HOLE 9: Abu Dhabi National
(Par 4, 456 yards)
"Best Golf Club in the Middle East" is the greeting you get as you enter the grounds of Abu Dhabi Golf Club and it is no idle boast from those who regard themselves in "an oasis of tranquility carved out of the desert".
Walking to the clubhouse you cannot fail to notice the two Rolls Royce buggies that are reserved for those golfers rich or lucky enough to sample the Royal Experience - a helicopter ride from the Emirates Palace Hotel and a journey around the Championship course in the lap of luxury.
When you reach the ninth tee on the 27-hole expanse designed by the renowned course architect Peter Harradine, you really are in a dreamland and any golfer not impressed by what lies in front of him should consider giving up the sport.
In the distance is the quirky clubhouse, built in the shape of a gigantic falcon which, with "wings" extended, is turned to stone as it snatches a larger than life golf ball.
The bird is the club's official crest and falcon-shaped tee blocks are an imaginative addition to the course's appeal.
Matching water hazards on both sides of the fairway - two of the seven lakes on the 7,334 Championship course - add to the aesthetic attraction of this hole which is mirrored on the back nine by the longer and more hazardous 18th.
It proved a happy hunting ground early this year for Germany's Martin Kaymer, who blitzed the course in the third running of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, an European PGA tour event, to follow the American Chris DiMarco and England's Paul Casey on to the winner's rostrum.
Kaymer's outstanding performance prompted Lee Westwood, the British Ryder Cup player, to remark at the time: "Some of the lines Martin has taken here are unbelievable."
HOLE 10: Al Hamra, Ras al Khaimah
(Par 4, 455 yards)
My visit to this delightful seaside track coincided with that of 19 club professionals from the region on the second and final day of the UAE PGA championship in mid-May.
A couple of those competitors suggested that the back nine, opened only a month earlier, was not quite ready for play on such an important day on the calendar.
It is included here more for its potential than its appearance at the time which resembled a building site with much "ground under repair". The imagination ran wild at what it will look like when it is tidied up after all the construction work as it makes maximum use of the natural beauty - a mixture of sand and water - at its disposal.
It is the start of a loop of three superbly designed holes around a lagoon which is crossed by the prettiest of humped-back brid-ges, similar to the ones the gondolas go under along the canals of Venice.
This one becomes the Bridge of Sighs if, like me, you fail to stay out of the water which starts on the left of the hole before meandering to the right and then flowing behind the green.
Chris White, the general manager of the club and proud to unveil the new course which will shortly have a new clubhouse, said of that particular section of a testing round: "The 10th is the start of Al Hamra's Amen corner. To play it in regulation, the second shot has to carry from the fairway to the green surround - and if that's not enough it nearly always plays into the prevailing sea breeze.
"On a calm day it's driver followed by a mid to short iron, but on a blustery afternoon it could be driver followed by a long iron or even a fairway wood."
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.ae
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
The years Ramadan fell in May
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Turkish Ladies
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