ABU DHABI // It started as a competition to find the best impersonator of the singing superstar Beyoncé.
But two of the finalists found their halos slipping as they got into a pushing and shoving match.
When the dust settled, there were three winners yesterday: an Emirati teenager, a woman from New York and an Egyptian girl. They earned four tickets and a parking pass to Beyoncé's show on Thursday at Ferrari World on Yas Island.
"I'm tired, excited and thirsty. I'm a huge fan and can't wait to see her on stage," said Ymane Elakhlef, 24, one of the winners.
The other winner was Mohammed al Yafai, a 15-year-old high school student who prefers to be called Alien. He said he had been "forced" by his friends to take part.
"I am tired, happy and I am a big fan of Beyoncé and her husband," he said.
As the finalists danced to Crazy in Love and Single Ladies, they jostled each other, leading to a few heated moments. But overall, it was a family friendly event at the F1 FanZone on the Corniche.
A 12-year-old Egyptian girl, Wissam Majed, was also chosen as a winner. She said she would take her parents and her brother to the show. The family, she said, were big fans of the singer.
More than 100 people, mainly parents and their children, gathered around a dance floor for the competition. Most were reluctant at the start of the event; the first participants were small children encouraged by their mothers and fathers.
Tickets for the concert are otherwise exclusive for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket-holders. The organisers of the competition, Flash and Radio One, said they wanted to "give the chance for children to be able to go to the concert".
hhassan@thenational.ae
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
