From Saturday, more than 300,000 Filipinos in the UAE will go to the polls in their nation's midterm elections. Collectively, they have a powerful voice, with much sway beyond the borders of their homeland. Many are the sole breadwinners of their extended families in the Philippines and their concerns matter – both within the 700,000-strong Filipino community in the UAE and at home. Whether they are healthcare professionals, service employees or labourers, overseas workers have helped build the UAE as we know it today. Not only is their contribution to this nation invaluable, their persistent efforts have also boosted their native country's economy.
According to a recent World Bank report, the nation has one of the highest remittance rates globally, alongside India and China. In 2018, Filipinos worldwide dispatched more than Dh139 billion home. In the UAE alone, their remittances accounted for a total of Dh2.9 billion last year, despite many earning a minimal salary. Such a huge sum would have been impossible to secure, had it not been for their diligent efforts overseas.
It is significant that their voices will be heard, thousands of miles from home. The Philippines' absentee voting system will enable registered citizens to vote at mobile polling stations and exercise their democratic rights abroad. Voters will have their say in 12 out of 24 seats in the country's upper house of Congress and all seats in the lower House of Representatives, in an election that has been described as a referendum on president Rodrigo Duterte. This week, they told The National their chief concerns: better protection of their rights when working abroad, an end to "dirty politics" and the regulation of unscrupulous banks, which are often too willing to give outsised loans, and recruitment agents who promise jobs and salaries that fail to materialise. As Josie Conlu Romulo, a Dubai resident for the past decade, says: "The candidates in this election need to be able to serve our community here in the UAE." Voting will run for a month until May 13 and will offer the UAE's considerable Filipino population, whose efforts to help their fellow citizens might not always be visible, a chance to have their say in their future, at home and abroad.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Team Angel Wolf Beach Blast takes place every Wednesday between 4:30pm and 5:30pm
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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