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Also an interior designer, Mana Jalalian talks about how the city brings people together to cherish and appreciate all things artistic, from furniture to fashion to fine art.

Driving through the lush green neighbourhood of Al Barari, one can already feel a different energy in the air. Surrounded by whistling trees, we enter the building where we’re scheduled to meet the avid art collector of Iranian and Contemporary art, Mana Jalalian. And while we’re aware of her occupation, what we were not anticipating was to enter a space where art comes to life.

Jalalian’s Dubai residence oozes artworks of all kinds, from all corners. Whether it’s lifesize paintings from celebrated Middle Eastern artists hanging elegantly on the quaint walls, the details on her plant pots and flower vases, or a unique juxtaposition of artefacts and sculptures, Jalalian makes sure there’s beauty in every area of her Dubai residence.

It’s evident that the Iranian art collector sees all aspects of putting a home together as an opportunity to exercise creative freedom, including curating a collection of furniture that does more than just what its functionalities demand.

Jalalian, who has been collecting art for the last 15 years, is also an interior designer by profession. “I grew up in a family that admires art. My uncle was an architect, I was always fascinated by his designs,” says Jalalian, adding that it led her to “naturally opt for studying art history and interior design at university”.

So, being surrounded by all the lovely artworks is as important for her as having furniture in her house, says Jalalian. “For me, art is part of life. As we need a chair and a sofa in our house, I also need to have my paintings and sculptures,” she adds.

A lot of the furniture pieces in her home are pieces from the famous French brand, Moissonnier. “From 1885, they’ve been creating exquisite fine furniture for private homes and luxury hotels,” says Jalalian, who’s all set to bring the French label to Dubai later this year.

While it seems like every piece at the art collector’s home is exactly where it needs to be, designing the space was not an easy process, she adds. “Designing a home is a way to express my creativity. You can see that a lot of the paintings and sculptures are part of the aesthetic here. Art adds soul to the house,” says Jalalian.

“It’s hard to point out what exactly was my inspiration because it’s an amalgamation of so many different things. Each year, we go with the trend of that year, the colours, the styles. As an interior designer, I go with my instinct when I see the space. I keep changing things around according to what fits best at a particular time,” she adds.

So, what according to the art collector is the trend of the year when it comes to home decor? “We have to wait for the Milan fair to happen. It is the biggest furniture show in the world that happens every year around April. All of the furniture trends and colours come from that fair,” says Jalalian.

Sharing some of her early experiences, the art collector adds, “There was a poet called ​​Sohrab Sepehri in Iran. I was really fascinated by his poetry growing up. I also collected one of the pieces related to him and I was so happy to have his energy in my house.”

Iranian modern and contemporary art has not only played a pivotal role within the Middle Eastern art landscape, but also the global art scene, mentions Jalalian. “There’s a huge market of Iranian art in the UAE and the Middle East. There’s also a huge market of Middle Eastern artists in the UAE,” she adds.

“I used to always come to Dubai for Art Dubai and Christie’s, checking out different galleries. Dubai is one of the best hubs for finding art and discovering new artists from around the world,” says Jalalian.

“It’s incredible to see that initiatives like Art Dubai have gathered so many artists from all around, in the same city. That’s the ultimate goal of art and Dubai beautifully enables that,” says the art collector.

The art collector recently held a year-long exhibition in partnership with the prominent Leila Heller Gallery, in which she showcased more than 50 unique artworks from her private collection. “I work with various artists and curators,” says Jalalian, who was honouring Leila Heller at a large yet private gathering held at her residence.

Leila Heller has been a global pioneer in starting a discourse between Western, Middle Eastern and South Asian artists. “She has one of the largest galleries in the Middle East and also New York. I hosted this dinner tonight gathering artists and curators from all across to honour Leila for her enormous contributions to the art scene,” says the art collector.

“I’m also celebrating my very dear friend Alejandra Castro Rioseco, founder of MIA Art Collection. She’s one of the biggest female art collectors in the world, collecting works of female artists only. She’s holding the MIA Art Collection Exhibition at Canadian University Dubai from March 8-11, in which some of my artworks will be showcased as well,” Jalalian signs off.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, today met with members of the search and rescue team of Dubai Police and the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services who took part in the ‘Gallant Knight 2’ operation in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş.

Congress will bring together 7,000 specialised doctors from 180 countries.

The country routinely scores very highly on safety indexes globally.

A key feature of life in the UAE is the enormous safety and security that residents enjoy. UAE routinely scores very highly on safety indexes globally. In 2021, a Gallup poll showed that 95 per cent of residents feel safe walking alone at night. Videos showing the extent of security residents and tourists feel have gone viral in the past, with people leaving phones and wallets in public places for hours without them being stolen.

