First off, #MeToo. It is startling, when you get down to it, how few women don't have a story to contribute to this current debate. The levels of abuse and harassment vary widely, of course, but it is still all-too common for women all around the world to feel intimidated or unsafe.
The naysayers (I'm looking at you, Catherine Deneuve) can protest all they like, but this is a simple truth. For me, one of the best things about living in Dubai is how secure I feel – wherever I am, whatever the time of day. I can walk my dog in the park next to my house at 11 o'clock at night and feel entirely at ease. People bringing up daughters in the UAE will confirm that you can't put a price on that.
The debate surrounding female empowerment was amplified ad infinitum this week, courtesy of the Golden Globe Awards. In the run up to the awards, 300 of Hollywood’s leading ladies launched #TimesUp, a coordinated effort to counter sexual harassment across various industries. As part of the initiative, actresses pledged to wear black to Sunday’s awards ceremony.
"For years, we've sold these awards shows as women, with our gowns and colours and our beautiful faces and our glamour," Eva Longoria told the New York Times. "This time the industry can't expect us to go up and twirl around. That's not what this moment is about." You go girl.
The morning after the show, I trawled through the pictures with a mounting sense of delight. That sea of black suggested that, on some level, the sisterhood does exist. In an increasingly disconnected world, here was a highly visual, tangible sense of solidarity – a manifestation of the groundswell behind the #MeToo movement. It may have just been dresses, but it was a start.
To the cynics: the all-black dress code might have been obvious social-media fodder, but we live in an increasingly visual world, where a picture on Instagram can speak a thousand words. The all-black red carpet raised other important questions about the objectification of women, and how our worth is all too often linked with how we look and what we wear.
Of course, seeing women elegantly swathed in layers of black is nothing new for people living in this part of the world – and Sunday’s style statement presented an interesting exercise in perception.
To those watching on, Alicia Vikander’s demure, buttoned-up Louis Vuitton gown will have been seen as a sign of empowerment; those same people may well look at an abaya and see a symbol of repression. Those of us who have lived here long enough probably know that such value judgements are not so easily drawn. If we were all a little less quick to judge women based on how they were dressed, the sisterhood might truly be in ascendance.
There are many who believe celebrities have no place in political or social discourse; that musicians and actors are paid to perform, not preach. I understand that in the case of #Times Up, there is a level of hypocrisy – many of these powerful, successful, privileged women will have turned a blind eye to the transgressions of Harvey Weinstein (and others like him) for decades. But the truth is that we live in a culture that is unfathomably celebrity focused and Hollywood stars hold incredible sway. Most little girls want to grow up to be Kim Kardashian, not Angela Merkel.
So if these highly paid actresses can use their power to help sell products, why shouldn't they also use it to raise awareness of weightier issues? If they can start a conversation that leads to discussions about equal pay, where's the problem? If change has to come from Hollywood, let it come from Hollywood. Just as long as it comes.
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Read more:
Celebrities should take a stand and we should push them to do so
Golden Globes awards put solidarity on the red carpet
Najwa Zebian: The Lebanese poet speaking up about the #MeToo movement
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Oprah hit the nail on the head as she became the first black woman ever to win the Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award. In a speech so moving it stole the show – and led to calls that she run for president – she highlighted how single moments and gestures can shape a little girl's perceptions. She recalled sitting on the linoleum floor watching Sydney Poitier receive the best actor award at the 36th Academy Awards, and how that moment reshaped her view of what a black person could be.
There will have been many young girls watching on Sunday and if #TimesUp positively impacted their view of what it is to be a woman, then surely it is churlish to snipe?
It would have been great to see more men wade in. As far as I'm aware, none of the male awards recipients made any real comment on the subject. Donning a suave black tuxedo is not enough – if systemic change is going to occur, it has to be driven by both sexes.
Whether they know it or not, my brother and father are both feminists, by virtue of their value systems and how they treat the women around them. Feminism is, after all, just a part of humanism. My personal beliefs align with those of commentator and author Caitlin Moran in How to Be A Woman. I'm a feminist, but "I'm neither 'pro-women' nor 'anti-men'. I'm just 'Thumbs up for the six billion'."
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
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.
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Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Aguero 1', 44', 61'
Arsenal 1
Koscielny 11'
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.