Culture Bites: Brian Cox, Denzel Washington and lots of films


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  • Arabic

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about Succession actor Brian Cox and his stunning reading of If I Must Die, a poem by the Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer.

The hosts also talk about Denzel Washington's casting as Hannibal, which has sparked a huge debate in Tunisia.

Enas gives her review of Naga, a new film on Netflix by director Meshal Al Jaser. The film is set in Saudi Arabia and explores a father/daughter relationship that is pushed to the limits and the vengeance of a vigorous camel.

There's a significant Tinseltown milestone that Enas and Farah discuss, as the hosts wish the Hollywood sign a very happy birthday.

Art is also on this week's agenda as Art Basel Miami Beach closed on Sunday, marking the end of the biggest art market week in North America, reporting significant sales from regional artists.

Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule

12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)

2pm Formula One final practice 

5pm Formula One qualifying

6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Afghanistan squad

Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

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About Seez

Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017  

Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer

Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon 

Sector:  Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing

Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed

Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A 

Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds 

Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

Updated: December 14, 2023, 4:16 PM
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