Ernie Els, a former world No 1 golfer, yesterday unveiled plans for a hotel group that will have facilities to cater to autistic children and offer employment opportunities for autistic adults.
First & Foremost, which hopes to open its first five-star property in Dubai towards the end of 2017 or early 2018, has partnered with the Leading Family Hotels group that runs 56 hotels in Europe.
Els is the father of an autistic 13-year-old boy, Ben.
“This is a business venture first and a philanthropic venture second,” said Els, an investor into First & Foremost Family Hotels. “Our partner has 56 hotels which cater to up to five-year-olds and above in an exceptional manner and we saw an opportunity here for that level of attention. I saw the opportunity for enabling the autistic community with employment opportunities and we will have a couple of rooms in every hotel that are fitted out to meet the needs of anyone on the autistic spectrum.”
The hotel will highlight the condition in the UAE and give much-needed opportunities for high-functioning children.
According to information from the website of Autism Speaks, a leading autism research and advocacy organisation in the US, the condition is characterised, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive behaviours. It can range from mild and manageable to far more severe cases.
The UAE has autism centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with the capital building a new facility that can cater to 150 children with physical disabilities and those on the autistic spectrum.
“I think this is a wonderful idea for those children and adults who are able to fit into the hotel community,” said Aysha Al Mansouri, the director of Abu Dhabi Autism Centre.
“One of the hardest parts of our jobs is finding work for the kids that have graduated from high school, there is nowhere for them to go in the UAE.
“We have 67 kids in our centre and another 26 in local schools. We have been looking for jobs that will allow them to photocopy or carry out more menial tasks but there are very few opportunities.”
The Abu Dhabi Autism Centre has a vocational department that teaches the children and recent high school graduates about the work environment and how to complete work-related tasks. However, this is as close to actual work that most of them will experience.
It is hoped the hotel can bring a level of attention and connection between social and commercial sectors spotlighting the need for opportunities.
“This is definitely a first for the UAE and I’ve not heard of anything similar anywhere else,” said Matthew Green, the head of research and consultancy at CBRE.
“Anything that improves people’s lives is a good thing but an honest celebrity endorsement from Ernie Els will bring major attention to the issues.”
ascott@thenational.ae
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
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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
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
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