• Abdul-Rahman Al Zin, 53, holds a bottle of medicinal oil at his workshop in Bab Sharqi, a district in the old city of Damascus, Syria. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin, 53, holds a bottle of medicinal oil at his workshop in Bab Sharqi, a district in the old city of Damascus, Syria. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Bottles of medicinal oils inside the workshop. EPA
    Bottles of medicinal oils inside the workshop. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin inherited his profession of 25 years from his ancestors. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin inherited his profession of 25 years from his ancestors. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds to offer them as an alternative treatment to synthetic drugs. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds to offer them as an alternative treatment to synthetic drugs. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
  • Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA
    Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts medicinal oils from plants, flowers and seeds for alternative health treatments. EPA

MENA

Inside a workshop making medicinal oils in Syria - in pictures

Abdul-Rahman Al Zin extracts oils from plants, flowers and seeds at his business in Bab Sharqi, in the old city of Damascus

The National

April 01, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

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Rescued bears released in Iraq's mountains - in pictures

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World's oldest brewery may have been discovered in Egypt

Ice skaters take to Europe's frozen lakes and canals as temperatures plummet – in pictures

While you're here
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COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Letstango.com

Started: June 2013

Founder: Alex Tchablakian

Based: Dubai

Industry: e-commerce

Initial investment: Dh10 million

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

The Case For Trump

By Victor Davis Hanson
 

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
While you're here
While you're here
RESULTS

Women:

55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2

Men:

62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke

MEYDAN CARD

6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m

8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m

8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m

10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m

10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

The National selections:

6.30pm AF Alwajel

7.05pm Ekhtiyaar

7.40pm First View

8.15pm Benbatl

8.50pm Zakouski

9.25pm: Kimbear

10pm: Chasing Dreams

10.35pm: Good Fortune

Syria