For Noura Al Kaabi, it all started with The Goonies.
The 1985 Steven Spielberg-produced action-adventure triggered a love for cinema and storytelling within the young Emirati.
"Everything about it thrilled me and I was really taken with it," she says. "That really grabbed my imagination because it was not only fun but it was also a decent drama as well."
It was the film's futuristic bent that appealed to a young Al Kaabi, who describes her modern Abu Dhabi upbringing "as not of the typical girl".
"There were no dolls or teddy bears," she chuckles. "I remember playing the first [arcade game] Frogger, then I moved on to [the game consoles] Atari and then Sega."
Threading her passions together is the love of a good story; something Al Kaabi savoured during the 1980s when quality Arabic dramas such as Egypt's Ra'fat Al Hagan and Al Mal Wal Banoun were widely produced.
She says the regional drama market is nowhere as interesting as the golden days of the 1980s.
"I don't know what happened but after that period, the good Arabic productions just stopped," Al Kaabi says.
"I then started watching Indian films and for me they were too long. I then started focusing on watching American films and television but during all this time I was wondering what happened to the local film industry."
Completing her high school in Abu Dhabi - which included a one-year stint in the US state of Pennsylvania - Al Kaabi undertook her bachelor's in management information systems at UAE University.
After moving up the ranks to a management position in the Abu Dhabi government gas company Dolphin Energy, Al Kaabi's passion for photography, books and writing was seemingly destined to be a private affair.
Things changed in 2007, when she read a feasibility study to create twofour54, a large hub housing a range of entertainment and media companies.
"I remember reading this 200-page document," she says. "I was in the energy sector at the time so I was looking at it from a different perspective, but I knew straight away this was an important project for the UAE and its culture. I thought, 'why not?' I wanted to be involved."
Al Kaabi joined as the company's first Emirati chief executive; she has no qualms about balancing the organisation's artistic vision with commercial realities.
"There is simply no other way," she says.
"It has to be viewed as a business. Now - and even five years ahead - creative business will be more successful than anything else here. People should know that. Yes, there is a business and a public service side to what we do. But media should be viewed as entrepreneurship and not just a side job."
It is a message Al Kaabi is hammering home through frequent local school visits in addition to pioneering twofour54 initiatives such as its Gaming Academy and the Creative Lab for aspiring gaming developers and filmmakers respectively.
Al Kaabi cherishes the school visits. She says it's an opportunity to make direct change.
"I remember three years ago I went to a private girls' high school to talk about twofour54 and related it to music, games and application," she says.
"The next day I received two phone calls from a mum asking if the kids could be part of the summer internship programme. Once I got these phones calls, that's when I knew things were happening."
With more film and television projects on the way, twofour54 is destined to grow.
However, more than big-budget films and healthy bottom lines, Al Kaabi hopes twofour54 has an effect on changing fellow Emirati perceptions of the media industry and culture in general.
"I want people to believe in being part of building their culture through what they write, act or the music they compose," she says.
"They should feel responsible for being part of their culture. At the end, Abu Dhabi won't have a rich culture without those creative people working. It is about working hard and sending the message that Abu Dhabi is welcoming this culture and preparing for what's next."
sasaeed@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
.
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
More on Quran memorisation:
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
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AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
ORDER OF PLAY ON SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - 4pm (UAE)
Gael Monfils (15) v Kyle Edmund
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Magdalena Rybarikova
Dusan Lajovic v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 - 4pm
Adam Pavlasek v Novak Djokovic (2)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Gilles Simon
Angelique Kerber (1) v Kirsten Flipkens
Court 2 - 2.30pm
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Marcos Baghdatis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Christina McHale
Milos Raonic (6) v Mikhail Youzhny
Tsvetana Pironkova v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
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