When I graduated from university, my first real job was as a journalist at this newspaper. I started out as a general reporter, dipping my feet into areas as diverse as schools, health, parking fees and food safety – the last being the crux of my first front-page story.
After a year on the general beat, I was assigned to stories around politics and foreign policy, like the Federal National Council, the Gulf Co-operation Council’s monumental decision to call for military intervention in Libya to halt the atrocities of Muammar Qaddafi, and sanctions against Iran.
As a recent graduate, I was terrified, obviously, to be covering topics of such heft. But I felt I was in my element, that this was what I was supposed to do and I was immensely grateful to the people who decided to give a fresh graduate a chance to prove himself.
I left The National and moved to the Netherlands for a couple of years before returning to the Middle East, to Lebanon, where I started working for a local English newspaper, the Daily Star.
Beirut was a gathering place for many international journalists who covered the war in Syria, and I hoped the job would eventually be a stepping stone to a career in international journalism. I had always dreamed of writing for The Guardian or The New York Times.
I worked hard, covering stories that were tough on me mentally, including many suicide bombings, sectarian violence and refugee issues. The work was eventually noticed by fellow writers, and I reached out to those whose work I respected and who I wanted to learn from. Many of these initial contacts blossomed into lasting friendships, and even included finding a mentor and an older brother in Martin Chulov, The Guardian’s Middle East correspondent.
I also started receiving tentative offers from international newspapers operating in Beirut, except they did not want to hire me as a reporter; they wanted me to work as a “news assistant”, for a fraction of what correspondents earned. A news assistant is essentially a permanent fixer. They are often local journalists from the communities being reported on, who do the research, arrange interviews and translate for foreign correspondents, often at great risk to themselves in dangerous areas.
I once wrote to an editor at a global newspaper to inquire about a job as a Middle East reporter. He replied that I should not bother to apply for it and instead to try for the job of a news assistant. I decided not to, and a few months later was hired by The Guardian as a correspondent.
I once wrote to an editor at a global newspaper to inquire about a job as a Middle East reporter. He replied that I should not bother
As an Egyptian, I looked around and realised that there were not many young Arab journalists working with big international media outlets, with the exception of wire services such as Reuters and the Associated Press. News assistants who I talked to rarely managed to break into full-time reporting jobs. The situation may have improved since then, but it was a moment that helped me to understand the challenges that faced young writers, who wanted to tell stories of their own communities.
One solution to fix this gap is for international media outlets to invest more in training and hiring of young writers who start out as fixers for their organisations, to offer them an actual, viable path to employment, instead of relying on their labour to win awards and later casting them aside.
The other promising path forward is the emergence of independent Arab media organisations. The past few years have seen an influx of philanthropic and civil society money into the region to support fledgling independent media outlets that have grown out of the frustration at the loss of the Arab uprisings' potential. This is a path formed by those who eschew violence and still want to play a role in the development of their countries.
Over the past three years, since moving to Canada, I myself have been involved in different capacities with private Arab media organisations, and the energy there is palpable, the audience reception invigorating, and the sheer creativity and resilience is astounding. From longform essays to podcasts, reportage and investigations to satire, as well as fact-checking and combating disinformation, these organisations are helping to rebuild faith in the media as a force for good.
If young Arabs are to be given the chance to report on the stories of their own communities, such organisations should be empowered, or at least be allowed to continue to function unhindered. For, if that happens, the region will prosper and our societies will be healthier for it.
Kareem Shaheen is a veteran Middle East correspondent in Canada
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m. Winner: Rio Angie, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Trenchard, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m. Winner: Mulfit, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m. Winner: Waady, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m. Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m. Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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The%20specs
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The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
Match info
Costa Rica 0
Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.