First Gulf Bank Masdar Card’s Platinum benefits include premium upgrades at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island. Ravindranath K / The National
First Gulf Bank Masdar Card’s Platinum benefits include premium upgrades at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island. Ravindranath K / The National

Masdar and First Gulf Bank launch eco-friendly credit card



It seems that green is good in the world of retail banking products these days, with First Gulf Bank (FGB) and Masdar launching a co-branded environmentally friendly credit card in the Emirates.

The Abu Dhabi lender says the biodegradable First Gulf Bank Masdar Card will allow users to become more involved in environmentally sustainable initiatives.

For every purchase on the card, which is available in either the Infinite or Platinum premium categories, FGB will contribute on behalf of the customer up to 0.6 per cent of the transaction value towards a fund that supports environmental and sustainable projects.

The card offers a First Green Rewards loyalty programme, which will allow users to earn up to 1.5 First Green points for every dirham spent and can be redeemed against a variety of eco-friendly products or green merchants.

"We are inspired by the great vision of our leaders to offer socially conscious products and initiatives that meet genuine needs of the environment," says Andre Sayegh, the bank's chief executive. "At FGB, we believe that every product should benefit the community and address the basic issues of health, education and financial literacy and are proud to add First Gulf Bank Masdar Credit Card to our range of innovative and environmentally conscious products."

The card, which is to be launched at next week's World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, also offers the usual Infinite and Platinum benefits, such as premium upgrades at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Hilton Honors gold memberships, global airport lounge access and discounts at Harrods in Knightsbridge, London.

"The card will enable the local community to be more engaged in contributing to the UAE's environmental protection and sustainable development, which lies at the heart of leadership's objectives," says Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the chief executive of Masdar, the Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company.

Go to www.fgb.ae for details.

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
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Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

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Power: 310hp
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Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

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England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

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Spain
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iPad Pro

11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)

MacBook Air 

$1,199

Mac Mini

$799

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners

'Project Power'

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback

Director: ​Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Rating: 3.5/5

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Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor

Power: 843hp at N/A rpm

Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km

On sale: October to December

Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae


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