TEHRAN // A giant, bright-red motorised stiletto is not what you expect to see cruising down the avenues of Iran’s capital but it certainly attracts attention — and business — for intrepid shoeshine man “Aliwaxima”.
In conservative Tehran where veils for women are mandatory and Islamic morality police still mount patrols, 42-year-old Aliwaxima proudly plies his trade unhindered, in his coquettish scooter.
“I am the only shoeshine man in the country who works from his vehicle,” says Mohammad Ali Hassan Khani, who could pass for a bespoke tailor on Savile Row in central London with his immaculate shirt, sober tie and spick-and-span loafers.
He even has fans in this city of nearly 13 million residents little used to public flights of fancy like his motorised high-heel.
Whether they are on foot, in a car or motorcycle, people stop to clamour for selfies both in and outside the three-wheeled fibreglass stiletto.
“Eight years ago, I decided to create a vehicle from which to propose my services as a shoe shiner,” he explained, in language as elegant as his dress.
His business moniker merges his name and the English word “wax” tweaked into an Iranian superlative to give Aliwaxima — the man who gives the best shine.
In sync with the times, Ali carries a mobile phone for client calls and also has an website, an Instagram account and a Facebook page — with scores and scores of friends — featuring his red high heel as the cover photo.
Daringly, he has displayed these addresses on his vehicle, notably the one for Facebook, a site officially blocked in Iran — though residents bypass the ban by downloading VPNs, networks that can transfer information via secure servers in other countries.
On the driver’s side is the understated slogan, “The first shoe shape car in Iran”.
“It’s wonderful,” raved an onlooker spotting Aliwaxima for the first time while another asked if it was an ad for a brand of shoes.
After working the streets of central Tehran for 18 years, Ali is, however, known to many.
“At first, I had a simple, three-wheel motorised scooter. Then I gave it the form of a man’s loafer. Three months ago, I decided to change this to a red high heel,” he said.
“And I have a lot more clients since. More than 1,500 people follow me on Instagram.
“Before, I had mainly men clients but now I also have women clients encouraging me.”
The idea came from abroad after Ali saw pictures of giant shoes used to advertise shoeshine stands.
“But they were not motorised,” he noted with a mischievous glance.
It took him two-and-a-half months to build the red stiletto shape and “people adore my vehicle”.
“They love to sit in it and take photos,” he said.
It also turned into a wise — and lucrative — business move.
“I have all sorts of new requests. I’ve already been asked to five marriages. The newly-weds have their pictures taken in my car.
“For weddings, I get paid five million rials,” a handy sum at Dh515 compared to his usual take of “700,000 rials [Dh73] a day” — still more than the usual worker’s average daily pay of Dh55.
When asked if police have ever bothered him, Ali lets out a big laugh.
“The police, they’re the first ones to want to have their picture taken in my car!” he said.
And his next plan?
Though he does not speak a word of French, his big dream is to work in France, to drive his red stiletto down the Champs-Elysees in Paris where — even in the city of no holds barred — he would likely attract attention also.
* Agence France-Presse
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
MO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Amer%2C%20Teresa%20Ruiz%2C%20Omar%20Elba%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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Bombshell
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Four out of five stars
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions