Al Seef apartments, near Khalifa Park, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Better Homes
Al Seef apartments, near Khalifa Park, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Better Homes

On the Market: one bedroom apartment in Al Seef, Abu Dhabi



Dh90,000 Annual rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Al Seef, near Khalifa Park, Abu Dhabi

Features Fitted kitchen, built-in storage space, walk-in en suite shower room plus guest cloakroom and a large balcony terrace accessed from the bedroom. Gated compound with 24-hour security, shared swimming pool, gym, children's playground and one allocated parking space

Pros Payment accepted in two cheques; the size of the outside space is almost as big as the apartment's entire floor space (829 square feet); the pleasant village-style layout of the low-rise compound

Cons The open-plan kitchen/living area is on the small side and, although the bathrooms are spacious, they have walk-in showers rather than bathtubs

They say Luxury apartments in a convenient location

We say Although not centrally located, this is one of the capital's nicest developments, situated close to the Park Rotana and Khalifa Park. Originally offered at Dh100,000, these are now available at a more realistic price, but couples may find the living space cramped

Contact Better Homes, 600 52 2212

RESULTS

2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: AF Senad, Nathan Crosse (jockey), Kareem Ramadan (trainer)

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ashjaan, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Amirah, Conner Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yaasoob, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.

4pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri.

4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Manhunter, Ryan Curatolo, Mujeeb Rahman.

Country-size land deals

US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:

Louisiana Purchase

If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.

Florida Purchase Treaty

The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty. 

Alaska purchase

America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of  Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".

The Philippines

At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million. 

US Virgin Islands

It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.

Gwadar

The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees. 

What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

How to avoid getting scammed
  • Never click on links provided via app or SMS, even if they seem to come from authorised senders at first glance
  • Always double-check the authenticity of websites
  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for all your working and personal services
  • Only use official links published by the respective entity
  • Double-check the web addresses to reduce exposure to fake sites created with domain names containing spelling errors
Results

6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m

Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)

6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m

Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m

Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor

8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons

9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor

Cracks in the Wall

Ben White, Pluto Press 

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends

Five personal finance podcasts from The National

 

To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes 

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Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth 

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What is a portfolio stress test? 

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What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested? 

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How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies 

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Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?