In many cultures around the world, the dawn has profound and important meaning.
This week our Arabic word of the week has especially significant meaning, because it's Ramadan.
Fajr, which commonly means dawn, is the time when the first of five daily prayers in Islam is performed. Throughout the holy month, people fasting should stop eating approximately 15 minutes before the dawn prayer.
The word fajr, which is used in classic and colloquial Arabic, is made from the three Arabic letters, fah, jeem and rah.
The combination of these three letters is pronounced differently depending on the short vowel marks that are used in combination with these letters, but in essence they still share a connection to the idea of fajr.
The root of the word comes from the verb fajar, which means something that emerges out of something else entirely. In the context of the dawn, this means light emerging out of darkness. In Arabic, the noun fajr, means the vanishing dark of the night because of the arrival of the morning light.
There are two phases of fajr in Arabic, each with a different name.
The first is called moustateel and refers to the phase of dawn when the first rays of light emerge out of the dark as the Sun starts to rise. Interestingly, moustateel in Arabic also means rectangle.
The second phase of dawn, moustateer, refers to the time when morning light starts to spread across the horizon, lighting up the sky.
Fajr is the name of a surah, a chapter, in the Quran. The 89th surah in the Quran has 30 ayat, also known as verses. This chapter begins by mentioning the dawn as one of God's creations and goes on to describe the consequences of those who love wealth and look down upon the poor and orphans.
Fajr can also mean the start or beginning of something. For example, fajr al tareekh, meaning the beginning of history, or fajr al hayat, meaning the beginning of life.
Faajera, is another word that comes from the root of fajr, describes something exploding. For example, water or oil rushing out of the ground, or when a structure explodes after a detonation. Fajera can also be used to describe a path that becomes clear for one to pass through.
Fujoor is a noun that holds more negative connotations. It means something that diverts from the “right path” and into sin. Fajara is the verb of fujoor, which means the physical act of leaving the right path to commit immoral wrongdoings. The person committing the act is referred to as al faajir.
As in many cultures and religions, fajr is a powerful theme, especially in storytelling. Used to describe either the moment of enlightenment, hope or transformation, there are many films and stories in the Arab world that use this trope, or the name fajr, as part of their title.
One of the most popular is Zaier Al Fajr, (The Dawn Visitor), a mystery drama film from 1975 starring Magda El-Khatib and Ezzat El Alaili.
Scroll through the gallery below to see The National's pick of Arabic words of the week
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Hob is the Arabic word for love, but can be used in many contexts -

The Arabic word helu translates, in English, to sweet -

Nashef is the Arabic word for dry, but has many connotations, depending on the context in which you use it -

The Arabic word hurriyeh translates to freedom in English -

The Arabic word tayeb can mean delicious or good, depending on the context -

The Arabic word mustaqbal is best expressed as future in English -

Waqaa, the Arabic word for fall, can signify a loss of power, stature, health or grace -

Hudood means borders in English -

The Arabic word rooh translates to spirit or soul in English -

The Arabic word ain means eye in English -

Waraq, the Arabic word of the week means paper in English -

Bahr, the Arabic for sea, has a poetic lilt -

Kareem means generous in English -

Bab means door in English -

Eid means holiday or festival -

Najm means star for the night sky and cosmos, but also has plenty of other meanings, including ambition or fame -

Alwan, the Arabic word for colours, has many shades of meaning -

Akel can refer to home-cooked meals, embezzlement, fire and rust -

Jamal is the Arabic word for beauty, be it literal or figurative -

Herfe translates to profession or craft -

Tabiaa translates to nature and can frame landscapes and portraits -

Sehha is the Arabic word for health -

Ijaza is Arabic for holiday and shines in summer but is not stress-free -

Aamal is the Arabic word for work -

Al dahr translates to time -

Qalb is a word for heart, with poetic roots -

Lugha in Arabic translates to language in English -

Insaan means human being -

Na'eeman is an idiomatic expression used when someone has had a shower or bath, a haircut or had their beard trimmed -

The Arabic word for life touches on eternity, death and accomplishment -

Qamar is the Arabic for moon -

The Arabic word for strength or power is quwwa -

Burj is Arabic for tower -

The Arabic word for sun is shams -

Sabr in English can translate to patience -

Hayba is the Arabic word for prestige -

The Arabic term al shay'e translates as 'the thing' in English -

The Arabic word for road is tareeq -

The Arabic word for read has mystical and scholarly connotations -

Istikan is the Arabic word for a type of tea cup -

The Arabic word hanan means affection in English -

The Arabic word atlal means ruins in English -

Kura is the Arabic word for ball, in all its forms -

Janaah in Arabic means wing in English -

The Arabic word sana translates to year in English -

Qasida is the Arabic for poem, not poetry -

Ameer, the Arabic word for prince, which influenced another English title -

Nakhla translates to palm tree in English -

Al samt is the Arabic for silence -

Kalimaat translates to words in English -

Markaz is Arabic for centre -

Beshara is the Arabic word for good news -

Bayt is the Arabic for house or home -

Fann is the Arabic word for art, and can be either a verb or an adjective -

Isim, which means name, is made up of three letters, alif, seen and meem -

Dunya is the Arabic word for world -

Nazaafah translates to cleanliness in English -

Many traditions revolve around drinking coffee, including weddings, funerals and business meetings -

Fajr is the Arabic word for dawn -

Maghrib is the Arabic word for sunset -

The Arabic language is filled with idioms, quotes and colloquial quips involving the mirror -

Raei is the Arabic word for opinion -

Wa'ed is a multifaceted word for 'promise', as well as a female name -

Qussa is the Arabic word for story -

Sadaaka is the Arabic word for friendship -

Akhbaar is the Arabic word for news -

Rasem is made up of the three Arabic letters Rah, Seen and Meem. While it can simply mean a drawing or a sketch it’s also a malleable word whose definition can change depending on context and dialect – particularly between colloquial and classical Arabic. -

As well as finishing a task, khatem denotes a deeper sense of finality -

Commonly translated to blessed, mubarak is used as a popular greeting on auspicious days -

The Arabic word for lighthouse is also a term that has become closely associated with Islam -

Siyaam, the Arabic word for fasting is also connected to silence -

Tawbah, the Arabic word for repentance, is also connected to Ramadan -

Safar, the Arabic Word for travel can also refer to sunny days, a brighter-blazing fire or exile. The National
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Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
England squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse
Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Raheem Sterling
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.


