Among the changes in the kingdom over the past five years, since Vision 2030 was announced, is the choice and freedom to celebrate love on Valentine's Day.
“I remember like less than 10 years ago, everything red was frowned upon be it attire or even red roses that were banned, or rather sold in secret at flower shops. In schools, students were exchanging red roses in secret - it was funny - or we were asked to hide anything that symbolised Valentine's Day, which honestly added to our curiosity more than anything,” said Banan Hafeez, a Saudi fashion student in Jeddah.
“Today you see chocolate shops to lingerie brands promoting 'red products' before Valentine's day in malls.”
Malls, hotels and local businesses across the kingdom are celebrating February 14 with special offers and products designed for Valentine's Day this year.
Local bakeries, such as Munch, Alia's funky kitchen, Rimbo's and many others are creating special cakes and desserts. Floward, the express flower delivery service, has collaborated with Saudi brands to mark the occasion. Even Saudi spas and gyms are celebrating, including SheFit, a local female gym in Jeddah that has announced special rates for Valentine's Day.
The huge corporate adoption of the once frowned upon celebration shows the rapid pace of change in Saudi Arabia.
“Prices of red roses are tripled on Valentine's Day, it's one of our most profitable days,” said Saad Karim, a local florist in Jeddah. “All other prices for coloured roses and flowers remain the same. People have already sent their orders that go out for delivery on February 14,” he said.
Located along the Red Sea coast with views of the Jeddah fountain, Park Hyatt hotel in Jeddah is offering a “Romance Package” that offers a honeymoon set-up; dinner for two, a couple's massage and a gift for your loved one. The offer is valid till February 19 for those wishing to celebrate, said a Park Hyatt official.
“I am gifting my wife a gold necklace with red roses and chocolates. Of course, that's standard,” said Abdul Wahab, a Saudi shopper. “I don't need an occasion to celebrate the mother of my children. This is just another occasion to do so,” he added.
“My friends and I are planning to watch Marry Me on Valentine's Day. You know a feel-good romantic movie is always a good fit to enjoy ourselves. Since our teen years we have given our friends red roses, just a symbol of love and appreciation for each other,” said Mona Sindi a postgraduate student in Riyadh.
Since our teen years, we have given our friends red roses, just a symbol of love and appreciation for each other
Mona Sindi,
postgraduate student in Riyadh
“I'm getting a perfume for my husband, who's taking me out to dinner for Valentine's Day. But I also got myself a gift, you know love yourself first,” says Reham Ihsan, a Syrian citizen living in the kingdom.
Places, a local lifestyle brand founded by Hala Khallaf and Shatha Batterjee, is selling a “love dose box” - comprising a heart-shaped cake, heart candle, bouquet, “love”-inscribed stationery and tote bag in Jeddah.
“This box was created to inspire and spread love all around. Filled with seven unique locally-made pieces, some are even handmade by us! All pieces aim to be your reminder that love is a divine feeling that makes our life much more beautiful and meaningful. It also comes with a love letter written by us that talks about love and encourages keeping your heart open for it. Our target was to make it suitable for anyone including yourself. Because love is that, for everyone,” Ms Batterjee said.
“As we are approaching Valentine's Day, we are excited that the box is moving quite quickly. People are buying it for their partners, best friends, and sisters. Our favourite part was the notes people left to be included in the box, it is indeed heart-warming. We are showcasing the box at different venues to increase more awareness. And our wish is to lead with love and inspire others to do so".
Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
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.
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
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.
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
HAJJAN
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