the same time – the series packs a punch and some pathos as it explores concepts of love and family.
The show is also defined by the performances of the four indomitable actresses Magda Zaki, Fadia Abdel Ghany, Ghadah Abdulrazeq and Somaya El Khashab.
7. ‘El Mal We El Banon’ (YouTube)
Translated to "Wealth and Children," the title of the 1992 series is lifted from a verse in the Quran that warns against the dangers of greed.
El Mal We El Banon is a cautionary morality tale about two families on the opposite sides of the Egyptian social ladder and how they reconcile everyday struggles with their values.
8. ‘Layali Al Helmiya’ (YouTube)
This is another winning Egyptian ensemble drama led by stars Yehia El Fakharany and Safia El Emari.
Released to much fanfare in 1987, Layali Al Helmiya is a tale of vengeance that begins in the prison yard and extends to the cut and thrust textile industry.
After Suleiman's father dies in prison, he plots revenge by buying shares in a textile factory owned by the son of his father’s killer.
9. ‘Al Hajjaj’ (MBC Shahid)
A lauded 2003 Jordanian series, the show explores the complicated life of Al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf (played by Abed Fahed), a seventh-century governor of the Hejaz region (which includes swathes of modern-day Saudi Arabia) and Iraq.
As well as his harsh and sometimes ruthless rule, the series shows how Al-Hajjaj was also a key reformer in the fields of agriculture and economy.
10. ‘Da'ab Al Jabal’ (YouTube)
The rural and urban divide has always been a mainstay of Egyptian dramas, and Da'ab Al Jabal does this best.
Starring Ahmed Abdel Aziz and Samah Anwar, the 1993 series follows Badri, a conservative farmer searching for his sister who escaped the family home.
With the police on his trail, Badri reflects on his life and wonders what role custom and tradition play in a developing Egyptian society.
The theme song performed by Ali Al Hajjar went on to become as famous as the show.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
