DUBAI // The Emirati man who began a campaign for residents to raise a flag over every home before National Day says the project was a success because the entire community became involved.
Seeing people of other nationalities proudly displaying the flag is a testament to what the UAE should be celebrating, said Hasan Al Mazrouie.
"This was not only for the local community, it was for everyone who lives in the UAE," Mr Al Mazrouie said. "We live in one community, in one society.
"This is all teamwork because everyone helped us and they put the flag on their homes."
Mr Al Mazrouie began the campaign in response to a tweet by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who on November 1 wrote: "I hope we raise the UAE flag on top of every house."
He responded by opening the Twitter account @fogbaitna3alm ("above our house a flag") and appealed to Emiratis and expatriates to get involved.
Mr Al Mazrouie said having a flag above every house would "have a positive effect on children and adults, because it will increase their sense of belonging to the country".
"We also targeted expatriates as they are a big part of the UAE community, and many of them have had flags on the top of their houses," he added. "It makes us proud."
The public reacted quickly and positively. Twitter users began posting pictures of the UAE flag with the #fogbaitna3alm hashtag.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority donated 6,000 flags that were distributed in schools.
Abeer Al Rasbi, 36, put a flag on her house because of the campaign.
"It's good to show your love for the UAE and it gives the country a colourful look," Ms Al Rasbi said. "It also shows how the people of the UAE are always united."
Aisha bin Brook, 30, said she was proud of the initiative but hoped "the flag will be raised all year long".
Mr Al Mazrouie also started a dedicated website, fogbaitna3alm.ae, where people can upload photos of their homes into a picture album. The website has so far received 800 submissions.
A competition to choose the best decorated house began last Sunday.
"The competition details will be posted on our website, including the criteria for picking the best photo and the amount for the cash prize," Mr Al Mazrouie said.
* With additional reporting by Zaineb Al Hassani
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
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Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
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Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
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● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
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● No of employees: Nine
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Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
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- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
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Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
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Ambulance – 998
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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