• Ibtihal Makmahi-Tarik, Eleanor Jones (R) and Nicky Putter (L). Women dressed as superheroes handed out food, water, toiletries and water bottles at a labour camp in Al Quoz, Dubai on June 25th, 2021. Chris Whiteoak / The National. Reporter: N/A for News
    Ibtihal Makmahi-Tarik, Eleanor Jones (R) and Nicky Putter (L). Women dressed as superheroes handed out food, water, toiletries and water bottles at a labour camp in Al Quoz, Dubai on June 25th, 2021. Chris Whiteoak / The National. Reporter: N/A for News
  • 'I started doing this during Covid two years ago when I started collecting non-perishable food items for the UAE food bank and then supporting families and individuals that had lost their jobs or had salary reduction,' Makmahi-Tarik, dressed as Supergirl, said. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    'I started doing this during Covid two years ago when I started collecting non-perishable food items for the UAE food bank and then supporting families and individuals that had lost their jobs or had salary reduction,' Makmahi-Tarik, dressed as Supergirl, said. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • 'It snowballed from there and I wanted to involve the community and support a number of charities through donations including the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, Emirates Red Crescent and the Bait Al Khair Society,' Makmahi-Tarik said. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    'It snowballed from there and I wanted to involve the community and support a number of charities through donations including the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, Emirates Red Crescent and the Bait Al Khair Society,' Makmahi-Tarik said. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • 'We had a donation drive for the charities via the Villa Mums group and the generosity was overwhelming,' Makmahi-Tarik said. 'So we decided to start our own group kindness exchange which has now been running for two months with nearly 2,000 members. We were motivated by random acts of kindness and having fun while spreading kindness, hence the superhero costumes.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
    'We had a donation drive for the charities via the Villa Mums group and the generosity was overwhelming,' Makmahi-Tarik said. 'So we decided to start our own group kindness exchange which has now been running for two months with nearly 2,000 members. We were motivated by random acts of kindness and having fun while spreading kindness, hence the superhero costumes.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • 'During the summer we wanted to focus on construction workers and labourers because they are working in this heat. We also take part in other initiatives such as feeding a family and sending essential items to families and children who need a helping hand.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
    'During the summer we wanted to focus on construction workers and labourers because they are working in this heat. We also take part in other initiatives such as feeding a family and sending essential items to families and children who need a helping hand.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • 'We are professionals in our own right but do this in our free time. We have volunteers -- from CEOs, psychologists and housewives -- on our squad.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
    'We are professionals in our own right but do this in our free time. We have volunteers -- from CEOs, psychologists and housewives -- on our squad.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • 'We saught permission from the Ministry of Health as well as the camp manager. We make sure that the labourers have been vaccinated and so too our volunteers. The food is delivered directly from the restaurant to make sure we follow Covid regulations and the essential items are fully sanitised before distribution.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
    'We saught permission from the Ministry of Health as well as the camp manager. We make sure that the labourers have been vaccinated and so too our volunteers. The food is delivered directly from the restaurant to make sure we follow Covid regulations and the essential items are fully sanitised before distribution.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • 'What we plan to do next is to mobilise more volunteers and send them with goodie bags to different camps where they will deliver directly to the labour camp manager for distribution. We will be holding a competition for the best-dressed volunteers and they will win a super-duper prize.' Chris Whiteoak / The National
    'What we plan to do next is to mobilise more volunteers and send them with goodie bags to different camps where they will deliver directly to the labour camp manager for distribution. We will be holding a competition for the best-dressed volunteers and they will win a super-duper prize.' Chris Whiteoak / The National

Gulf

Dubai's very own superheroes support low-income workers - in pictures

The costumes add an element of fun as the group carries out acts of kindness

The National

June 28, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

More galleries from The National:

How you make ice in the UAE desert - in pictures

From UAE team at start of Tour de France to a memorial in Miami, US - today's best pictures

From Israeli Air Force graduates to Korean War veterans - today's best pictures

Spectacular new images of the Dubai skyline - in pictures

Etihad Rail testing in Abu Dhabi

While you're here
While you're here
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

MATCH INFO

Borussia Dortmund 0

Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')

Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

Explained
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

more from Janine di Giovanni

Take Me Apart

Kelela

(Warp)

'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'

Director: Jason Reitman

Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace

Rating: 2/5

RACE CARD

6.30pm: Baniyas Group 2 (PA) Dh 97,500 (Dirt) 1,400m.

7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m

7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m

8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,400m

8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 1,200m

10pm Handicap (TB) Dh 85,000 (D) 2,000m

Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

Race card for Super Saturday

4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.

4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.

7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.

The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper

Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km

The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Directed by: Michael Fimognari

Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo

Two stars

Scoreline

Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)

Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)

Company profile

Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

The biog

Born: High Wycombe, England

Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels

Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.

Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.

Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.

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
More from Firas Maksad
Gulf