Lootah Mosque in the Dubai heartland of Deira may seem unremarkable to many at first sight.
Yet mere bricks and mortar can't tell the story of a place of worship built on decades of warm memories and friendships formed.
The welcoming, family atmosphere of the mosque draws in big crowds of people from all over the emirate, some who hail from Africa and Asia as well as many parts of the Arab world.
Those worshippers - some of whom have called it a home from home for 50 years - come back to reflect every Ramadan.
They meet up with friends who live in the surrounding squat buildings, set on narrow alleys teeming with textile shops and small restaurants.
“This was the biggest mosque when I came to Dubai in 1971,” said Noor Mohammed, 65, who runs a food trading business.
“There were just 25 to 30 of us in the mosque and we would sit and talk for hours. Now the place is full, people are always streaming in.”
Mr Mohammed worked in a shipping firm when he moved to the emirate as a 17-year-old from southern India and remembers a quiet neighbourhood in which people congregated near the mosque.
“This place is like family. We all started out here, there is a lot of love and remembrance,” he said.
Inside the mosque, changes have taken place gradually over the past decade to accommodate larger crowds from nearby residents and tourists who stop by after visiting the gold market in Deira.
There are other mosques that are bigger and more impressive but this has a special place in my heart
Grey-white vinyl flooring has replaced the red carpet that once covered the entire lower level, small chandeliers now glow in the main prayer area in place of bright tube lights and an open porch area where people chatted after evening prayers has been enclosed to make more space for worshippers.
What remains is the sense of community.
Old timers remain grateful to the prominent Lootah family in Dubai for supporting the mosque since the 1970s and taking care of renovation work.
“This mosque makes me feel happy,” said Sultan Alaudeen, 42, a bank client service officer.
"There are other mosques that are bigger and more impressive but this has a special place in my heart because it is where I came 15 years ago when I moved to Dubai."
During Ramadan, Mr Alaudeen and his friends fill spicy biryani into containers for iftar and distribute food to thousands who patiently sit on lanes around the mosque lined with plastic sheets.
They volunteer with the Iman Cultural Centre, a charity group, that begins work from early afternoon in small outer rooms of the mosque.
The men prepare food parcels by adding dates and fruit, scoop a thick rice porridge into containers and hand out bottles of water as the sun sets.
Men who run electronic and textile stores bordering the mosque are joined by their families who pray alongside labourers, shop assistants and sales workers.
Each column inside the mosque is lined with wooden shelves on which the Quran and other books are placed.
On the upper level, groups of women bow their head in prayer in a large area separated with a thick beige curtain.
“People here are very welcoming. It is different from other mosques because people talk to you and offer to help,” said Fatima Saeed, 32, an Ethiopian garment trader who has been a regular for the past decade.
Sharika Elbahy, from Egypt, said the space for women is one reason she returns every week with a group of friends from Jordan and Sudan.
“When we first came to the UAE, we lived near the mosque. We had very little money. Now we can eat in restaurants and send money home. We like coming back to give thanks,” said Ms Elbahy, who works for a tour operator.
“I like the space for females to pray and read the Quran quietly. It was too hot in the summer but now they have enough air conditioners upstairs also. They think about our well-being and make changes for us even though we are much less in number than the men.”
Green and orange mats in the women’s section are lined with laban and oranges as women get ready to break their fast.
Some women cover their face with a veil or niqab, others wear pale pink, green or maroon shaylas or headscarves and a few are dressed in western outfits.
The mixture of different nationalities has made the mosque a learning experience for Amina Yahya, who visits with her family.
“I get to know other cultures, how women speak and dress,” said the 12-year-old.
“Some wear abayas like us, some wear niqabs so you can’t see them at all. We all say the same prayer but some pray with their hands under their scarves, some put their hand on their chest, some on their stomach. It’s very interesting to watch.”
The blessings they seek vary from good health, better jobs to high grades.
“There are always a lot of people but it is still a very peaceful place to say namaz,” said Faiza Mohammed Farook, 11, about praying with her mother and elder sister.
“I ask for good health of my family and the first rank in school.”
Rehmat Sahil Halde, 56, is keen to find a new position as a housemaid.
“People speak in English, Arabic, Hindi, Farsi,” she said.
“They may speak different languages but everyone sits on the same dastarkwhan (cloth spread on the floor) and prays to the same Allah.”
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FOOTBALL TEST
Team X 1 Team Y 0
Scorers
Red card
Man of the Match
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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