What message are we giving the youth of this country when we tell them that success is being able to live a luxurious life that you can enjoy? Photo: Charles Crowell / The National
What message are we giving the youth of this country when we tell them that success is being able to live a luxurious life that you can enjoy? Photo: Charles Crowell / The National
What message are we giving the youth of this country when we tell them that success is being able to live a luxurious life that you can enjoy? Photo: Charles Crowell / The National
What message are we giving the youth of this country when we tell them that success is being able to live a luxurious life that you can enjoy? Photo: Charles Crowell / The National

Success is more than being able to afford a luxury lifestyle


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How do you define success? Is it fame and fortune? A promotion at work? Or is it simply being able to live your life the way you want to? When you look around you on your drive to work, while you are shopping at the mall, or when you go out to your favourite restaurant, how do you think people in the UAE define success?

Being successful in one way, shape or form is something we all strive for as people. We all want better lives for ourselves and the people we love. However, what differs among people around the world is whether success is seen as external recognition from our peers and colleagues, or internal peace and joy with the things we do and people we love.

When MasterCard undertook a survey of how affluent people in Asia, the Middle East and Africa defined success, a wide array of answers came up depending on their country of origin. Japanese, for example, defined success as “living an enriching life”; in China, it was “living a more valuable life, where success is more than just money”; and in South Africa, it was defined as a “foundation for financial independence”.

The people of the UAE defined success as "a way to fuel a lifestyle of luxury and enjoyment".

Are you surprised by that answer? I have to be completely honest, and it hurts me to say this, but I think that it is pretty accurate.

The answer hurts me personally, because it is absent of any depth of meaning. Being able to “fuel a lifestyle of luxury and enjoyment” is self-serving – implying a situation where very few people beyond yourself and maybe some close family members are better off because you have succeeded in accomplishing your goal of living a more lavish lifestyle.

So why was I not surprised by an answer like that from people in the UAE? Well, when you look around at how the UAE markets itself – highlighting the most expensive hotels, the tallest towers and most lavish resorts – it’s ripe to become a destination of choice for the rich and famous. This marketing, in turn, puts a lot of pressure on citizens and the local community to look and play the part. In many cases, people are living a lifestyle they can barely afford thanks to the generosity of our financial institutions.

With wealth being seen as the ultimate symbol of success in this country, it creates a vicious cycle where people want to lead a life of luxury because that is the only way they will fit in, and where businesses mainly serve the rich. Think about it for a second. Why is it that when a company creates a diamond-encrusted, limited-edition mobile phone, Dubai is the place of choice for the product launch? Believe me, it’s got nothing to do with the weather.

Now for the important part: what message are we giving the youth of this country when we tell them that success is being able to live a luxurious life that you can enjoy? Where your title at work, the size of your house, the price of your yacht, or the digits on your licence plate matter more than the impact of your work, the level of your education, the people you can help, or the love of your family?

As a country we need to show our youth, the world around us and, more importantly, each other a deeper meaning of the word “success”, where it is measured beyond our personal benefits and lifestyles.

We need to appreciate each other for who we are rather than what we are or what we own. In doing so, we will create a culture where citizens and residents are not focused on who they are going to impress with their success, but instead on how they are going to feel through their success. That is what encourages people to begin following their dreams and passions rather than simply following the status quo and doing what they think is expected of them.

To our forefathers who built this country, success was being able to create a brighter future for everyone who came here and for the generations beyond them. Success was not something they would experience personally, it was something they would achieve through the access to opportunity and lives of dignity that others would enjoy.

That is an attitude we can all be proud of. It may not be luxurious, it may not result in fame and riches, but it will make our country and this world a better place, and that’s what truly counts.

Khalid Al Ameri is an Emirati social commentator

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

MATCH INFO

Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)

TV: Abu Dhabi Sports

The biog

Age: 32

Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.

Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas

Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 420 bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: from Dh293,200

On sale: now

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.
Barings Bank

 Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal. 

Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson. 

Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.  

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

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

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Sun jukebox

Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)

This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.

Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)

The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)

Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.

Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)

Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.

Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)

An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.

Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)

Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.

Types of policy

Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.

Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.

Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.

Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

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