UAE-based explorer Naaji Noushi, who was in the news for driving from India to the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, has thanked Dubai Police for their efforts in finding her son after he was lost at Dubai Mall. In a post on her verified Instagram account, Naaji commended the police and mall security for their swift action.

“We were walking hand in hand and suddenly in just a minute, he was lost,” she said, speaking to Khaleej Times about the incident where her 6-year-old son Zohan went missing. “It was the first Friday of the new year, so the mall was especially crowded. For the first half an hour, we tried looking for him on our own, but we started to get agitated and approached the mall security. The police were very reassuring and told us that it is a common occurrence. They asked us for his photo and within 10 minutes, they located him. I was so thankful to be in a safe country like the UAE.”

The mother of five, who relocated to Abu Dhabi from Oman late last year, said it was the first time she had experienced such an incident. “This is the first time since we relocated to Middle East that such an incident happened,” she said. “I was so worried, but I am so grateful to the police and security for acting so swiftly.”

“This is how things work here”

Abu Dhabi resident Abu Khadija did not bat an eyelid when a new colleague called him frantically. “He had just moved to the UAE from New Zealand, and he forgot a bag with all his life savings in the back of a taxi,” he said. “He was almost in tears when he called. I told him not to worry as he would get it back and advised him to report it to the nearest police station.

And sure enough, as the British expat predicted, the bag was returned the very same evening. “My colleague was in disbelief and thanked me profusely. I told him that this is how things worked in this country. I joked with him that you don’t become a true resident of the UAE until you have lost something and had it returned to you.”

Last week, Dubai Police handed a Kyrgyz tourist her watch worth Dh110,000 that she lost a year earlier during her visit to Dubai, despite never having file a missing report. With no contact number to get in touch with her, Dubai Police went to extreme lengths to make sure she was reunited with her time piece.

“Exact same spot”

In 2021, Dubai-based coach Claudine Foong posted on Instagram about how she forgot a stroller in a car park overnight and returned the next day to find it in the exact same spot with nothing missing. Her story was reposted by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai who called it a “a true story that we can all relate to in Dubai”

 

External affairs minister S Jaishankar Monday said India and the UAE will play a significant role in re-shaping the global order.

In his address at the inauguration of the India Global Forum UAE 2022, Jaishankar said India and the Gulf state are two ancient civilisations who have co-existed for centuries and are now re-discovering old ties.
Jaishankar pointed out that apart from burgeoning bilateral trade and an increasingly bigger share in the global economy, India and the UAE are also playing a big role in the geopolitics of the Middle East with their involvement in the I2U2 group.

“I would cite the establishment of the I2U2 mechanism comprising Israel, the UAE and the US as yet another example of how the changed relations between India and the UAE is beginning a broader ripple impact. The fact that it is fitting into transformations that are independently underway in this region and often helping to take the direction of that transformation forward,” Jaishankar said.
“So the picture I see today of India and the UAE is two nations who have known each other a long time but have re-discovered the relationship in the last decade. We are using the relationship today to not just survive the changing world but to shape it,” he added.

The authority’s dashboard is filled with useful information regarding each individual’s consumption – information that goes beyond just bill payment

If leading a more sustainable lifestyle is part of your 2023 resolutions, then you need to be part of Dewa’s My Sustainable Living Program. In fact, Dewa’s dashboard for every account is filled with useful information regarding each individual’s consumption – information that goes beyond bill payment and delves into the nitty gritty of consumption. There’s even a year-on-year comparison for every month of the year.

My Sustainable Living Program:

Log on to your account and go to ‘My Sustainable Living Program’ at the bottom left.

The first necessary step is to update your Consumption Profile. To do, that you need to answer a series of questions including the following:

Following that, click on ‘Configure your saving plan’ to get a series of tips to save electricity and water consumption in your house. Pick the ones you will follow, and they will be saved under ‘my saving plan’.

Other useful features on Dewa’s Dashboard

The Dubai Health Authority(DHA) has developed a self-assessment tool, which is an instant 24/7 online service that is free of cost to support investors, health professionals, and medical facilities.

The service aims to provide support and guidance to stakeholders and enhance the sustainability of the health sector in the Emirate.

Dr. Marwan Al Mulla, CEO of the Health Regulation Sector at the DHA said that the self-assessment tool is an important initiative and enables applicants who want to apply for a medical license to check whether they meet all the conditions required to obtain a health professional license to practice medicine in the Emirate of Dubai.

Professional titles and all licensing requirements are clearly mentioned in line with the standards approved in the country.

