The Arabic word for sand is rich with poetry, divinations and timeless advice.
Raml (sand) is made up of fine minerals (ma’aden). It is finer than gravel (hassa) and larger than silt (altamy or alghareen). In singular form, raml becomes ramla, whereas rimal is its plural derivative. The word sandy, meanwhile, translates as ramly. A grain of sand is habat raml.
There are several classifications of sands based on grain size, including: raml al na’em (fine sand); raml al mutawasset (medium sand) and raml al kheshn (coarse sand).
Kuthban ramliyya are dunes. A single dune is known as kathib.
When someone tumbles or becomes bogged down in the sands, literally or metaphorically, you could say ta’athara fil rimal. On the other hand, ramala could be used when a person rushes to accomplish a particular task, without much attention to detail.
Darb al raml is an antiquated custom of projecting the future, and assuming the unknown, by interpreting lines and shapes in the sand. The term was also the title of a trilogy by Saudi novelist Muhammad Al Muzaini that followed the transformations in Saudi society in the second half of the 20th century. The novels were adapted into a television series in 2020.

Raml al demagh, or brain sand, refers to the calcified forms in the pineal gland.
Rimal al mutaharrika is quicksand. Sa’at al raml is an hourglass. Hajar ramli is sandstone. Raml al shu’ab al marjaniyya are coral sands.
Mala’ab raml, meanwhile, refers to a sandy playground. Qal’at raml is a sandcastle and rimal al shaate’a is the sand on a beach, which is also known as rimal almaghsula (washed sands) or rimal fiddiyya (silver sands). On that same note, the Arabian Gulf is known for its golden sands, or rimal dhahabiyya.
Raml is also one of 16 buhoor alshe'er (literally, the seas of poetry), which is a term used to classify a group of iambic meters. Al Khalil ibn Ahmad Al Farahidi, an eighth-century philologist and grammarian known as the Genius of Arabic Language, is credited as the developer of the classification. Besides his work in developing the study of prosody and poetic meter, Al Farahidi was also the scholar who penned the first dictionary of the Arabic language and introduced the harakat system.
Finally, an old proverb that beckons the sands for sound advice: Iaa’al khatawatuka fil khair kaman yamshi a’la al rimal, la yusma’ sawtuhu walaakin atharahu waadeh.
Perform your good deeds like footsteps in the sand, inaudible but with clear traces.
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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
While you're here
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Whiile you're here
Damien McElroy: Anti-science attitudes in America are proving lethal
Editorial: What makes the UAE such a good place to test vaccines?
Editorial: The fight against Covid-19 should be guided by science
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
Greatest Royal Rumble match listing
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Top Hundred overseas picks
London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith
Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah
Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott
Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz
Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw
Trent Rockets: Colin Munro
Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson
Southern Brave: Quinton de Kock
While you're here
Mina Al-Oraibi: Beirut's suffering is a direct result of a failed political system
Michael Young: From one crisis to the next, where is Lebanon headed?
Joyce Karam: US delegation to push for independent government
The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
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.”
Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
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Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
While you're here
More on G20 meeting
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
DUNGEONS%20%26%20DRAGONS%3A%20HONOR%20AMONG%20THIEVES
While you're here
Hussein Ibish: There are reasons for Democrats and Republicans to be happy
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Who are the women driving Joe Biden's success?
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
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The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
UAE%20FIXTURES
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
While you're here
Hussein Ibish: Could it be game over for Donald Trump?
Joyce Karam: Trump's campaign thrown off balance
Trump tests positive: everything we know so far
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour


