ABU DHABI // A mobile app that allows users to donate directly to UAE charities has proved to be more popular than ever during the month of giving.
This week, the amount of donations made through the Khayr application since its launch in mid-2013 reached Dh5 million. Though donations have increased each Ramadan, this year they have reached almost Dh1 million in less than a month and the number of donors jumped from 7,800 to 19,100.
The developer of the app, Fares Al Ali, 42, an Emirati who studied electrical engineering technology and has 20 years of experience in digital content and digital marketing, said what makes the app different is simplicity.
“Simplicity makes the app unique and different from others. I always believe in Albert Einstein’s quote, ‘If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.’”
Khayr – which translates to “good” – uses technology that facilitates a peer-to-peer communication between the user’s mobile and the charity’s SMS short code, informing the user of how much each short code costs.
“The app is not complicated, easy to use, with a neat user interface, allowing users to easily donate with three clicks only,” Mr Al Ali said.
Mr Al Ali also designed a leading app called Athkar, a dua’a app with a million downloads on Apple’s App Store.
“Following the success of Athkar app and watching its growth motivated me. I thought, ‘Why not create something new again, something for the people and society, a simple app with new idea?’” he said. “I invited two of my friends to brainstorm and we came up with Khayr.”
The app is updated for users to participate in campaigns such as Reading Nation, announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, at the start of the holy month. It was aimed at giving five million books to refugee and underprivileged children.
“The app content is up to date. For instance, we immediately add new campaigns, such as Reading Nation and other important campaigns, and we promote it through social media.
“It is also smart enough to know the user’s mobile network, so it will present only supported charities and SMS short codes in that mobile network.”
Users in Qatar and Saudi Arabia can also use the app, and Mr Al Ali plans to extend this support to other countries in the GCC and promote the application there.
“People who used the app are the main reason behind this huge success. People here in the UAE love to contribute to the society and love to donate to charity in their will,” he said. “I thank everyone used the app for their support and trust.”
The app will soon have an English-language interface, Mr Al Ali said.
aalmazroui@thenational.ae
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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Director: Tushar Hiranandani
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
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Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
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THE SIXTH SENSE
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Director: M. Night Shyamalan
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
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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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Company%20Profile
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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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The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20profile
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5