He pointed out that the self-assessment is carried out by the applicant by answering some short questions, and then obtaining the initial evaluation result immediately.

The user needs to select the category of license he is applying for. For example Physician, dentist, nurse, midwife, allied health, or traditional complementary and alternative medicine.

He stated that this service helps applicants, health facilities or investors to ensure the applicant is eligible to obtain the required license without the need to submit any documents.

Al Mulla said that the authority has developed another service which supports the health sector in Dubai, known as the Document Verification Service.

This smart electronic service allows the concerned authorities to verify the authenticity of all documents and certificates issued by the authority, through the DHA’s online electronic licensing system known as Sheryan.

He stated that the Document Verification Service includes several documents such as sick leaves approved by the authority, professional licenses, health facility licenses, professional registration certificates, and certificates of good standing.

The online service is simple to use and the user simply needs to enter the barcode number and the existing PIN code at the bottom of the document and the user will be able to see and verify the identical copy issued by the DHA.

Al Mulla added that the aim of adding additional online services is to provide stakeholders with added convenience, enhance efficiency and reduce the time taken for these processes.

Starting from 1 January 2023, private sector companies with 50 employees or more that have not raised Emiratisation targets by 2 percent of skilled jobs in 2022, will be fined, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said on Thursday.

The fines are AED6,000 per month, a total of AED72,000 annually, for each Emirati who has not been employed as per the requisite percentage to be achieved by the end of 2022.

The value of the monthly penalties increases progressively at a rate of AED1,000 annually until 2026, by which companies are required to achieve up to 10 percent growth rate in their Emiratisation targets.

In a statement, the Ministry said:

“We aim to achieve an effective participation of the private sector in the development process of the UAE, as raising the participation of Emiratis in this sector will have a positive impact on the competitiveness, attractiveness, and stability of the business environment in the country.”

“We will continue to activate the partnership between the government and the private sectors on Emiratisation, based on our belief that Emiratis can make a positive impact within the vital economic sectors, as well as our aspiration to advance the growth of the private sector companies and improve their ability to keep pace with successive developments locally and globally,”

it added.

The Ministry noted that the legislation governing Emiratisation will contribute to

“strengthening the diversification of the labour market and will consolidate the UAE’s position as an incubator of national and international talents and an ideal destination to work, live and invest.”

The Ministry lauded the steps taken by companies that have met the required Emiratisation targets for 2022, adding:

“Now, we look forward to witnessing a greater impact in 2023, as the Emiratisation targets will increase by 2 percent until 2026, resulting in a growth by 10 percent of Emirati skilled employees.”

The Ministry offers support and incentives for the companies that achieve qualitative achievements in training and employing Emiratis in accordance with the objectives of the Nafis programme, which include joining the Emiratisation Partners’ Club that leads to be classified as a category one companies in the Ministry’s establishment classification system, thus obtaining discounts of up to 80 percent on the Ministry’s service fees.

The force teamed up with a UAE car distributor for scheme aimed at giving inmates second chance

A prisoner receives a certificate from Dubai Police officers and officials after completing a car mechanic training course.

Dubai Police have teamed up with a car dealership to offer mechanics courses to prisoners as part of their rehabilitation.

The force partnered with Al Masaood Automobiles to train male inmates in an effort to equip them with the practical skills they need to get their lives back on track once they are freed.

Brig Marwan Julfar, director of the General Department of Correctional and Punitive Establishments, said such support was crucial to give prisoners a chance to make a meaningful contribution to society.

“Our programmes tackle various psychological and emotional problems and help to remove the barriers of fear and hesitation that may haunt the inmates after their release,” Brig Julfar said.

“They also aim to make it easier for the inmates to reintegrate back into mainstream society.”

He spoke of the importance of both mental health and financial support for inmates and their families.

Police host a number of skills-building courses and workshops under the initiative and also host social and sport events throughout the year.

UAE leaders typically offer pardons to hundreds of inmates each year on important occasions such as National Day, Ramadan and Eid.

Dubai inmates raise their children in prison — in pictures

A nanny teaches a boy in the nursery at Dubai Central Jail for Women in Al Aweer. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Dubai real estate market recorded 476 sales transactions worth AED1.17 billion, in addition to 92 mortgage deals of AED181.95 million, and 20 gifts deals amounting to AED35.42 million on Monday, data released by Dubai’s Land Department (DLD) showed.

The sales included 430 villas and apartments worth AED845.38 million, and 46 land plots worth AED322.29 million, while mortgages included 73 villas and apartments worth AED120.07 million and 19 land plots valued at AED61.88 million, bringing the total realty transactions of today to over AED1.3 billion.