The streets are awash in bright lights and banners in red, white, green and black, as the UAE prepares to celebrate the 44th anniversary of unification. And no celebration is complete without music. We’ve rounded up eight songs commemorating National Day and celebrating what the UAE means to Emiratis and expats.
[ Ya Khalifatna (Our Khalifa) ]
Released in 2012 by twofour54 to commemorate the 41st National Day, Ya Khalifatna is a remix that combines elements from two songs: the 1996 UAE song Zanaha Zayed and the 2011 National Day song Amrak Al Sami, both of which were written by Emirati poet Arif Al Khaja. Al Khaja combined the lyrics to create Ya Khalifitna and singer Fayez Al Saeed composed the music.
• Favourite lyrics: "Zanaha Zayed wa zayenha wa zaad", meaning the late Sheikh Zayed beautified the UAE and made it flourish and more.
[ Ya Alamna (Our Flag) ]
Originally a poem by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Ya Alamna was set to music by Khaled Naser and sung as a duet by Hussain Al Jassmi and Emirati-Yemeni singer Balqees. The song was released last year, a week before National Day, as part of the album Torathana Qudwatona.
• Favourite lyrics: "O our flag, wave high in the sky, you are raised by those who have created the union."
[ Operette Yowm Al Izz (An Opera for the Day of Blessings) ]
The lyrics are from a poem by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, set to music by Fayez Al Saeed. But it’s the performance of the song, by some of the UAE’s most beloved singers, that makes it a favourite. Superstar Ahlam, Hussain Al Jassmi, Al Saeed himself, Balqees, Aida Al Menhali, Hamad Al Ameri and more feature on this star-studded collaboration, with the landmarks of the UAE appearing prominently in the video.
• Favourite lyrics: "And fans of poetry will stand in appreciation by its end. It revolves around the love of this homeland and those who live on its lands."
[ Rooh El Ittihad (The Spirit of the Union) ]
Released last week, the song is a mixture of Arabic and Malayalam. It was written, composed and sung by Iqubal Madakkara from India, who hopes it will be a favourite during National Day celebrations.
It is yet to become popular, but we’re predicting big things for the moving song.
• Favourite lyrics: "Here is a country without any discrimination and with wisdom, the Emirates is galloping."
[ Narzif Laha (We Dance For Her) ]
Last year, telecommunication services provider du released a song and music video to mark the 43rd National Day. The song celebrated the UAE’s international community by bringing together people of many nationalities and filmed them dancing the country’s traditional razfa dance with Emiratis.
Written by poet and television personality Saoud Al Kaabi, composed by Khalid Nasser and sung by Faisal Al Jassim, Narzif Laha was filmed at locations across the UAE and featured many of the country's landmarks. It also features Emiratis in the United States and United Kingdom dancing in front of the Hollywood sign and Buckingham Palace.
Several UAE-based celebrities were also shown dancing in the video, including Arabic-speaking Korean comedian Wonho Chung and City of Life actor Saoud Al Kaabi.
• Favourite lyrics: "This is the UAE, the Emirates of love and union, as it is so precious to us, we are all at her service, we are at her service, to express our love for our UAE, we dance for her."
[ Emirati ]
It would be impossible not to include this song by the UAE’s best-loved and most popular male singer, Hussain Al Jassmi – even though it was released way back in 2009.
This is not his only song dedicated to his country – also check out 2008's Emarat Al Wujood, produced by du and featuring lyrics by Ali Al Fadli and music by Walid Al Shami.
• Favourite lyrics: "I am Emirati and my head is held high, I am Emirati and my name is said with pride."
[ Bahjat Al Ard (Joy of the Land) ]
Also released last year for National Day, Bahjat Al Ard is an ode to the UAE's founders and the country's achievements. The song was the brainchild of the Government Communication Department at the National Media Council and was written by Mohammed Hassan Al Hammadi, from the NMC office in Al Ain.
• Favourite lyrics: "May God bless the soul of our nation's founder, Zayed."
[ Emirati Salam ]
Rising star Ali Al Hashmi – or Allawi for short – is a 14-year-old student at Al Yasmina School in Abu Dhabi. He has been singing for two years, since an Etisalat Ramadan commercial in 2013 thrust him into the spotlight.
With lyrics by Anwar Al Mashiri and music by celebrated singer Fayez Al Saeed, Emarati Salam remains a popular number.
• Favourite lyrics: "O country, you are great, may God keep you and continue blessing you, you are the sultan of all, our pride."
artslife@thenational.ae
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
The five pillars of Islam
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Director: Nag Ashwin
Starring: Prabhas, Saswata Chatterjee, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Shobhana
Rating: ★★★★
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE athletes heading to Paris 2024
Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
Men: Narmandakh Bayanmunkh (66kg), Nugzari Tatalashvili (81kg), Aram Grigorian (90kg), Dzhafar Kostoev (100kg), Magomedomar Magomedomarov (+100kg); women's Khorloodoi Bishrelt (52kg).
Cycling
Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).
Swimming
Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).
Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (women's 100 metres).
The specs
Engine: Single front-axle electric motor
Power: 218hp
Torque: 330Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 402km (claimed)
Price: From Dh215,000 (estimate)
On sale: September
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
