UAE sends ninth humanitarian ship to support people of Gaza


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The UAE's ninth Hamdan humanitarian aid vessel to support Gaza set sail on Saturday, as part of the country's relief campaign, ‘Operation Chivalrous Knight 3’.

Departing from Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, the ship is bound for Al Arish Port in Egypt, where the cargo will be transported into the Gaza Strip to assist the Palestinian population.

Organised in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent, the ship carries a total of 7,000 tonnes of supplies, including 5,000 tonnes of food parcels, 1,900 tonnes of food items to support community kitchens, 100 tonnes of medical tents for healthcare, and five fully equipped ambulances.

This initiative is the latest in a series of efforts demonstrating the UAE's commitment to humanitarian relief in Gaza. In the early weeks of November 2023, President Sheikh Mohamed directed that Chivalrous Knight 3 be put into effect.

Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen after the humanitarian network Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, said that Gaza city and surrounding areas are officially suffering famine that is likely to spread. Reuters
Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen after the humanitarian network Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, said that Gaza city and surrounding areas are officially suffering famine that is likely to spread. Reuters

Famine in Gaza

Earlier this month, August 2025, the UN formally declared a famine in Gaza, blaming months of Israeli restrictions that have limited the supply of food and water to more than two million people.

The report highlighted the impact on children, noting that as of June, more than 132,000 people under the age of five were suffering from malnutrition, including 41,000 in severe condition.

The UN attributed the worsening humanitarian situation to Israel's restrictions on aid deliveries.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

South and West: From a Notebook
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The biog

Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus

Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India

Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes

Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island

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Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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Bundesliga fixtures

Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm) 

RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm) 

Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm) 

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn  (4.30pm) 

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Sunday, May 17

Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),

Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)

Monday, May 18

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

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Background: M&A, investment banking

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Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
 
Dubai
Kite Beach
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Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes 

How to volunteer

The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.

How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

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The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback

Price, base: Dh315,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm

Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km

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Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
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Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

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2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)

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2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

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Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

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Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.

“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.

Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.

He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.

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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

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• For more information visit the library network's website.

Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

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HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

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Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

Updated: August 30, 2025, 9:19 AM