There are usually two reason to throw a party – to have fun and to celebrate an achievement. Hafla, this week’s Arabic Word of the Week, encompasses those two reasons into its meaning and so much more.
Hafla is a noun that colloquially means party and has two official plural variations, hafalat and haflat, which are each used depending on the grammatical context of the sentence. In classical Arabic, hafla’s main definition is a celebration but it also refers to decorations one would use at a party.
Derived from the three Arabic letters hah, fah, and lam, hafla roots originates from the verb hafala. Interestingly, hafala has several meanings that are linked to the idea of a party. The first meaning is the act of considering or caring for a person, cause, or an anniversary of any form.
The second meaning is the coming together of, or the combination of different elements or materials. For example, mixing flour and water when baking, when clouds join together before it rains, or when people gather in one place.
Hafla combines those two reasons in a particular way. It is the celebration of someone or something that is deserving of care and attention, while gathering a group of people together. It’s important to note that the particular element of caring is an important thread within the word hafla. One wouldn’t have a party unless they truly cared about the reason behind the celebration.
The word hafla is also often used to describe various types of parties. Hafla tarheebeyya is a welcoming party for any guest, haflat ta'abeen is a memorial party, hafla khayriyya is a charity party, hafla deeniyya is party within the context of faith and hafla cinema’eyya is a film premier or festival.
There are other words associated with hafla that describe a facet of a gathering or a celebration. There is al muh'tafeloun which refers to a group of people meeting or marching for a specific reason. Ihtifal is a noun that means celebration, while mahfal describes any place where the celebration is occurring.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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The specs
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SPECS
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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.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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