South Korea, which is supplying the UAE with nuclear reactors, is expanding its offerings to the country to include such diverse items as a virtual golf system, a rhinestone cabinet and even a submarine-type vessel with a glass lookout.
Such wares were on display at a trade exhibition in Abu Dhabi yesterday, sponsored by the governments of both nations.
Seoul and Abu Dhabi have woven closer political and economic ties at the highest level since 2009 when Lee Myung-bak, the South Korean president, came to seal a US$20 billion (Dh73.4bn) deal for four nuclear reactors.
In the years since, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has flown in the other direction, most recently this year for a nuclear security conference.
Abu Dhabi has granted South Korea a range of oil concessions spanning a tenth of the emirate's land mass, promised it the rights to develop fields with a further billion barrels' worth of reserves and agreed to cooperate in strategic arenas from military training to health care.
Even the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, was built with help from the Korean contractor Samsung C&T.The two-way trade between the countries totalled $22bn last year thanks to rising oil sales.
Mariam Al Shehhi, 25, a masters student from Dubai, was the fifth Emirati visitor to the exhibition in 15 minutes to stop by one unusual piece of furniture on show - a credenza covered in rose rhinestones with two golden swans perched on top.
"It's glossy, it's shiny and if you see it inside I think it represents the Korean style," said Ms Al Shehhi. She was accompanied by two girlfriends, who were also members of a group called UAE Loves Korea.
Mohammed Al Zaabi, 33, stopped by to ask the price of the rhinestone cabinet. The answer: Dh4,200 and an extra Dh2,700 for a matching mirror featuring rhinestones trimmed in gold paint.
"Everybody's looking for something unique and I think this will add to my collection," said Mr Al Zaabi
He told the Korean exhibitor he would have his interior designer look into buying the item for his villa in Abu Dhabi.
Schick Korea, which manufactured the item, has made such crystal-studded stools, cabinets and coffee tables for the past 15 years.
Dan-Shik Lee, the company's founder, operated a glass factory for 20 years before the idea struck. "I suddenly thought, 'How about if I produced furniture utilising glass or crystals?'" he said.
Now he is seeking a distributor in the UAE, Schick's second foreign market after Japan.
Travels to China and Italy inspire his designs. Asked to describe his style, he had three words: "gorgeous but unique".
"I don't know what they call that," said Mr Al Zaabi. "It looks contemporary."
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
SPECS
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The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
India cancels school-leaving examinations
The%C2%A0specs%20
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The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
Company%20profile
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Vikram%20Vedha
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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
Book%20Details
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five pillars of Islam
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.