In her article A particular idea of Islam has come to dominate
society (November 1), Hissa Hilal has insightfully exposed an
unfortunate characteristic of human beings - the perennial willingness to view the world as "us" versus "them".
Whether the basis of discrimination be black versus white, Christian versus Muslim, rich versus poor, pious versus non-pious, there appears to be no limit to the means by which we seek to differentiate ourselves from others, and of course thereafter claim superiority.
Such inclinations, whether born from nature or nurture, are ready fodder for those who, often for self-serving reasons of wealth or power, seek to capitalise on the resulting bigotry. Of course those writers who seek to expose such perniciousness make themselves obvious targets, as Ms Hilal explained.
When will individuals realise that there is no "us" and "them", only the "us" of humans all trying to get on with life as best we can? The rest is not reality, just perception.
Richard McLauchlan, Dubai
Birth of 7 billionth baby is worrying
We have got ourselves into a dire situation where the poor will get more miserable than before (7,000,000,000, October 31).
No serious effort is being made to limit the population growth. Governments and religious authorities, the two most influential entities, do not do enough to encourage family planning.
Asia, where population growth is considerably higher than the rest of the world, will surely crumble. Asia also has the greatest poverty. We are digging our own graves and soon there will be no place for graves either.
I urge the world to make a joint strategy. Those who need more people, like in Europe, should adopt. I admire the UK, which has altered its adoption policy to encourage families to do so.
Name withheld by request
I wanted to express my admiration for the piece of writing by Ali Khaled (On a crowded rock we call home, can chocolate survive?, November 2).
You pinpointed a lot of things that are going on today in our lives in an interesting way. I like the sarcasm as well as the seriousness of the portrayal of the issue. Great job, and it indeed directly spoke to me.
On what basis did the UN choose Danica to be the 7 billionth baby? How many babies where born on October 31, not just around the world, but in Manila itself? They chose an average baby and turned her life upside down to create a hook for the campaign?
I think the human race is much smarter than believing that we are just 7 billion. We could tackle the issue in many different ways with regard to media or awareness.
We should have family planning in order to have healthy societies. For instance there are far more men than women in China.
Therefore, there should be effective planning rather than wasting campaigns on numbers that aren't accurate.
Farah El Sadat, Abu Dhabi
Paying price of joining Unesco
Benjamin Netanyahu's government is now determined to punish five million Palestinians for daring to join the cultural department of the United Nations (Palestinians will use Unesco victory to target other bodies, November 2).
Bolstered by trade with the EU, nuclear-armed submarines from Germany and $3 billion in arms from America, Prime Minister Netanyahu feels powerful enough to push an entire nation of Palestinians into economic ruin and starvation while extending illegal settlements in the West Bank in violation of UN directives. Meanwhile illegal evictions of Arab families in East Jerusalem continue unabated.
How much longer will the international community watch as Netanyahu's government becomes ever more contemptuous towards the UN, international law, the IAEA and the world?
John Kidd, UK
Netherlands and Holland not same
I enjoyed reading your article about Robin van Persie (Robin van Persie is coming of age at Arsenal, November 1).
But the article needs some editing when it refers to the country as "Holland". I noticed in earlier articles that The National frequently refers to Holland where you mean to write the Netherlands. For a correct understanding: the Netherlands comprises 12 provinces and out of the 12 there are two that relate to Holland: South Holland and North Holland provinces. It is like saying to a Scotsman that he is from England. Or I guess, saying to somebody from Ajman that he is from Abu Dhabi or Dubai.
And yes, clearly I am not from one of the Holland provinces but from another one. So, if you can refrain next time from writing Holland and instead write the Netherlands, I am sure you'll make a lot of Dutch readers happy.
Hindri Kuipers, Abu Dhabi
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Match info
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
