Netflix has just announced that it will stream its first Saudi series. Whispers will follow a family dealing with the death of family patriarch Hassan. Just a few days before the launch of his new company's smart application, he passes away and secrets about his mysterious past begin to resurface, with his family left to deal with it. The series will debut on Thursday, June 11.
The plot will delve into social issues, family feuds and struggles, with the story being told from the perspectives of different protagonists. It aims to offer a different take on traditional dramas in the region, with an appeal to global audiences
The eight-part series has been produced by the Saudi Entertainment Phenomena Company “EP Saudi” and is written by Roolan Hassan and directed by Saudi director, Hana Alomair.
"Whispers is a Saudi-produced dramatic thriller series that offers a new take on storytelling and marks my first time working with the great actor, Abdul Mohsen Alnimer. The series also features several unconventional female characters who truly embody the reasons why this project is so close to my heart. I am very proud that Netflix decided to make the series available to their 183 million subscribers worldwide and I hope viewers in Saudi Arabia, the GCC, the Arab region and beyond will enjoy it," says Alomair.
The series features a number of female talents including Shaimaa Al Fadl, Mysoon Alruwaily, Elham Ali, Nada Tawhid, Norah Alanbar, and Leila Arabi, in addition to actors Ali Al Sharif, Osama Al Qass, and Mohamed Ali, who will star alongside Abdul Mohsen Alnimer.
Speaking about the new series, Nuha Eltayeb, director of content acquisitions for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey at Netflix said, "We believe that great stories can come from anywhere and be loved everywhere. Whispers is a fast-paced drama and every episode holds a new clue that will keep viewers wanting more. We are thrilled to be offering the new series to all our users in 190 countries and to be giving them the chance to discover great Arabic content that is full of mysterious twists."
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Company%20profile
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Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
