The shopping mascot Modhesh is set to spring into action, to the delight of children, but the irritation of some adults.
Love him or hate him, the grinning symbol of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), will once again be part of Dubai's summer scenery.
As the two month shopping festival gets under way on Thursday, images and adult-sized models of Modhesh - a smiley jack-in-the-box character - will dominate TV adverts, shopping mall interiors, and even grass verges at the side of streets.
That fills Sherif Abaza, a 29-year-old Egyptian, with dread.
In 2004, Mr Abaza, a Dubai resident and the owner of an events management company, started a Facebook group to express his dislike of the yellow character. The Death to Modhesh site has attracted about 1,000 members, outstripping the popularity of the Modhesh is Innocent, Long Live Modhesh and Friends of Modhesh support groups.
"It looks like a cross between the Michelin Man plus a Smiley face," said Mr Abaza. "But then you get the hands, which look like Mickey Mouse."
To Mr Abaza and his group, the character has been over-marketed, leading to the current state of antipathy.
"You can't avoid it. It gets annoying. He even has this nasally annoying voice and it gets to me."
Mr Abaza said, however, that even he has been shocked by the graphic violence that Modhesh haters have posted to the site. Images show Modhesh being hanged, thrown in the rubbish, beaten, decapitated, set on fire, strangled and imagined as the lead figure in the gruesome thriller, Saw.
"I've never seen anyone in the world display this violent a reaction against a mascot," he said. "People don't react this way against Mickey Mouse."
For the past decade, Modhesh has been the mascot of DSS, a shopping festival aimed at boosting consumer spending during the slow summer months. DSS begins on Thursday and runs until August 14.
The office of the Dubai Shopping Festival, which also runs DSS, said the Modhesh brand was in the process of being expanded and could become a worldwide phenomenon, promoting Dubai.
The office said in a statement that Modhesh "will be repositioned as a global brand that is associated with fun, excitement and adventure delivered through entertaining and educational events and activities, as well as through games, toys and other high-impact merchandise that will strengthen Modhesh as a brand, and make him more engaging for children".
Laila Suhain, the chief executive of the Dubai Shopping Festival office, said Modhesh "represents good values for kids. Fun, excitement and adventure".
She said the DSF office was aware of the anti-Modhesh internet campaigns. However, she said the character was designed to appeal to children rather than adults.
The Modhesh reaction proved equally puzzling to shoppers at the Mall of the Emirates, which is a hive of DSS activities.
"I don't like [Modhesh] as a look," said Michael Pokroy from South Africa who said he was in his thirties, a lifestyle designer for hospitality companies. "As a brand, it has power. It has stuck and become an object. It is something that people do recognise.
"If I hate it or I like it, the object has worked as a message because it's drawing my attention."
Rebecca Clarke, 31, from the UK, who was visiting Dubai for the first time, said: "He seems quite chirpy. He has a nice smile."
When told that the character had inspired intense dislike, she added: "That surprises me a little, but I wouldn't be shocked."
jgerson@thenational.ae
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
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Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
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Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
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Company%20Profile
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Label: Warner Records
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Disclaimer
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Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
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SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
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Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
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Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
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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
COMPANY PROFILE
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Total funding: Self funded
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.