Indian expat walked from Sharjah to Ajman after date-water iftar

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May 28, 2017

Ajman, May 28: An Indian expat in Ajman has recalled his first Ramadan in the country when he would have just dates and water for Iftar, followed by a long journey on foot from his workplace in Sharjah to his home in Ajman.

1iffar1Syed Ali Maqsood, 51, moved to Ajman in 1990 from Hyderabad. Those were the days when Maqsood wasn't very well off. Today, he has four kids and they all indulge in large bowls of biryani to break their fast. "I used to work under my elder brother who owned a photo studio in Sharjah, near the cricket stadium at that time. Suhoor used to be very humble back then. We used to have roti and milk every suhoor, as well as a curry, another delicacy, which would be a thing of luxury," he said.

"My wife was expecting our second child then. We lived in Ajman and my typical day during this time was very 'historical', rather than calling it struggle.

"After Suhoor, I would start my day at 7am, when my brother would drive me to the studio from Ajman. Later in the evening, I would break my fast with only a bottle of water and few dates and start my journey on foot to home all the way to Ajman, Rashidiya. I still remember the sweatiness and cramps from the first Ramadan I spent and this went on for a year."

Maqsood said that back then, a particular home in every district of Ajman would be elected to cool food in large quantities to serve their community.

When Maqsood would get home from work, his wife had a proper dinner prepared for the family. "Fruits and sherbet was the usual Iftar followed by dinner. Our financial condition was erratic, it would be high some few months and low during others," he said. "Now by the grace of Allah, I have four children all grown up and healthy and my every Suhoor and Iftar is filled with so much blessings and choices. This is very much a dream that I never thought I would living as such a blessed reality. I am very thankful for what I have gained from this country by the grace of Almighty."

Today, Maqsood and his four children still reside in Ajman, except, now they have fuller meals for Iftar.

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News Network
May 25,2020

May 25: A total of 241 Indians including 136 people who were jailed in Kuwait would return to the country soon, a senior minister said on Sunday.

The other 105 people were stranded in Bangladesh, Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said.

"Altogether 136 people from Tripura and Assam, who are at present in jail in Kuwait for violating that country's laws, would be deported. They will reach Guwahati between May 27 and June 4 in a special flight," Nath told reporters.

He said the matter has been officially informed by the Kuwaiti government, but the reason for their imprisonment is not known.

"We had requested the Kuwaiti authorities to drop the Tripura residents here. However, they informed us that the flight would land in a single airport," the minister added.

Nath said 105 residents of Tripura, who are stranded in different places of Bangladesh will return to the state through the Agartala-Akhaura integrated check post on May 28.

"They would be taken to institutional quarantine and swabs of all the passengers would be collected for COVID-19 test," Nath said.

If the report of their samples tests negative, they would be allowed to leave the facility and remain under 14 days of home quarantine. And those who test positive would be hospitalized, he said.

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News Network
July 10,2020

Dubai, Jul 10: Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan has appointed Dina Amin as CEO of the Visual Arts Commission.

She will take the lead in implementing the ministry’s vision and directions in promoting and developing visual arts in the Kingdom and empowering practitioners in the field.

Amin is a leading Saudi specialist in visual arts and the international contemporary art field. She gained a bachelor’s degree in art history and architecture from Wellesley College, in the US, and also attended a collaborative program in architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During her career, spanning more than two decades, she has held senior positions in prominent international arts companies, including most recently Phillips, a global auction house for art, design, watches, jewels, and more.

She has also worked at Christie’s, one of the world’s most famous auction houses, employed in senior roles at the company’s international offices including New York, Dubai, and London.

The Visual Arts Commission is one of 11 new cultural bodies recently launched by the Ministry of Culture in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan to manage the empowerment and development of the Kingdom’s cultural sector. The commission will be responsible for managing and developing the visual arts sector to help achieve the ministry’s goals.

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KT
April 16,2020

Dubai, Apr 16: Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), unveiled a series of outdoor ads that form part of its new campaign to encourage the community to stay home.

Featuring the slogan 'For My Sake #StayHome for Us', the campaign depicts stunning artwork developed in collaboration with Emirati artist Maitha Demithan. The ads have been displayed on billboards, lamp posts and digital screens across Dubai.

The campaign reinforces the importance of staying at home in line with the strict restrictions on movement put in place by Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management as part of intensified measures to combat Covid-19.

Nehal Badri, Director of Brand Dubai, said: "The outdoor campaign, displayed in prominent locations across Dubai, was designed to illustrate the importance of staying at home during the current sensitive period. Using Maitha Demithan's stunning creative artwork, we sought to send out a clear message to the community that staying at home is vital to safeguard the wellbeing of our loved ones. 

This project is one of a series of initiatives launched in collaboration with UAE-based artists to raise awareness about the need to unite efforts to protect vulnerable people from the risk of infection."

Emirati artist Maitha Demithan said: "It has been a privilege for me to work on this project and an honour to serve my country through my artworks. The three portraits featured in the campaign create a triptych that represents the people who are the most vulnerable to being infected by the virus. During such difficult times, art can play a crucial role in raising awareness on how to stay safe, but most importantly it can keep everyone inspired. I encourage all my fellow artists and the creative community to continue practicing social distancing and stay connected by using their creativity and innovation to raise awareness during this period."

Brand Dubai partnered with several media outlets, including Media 24/7, Arabian Outdoor Media and Hypermedia to launch the outdoor ads. The ads are displayed on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina.

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