Zahraa al Khalisi of The National tells her experience of the 10km run
I had told everyone my goal was to finish the 10km event of the Dubai Marathon in under an hour. But to be honest, I had not run in about a month and I do not even remember the last time I ran a 10km so my real target was to finish in under an hour and 10 minutes.
Making sure I woke up at 5am in my Dubai hotel room and didn't sleep through the alarm clock was my first challenge. Getting ready in the pitch-black, I realised I had forgotten my digital watch. If there is one thing a runner should not forget it is a digital watch. It was not a good start.
I left with my brother in a taxi for the start of the race which was on the blocked roads across from Dubai Media City. It was still dark as we warmed up - the sun was not going to rise for another hour.
As we watched the marathon runners set off, I began to wonder whether I would manage the full distance. Fifteen minutes later we were at the start line, standing behind the crowd of participants. Then we were off.
As we began I took it slow, worried that I might not have any energy left to complete the race. My brother, who started by my side, was already ahead of me. After two kilometres the gap widened and I could no longer could see him in the distance. I thought I could possibly catch up to him in the final stretch, but I was wrong.
The course was exciting. I was surrounded by so many runners cheering each other on. The highlight was seeing the sun rise above Dubai's skyline. As I turned back and took a drink of water at the five-km point, I felt energised.
Then something happened that I had never known in all the many races I have run in the UAE over the past 10 years - it started raining. It did not last long, but it did add a refreshing perspective.
By the seventh kilometre I started picking up my pace. I was hoping to catch my brother, but he was nowhere to be seen.
I ran faster as I passed each kilometre mark and the excitement grew as the finish line approached. The last kilometre was a breeze.
I sprinted in the last 300 metres wondering what my time was. Just a leap away from the finish line, I looked at the official watch above me - 1:04:45. Not bad. I was content.
I saw my brother, who finished the run in just under an hour, waiting for me. We received our finishers' medals and headed off towards the stands to cheer home Haile Gebrselassie at the marathon finish line.
* The National
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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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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Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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