LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE
I
can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness as we come to the end of Ramadan, and with it the words of the guest columnists who have spent the month with us.
I was lucky enough this week to enjoy an iftar with Shaikha Shamma Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who, over the past few weeks, has been writing about dedication to charity, community and volunteering. In this column, the last in the series, she takes on another of her favourite topics – sustainability. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Wael Al Sayegh wraps up his series on bringing the concept of ‘flow’ to your mind and body this Ramadan, with an important message about the benefits of stress for our health. Sounds counterintuitive? Wael’s columns have been nothing if not surprising and informative – and he finishes off by showing us how to put the five exercises he’s shown together for a complete workout. It’s perhaps something you’ll try after baking up a batch of Jasmine Bandali’s Eid sweets. These bite-size desserts are perfect for wrapping up as a gift, or keeping all to yourself.
As I am sure you have all noticed from our front page, we have something extra-special to usher in Eid Al Fitr: An exclusive interview with Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain. Friday’s award-winning writer Anand Raj OK goes to the heart of her commitment to humanitarian causes in his piece on page 28, in which Princess Haya, wife of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, talks about the issues that can be solved, one of them being hunger. Anand also explores Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, a hub that sends aid to the needy around the world at a moment’s notice – just one of the agencies there has enough supplies to provide for 350,000 people. See how the operations work on page 34.
It’s another way, in this Year of Giving, of seeing how the world can, and does, come together to make a difference for those in need. Earlier this month, we learned how all UAE residents can lend a hand; this week we explore some of the big picture – the need for funding, the weight of bullet-proof helmets, the toys in disaster-relief shelters.