Dubai's winning bid for the World Expo 2020 reflects Sheikh Zayed legacy. Ali Hadier / EPA
Dubai's winning bid for the World Expo 2020 reflects Sheikh Zayed legacy. Ali Hadier / EPA

UAE National Day: Building our future, starting from home



Today we celebrate 42 years of the Spirit of the Union and the many achievements of our nation since its birth, the most recent of which is winning the bid to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. This six-month event will run into 2021 – the year in which we will celebrate 50 years of the Union.

As well as being a day for celebration, our National Day is also an opportune time for reflection. Reflection on how far we have come: the unique diversity of our population, the unrelenting development of our skyline, the remarkable growth in our economy, and the increasing number of opportunities to live, achieve and thrive here in the UAE.

Watching the voting results of the Expo bids come in, I could not help but feel that the legacy of our nation’s father Sheikh Zayed is stronger than ever, who once also said that “Future generations will be living in a world that is very different from that to which we are accustomed; It is essential that we prepare ourselves and our children for that new world.”

These wise and inspiring words highlight an important lesson, which is that the foundations of good governance always begin at home. There is no better place than the family unit for imparting the values of integrity, responsibility and a social conscience – values that are increasingly being codified into companies across the globe.

Much of our economy is made up of successful family firms which have been built up from humble beginnings over the past few decades, and many of which are now embarking on a period of succession. Many of these companies have created tremendous value for their shareholders, employees, and the country as a whole. Like the country from which they originate, they are also looking to how that value can be preserved for the next generation of men and women, and the ones after that.

While family firms signify an important part of the legacy of our success, our future legacy is built beyond the boardroom. It is built in every activity that each organisation undertakes. It is a mindset, a culture, and the refusal to accept anything other than scrupulous ethics in every decision taken by shareholders, management and all employees. As our future generations take the reins, it will be up to them to guide their respective firms along these ethical values instilled by their forefathers.

Therefore we must continue to champion the benefits of embracing best business practices, and instilling them in our future generations from a young age to ensure our growth remains sustainable. We should never rest on our laurels in our drive to instil good corporate governance, since complacency can only lead to inertia, which is a major barrier to ongoing innovation and success.

The last Expo, held in Shanghai in 2010, welcomed 73 million visitors from 189 nations, generating more than US$12 billion in direct tourism income alone over a six-month period. Not only is this testament to the convening power of the Expo, but it is also a reflection of its economic potential as a destination for international trade.

In the seven years until the doors of Expo 2020 in Dubai are thrown open to the world, the UAE will embark on an accelerated phase of growth. Our nation is now in a commanding position, not only to support the development of local and regional companies, but also as a global staging post sitting at the nexus of East and West. This presents a unique opportunity for the UAE to continue to demonstrate to all that while there may be uncertainty and instability in some parts of our turbulent region, here is a country filled with optimism and opportunity to live and work in a stable and prosperous environment. And as a hub for many regional and international businesses, we should always be mindful that a successful UAE is an integral part of a successful region.

We here in the UAE are playing a hugely important role in the ongoing process of the creation of a truly global community and now, more than ever, we can see the impact of our founding fathers' vision to create a sustainable future for our future business leaders, as our nation's men and women enter the workforce. By staying true to the entrepreneurial spirit and foundations upon which our nation was built, we have a unique opportunity to embrace this vision.

Badr Jafar is the chief executive of the UAE’s Crescent Group, and the founder of the Pearl Initiative

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

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The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
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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

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The%20specs
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Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
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Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

Gully Boy

Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi​​​​​​​
Rating: 4/5 stars

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5