Visitors to the Dubai Expo will taste life at the depths of the ocean as they watch shoals of fish swim past on a giant 360-degree projection screen, later this year.
The team at Expo 2020 released stunning visuals of thousands of brightly coloured fish darting into corals beamed on to the massive Al Wasl dome on Wednesday.
The teaser footage was shown to participants on the second day of Global Goals, a virtual programme organised by the expo.
The Al Wasl plaza is the Expo site centrepiece that will host major ceremonies during the six-month world fair. Footage will be shown inside and outside the venue's steel trellis dome.
The Global Goals conference explored the steps needed to tackle climate change, eradicate poverty, provide quality education, clean drinking water, affordable energy and reduce inequality by 2030.
Expo 2020 and Sustainable Development Goals
Conservation of life below water is one of the 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations in 2015, to protect the planet and its people.
“The United Nations values Expo 2020 as a global platform for global dialogue and collaboration,” said Maher Nasser, director of the outreach division in the UN's Department of Global Communications.
"With its theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Expo presents an opportunity to showcase not only the power of ingenuity and innovation to create solutions to the world's most pressing challenges, but also the power of international cooperation to implement and achieve the global goals with dignity and justice for all."
Abdulla Nasser Lootah, director general of the Prime Minister's Office, spoke of how UAE national objectives were framed to safeguard the planet, and uplift its people.
“Sustainability is deeply rooted within our nation’s story,” said Mr Lootah, who is also vice chair of the UAE National Committee on SDG.
He spoke of protecting front-line workers, the speedy administration of vaccines and delivering 1,750 tonnes of food and medical supplies to 128 countries worldwide.
Mr Lootah said this was "true testimony that the UAE’s commitment towards fulfilling the sustainability goals is not only restricted within the borders of our nation.”
The world fair will run from from October 1 until March 31, 2022, and during that time the team at Expo will seek solutions to the world’s pressing problems, with dedicated weeks focusing on the climate, biodiversity, water, knowledge and learning.
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.
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Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
