Sulaiman Al Ameri, 40, an Emirati disabled driver, in his modified vehicle, parked outside his apartment building in the Al Zahiya area area of Abu Dhabi on August 25, 2014. Christopher Pike / The National
Sulaiman Al Ameri, 40, an Emirati disabled driver, in his modified vehicle, parked outside his apartment building in the Al Zahiya area area of Abu Dhabi on August 25, 2014. Christopher Pike / The NatShow more

Daily struggles of the disabled



In many societies, there is a stigma attached to physical and mental disability. The case of Ahmed Al Kaabi, an Emirati man with epilepsy who has had enormous difficulty finding a secure job, is a good example of this. What is remarkable about his case, however, is that it seems to demonstrate our society's ability to see a stigma for what it is and rise to the challenge of overcoming it. After The National covered Mr Al Kaabi's plight, a handful of business-owners stepped forward with the offer of a permanent job. It is a small but significant step in breaking down the barriers that are hedged around conditions like epilepsy.

This is good but it isn’t enough. The natural next step must be an assement of opportunities and facilities for people with all sorts of disabilities, including the physical. The hard truth is that some of our efforts to make life and work easier for the physically disabled have fallen woefully short. This is not for lack of intention but the lack of proper implementation. We have all seen dangerously steep and impractical handicapped ramps around offices. They are hardly likely to make it easier for the disabled to get to work and get around.

This is why we need to embrace efforts by concerned citizens to kick-start awareness about this problem with infrastructure. Shobhika Kalra, a young wheelchair user, has been spearheading efforts to create 50 more ramps around Dubai. Her efforts are the result of collaborations with authorities and businesses as The National reported yesterday.

The struggles that physically disabled people face are not a local issue. It is something that affects people all over the world. Given the compassion at the heart of our society and the modernising streak that is driving infrastructure development in our cities, the UAE is perfectly situated to not only solve this problem but become an example to other countries. But we do need to be honest about how much there is to do. Knowing where we want to arrive will help identify the route we take.

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Surianah's top five jazz artists

Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.  

Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.

Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.

Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.

Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.

Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Milkman by Anna Burns

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Circe by Madeline Miller

The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T

Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000

Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic

Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm

Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km

Final round

25 under -  Antoine Rozner (FRA)

23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)

21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)

20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)

19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)

ETFs explained

Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

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
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Results

Male 51kg Round 1

Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.

Male 54kg Round 1

Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; ​​​​​​​Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; ​​​​​​​Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.

Male 57kg Round 1

Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.

Men 86kg Round 1

Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1

​​​​​​​Men 63.5kg Round 1

Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.

Female 45kg quarter finals

Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.

Female 48kg quarter finals

Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.

Female 57kg quarter finals

Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5