Here are some tips to get your children excited and ready for the holy month.
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Surprise children with a gift basket
"The night before Ramadan, I give the kids each a box that I fill up with things suitable for their age," says Alaa' Awaysheh. "I normally put in new pyjamas, some crafty bits or stationary, a little toy or puzzle, a book about Ramadan or Islam – there are plenty of those on Amazon, such as It's Ramadan and Curious George. I add a lantern and fill it with sweets. I finish it up with our good-deeds jar."
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Make sighting the Moon a family outing
The night before Ramadan starts, dress the kids in new pyjamas, gifted for the occasion, and drive to the desert to see the Ramadan Moon. Do the same at the end of the month to welcome Eid Al Fitr. Take a telescope or binoculars and create a family tradition that can be replicated each year.
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Prepare Ramadan goody bags for classmates
If the teacher approves, prepare bags of treats for pupils in your kid’s class. Mark “Ramadan Mubarak” on them or include a note about the holy month, explaining in two or three sentences what it is all about. Fill them with some sweets and a small toy – perhaps a miniature lantern or a small tub of playdough for the little ones. Your child will take great pride in distributing the bags to classmates.
Decorate the home
Standard party decorations can certainly apply to Ramadan: colourful balloons, home-made banners, fairy lights, cut-outs of the crescent Moon and stars, lanterns and anything else you would care to include. Stores are stocking decorations, and Ramadan-themed arts and crafts projects can be found online. The visual reminder provided by a decorated home helps raise the anticipation.
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Invite the children’s friends to a kids-only iftar
Have your children create the guest list and help prepare a menu. Do not balk at having them in the kitchen – there are plenty of kid-friendly recipes available – and they can help with the parts of iftar meals that don’t require a stove or knives, such as designing and setting a Ramadan-themed table.
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Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
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Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
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Sector: Technology, Security
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Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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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.
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