Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Friday dedicated the coming 19th anniversary of his accession to his wife, who he hailed as his "greatest supporter" and "foundation of his family".
He became Ruler of Dubai on January 4, 2006, following the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid. Dubai has grown into a global hub for tourism, finance, commerce and advanced technology in the years since.
Sheikh Mohammed thanked Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum for being at his side during a remarkable chapter in his life and career. He described his wife as the "spirit of Dubai" and "mother of Sheikhs" in an uplifting message on social media platform, X.
"I would like to dedicate the fourth of January this year to my wife, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum, my companion, my support and my backer in this life," Sheikh Mohammed wrote.
"Sheikha Hind is one of the most compassionate, generous and charitable people. She is the pillar of my home, the foundation of my family and my greatest supporter throughout my career.
"I call on everyone to be loyal to those who deserve loyalty. Loyalty to our companion on the path and our support in this life."
Nineteen years of progress
Dubai's transformation into a global city happened under Sheikh Mohammed's watch. Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, opened in 2010. Other major projects such as Dubai Marina, Dubai Metro and shopping centres such as Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates elevated Dubai even more.
More recently, Sheikh Mohammed was pivotal to Dubai's recovery as the UAE as a whole bounced back from Covid-19 faster than most countries, and also oversaw the safe and successful staging of Expo 2020 Dubai, which attracted people from around the globe.
From the small town Sheikh Mohammed was born in, Dubai's population now stands at more than 3.8 million today, with a recent boom showing no signs of slowing down.
Sheikha Hind's leadership role
Sheikha Hind has herself played a significant role in the rise of Dubai and has sought to champion humanitarian values over the years.
In October 2020, she was honoured by the UN for leading a charitable initiative that delivered millions of meals to people in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UAE's "10 million meals' campaign" – which operated throughout Ramadan – exceeded its own lofty target by providing 15.3 million meals and food parcels to low-income families and those hardest hit by the outbreak.
Sheikha Hind was named Humanitarian of the Year 2020 at the Arab Woman Awards UAE for her efforts in leading the community-spirited project.
She has led the UAE Food Bank since it was established in 2017, a body that co-ordinates the distribution of surplus food from restaurants, the hospitality sector and other outlets to those less fortunate.
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Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
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The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
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Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
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The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
