lifestyle and culture

During her speech at the UN Girl Up Summit about gender equality, Priyanka Chopra sent an important message to women about their worth and what it takes to make it count, as well as highlighting the struggles refugees have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UNICEF goodwill ambassador told the some 40,000 that tuned into the digital summit, “You don’t need millions of followers on social media to make a difference. All you need is heart, drive, and commitment. No act is too small. No age is too young.”

The Isn’t It Romantic star went on to say society needs to realise being able to social distance is a “privilege”, highlighting the difficulties refugees face.
“To recognise that even social distancing is a privilege, because people living in extreme poverty and refugees sheltering in makeshift tents, don’t have the luxury of staying six feet apart,” she said.

At the same summit, a similar sentiment was shared by Chopra’s friend Meghan Markle, who was the keynote speaker.

It has been a great privilege to be your @GirlUp champion for all these years. Thank you for having me with you live today. If there is any takeaway from today, it should be… pic.twitter.com/YW9RD0Tawj
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) July 14, 2020

The Duchess of Sussex, who is currently residing in Los Angeles with husband Prince Harry, delivered her empowering speech on Tuesday, which is a first for her since stepping down from royal life.
In her speech, the former Suits star addressed the “young women around the world who aren’t just poised to change the world, but have already begun changing the world”.
Meghan, 38, went on to encourage those watching and beyond to “keep challenging, keep pushing, make them a little uncomfortable” in order for change to happen.
“Because it’s only in that discomfort that we actually create the conditions to reimagine our standards, our policies, and our leadership; to move towards real representation and meaningful influence over the structures of decision-making and power,” she said.
Meghan noted the force for change to create better communities would be a step-by-step process, but encouraged everyone to look at the “big picture”.
As well as the Duchess of Sussex and the Quantico actress, former First Lady of the USA Michelle Obama spoke during the summit and Meghan, Nadia Murad, an Iraqi human rights activist and the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer and Mlambo-Ngcuka, director of UN Women.
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Feature Image: Getty More

It’s official: the world’s largest passenger plane by Emirates is back in the skies today.
Having been grounded since March, the Dubai-based airline has relaunched services with the A380 superjumbo to Paris and London Heathrow.

The four-month hiatus was broken after the superjumbo departed from Dubai International Airport this morning on its way to London and was set to land today at 12pm local time.
However, that’s not the only A380 to have been in the skies today, another superjumbo departed for Paris-Charles De Gaulle airport which is set to land in the French capital at 2pm local time.

The last A380 passenger service that ran before its suspension was from San Paulo, Brazil to Dubai on March 25.

The Emirates @Airbus A380 returns to the skies with flights to @HeathrowAirport & @ParisAeroport. Emirates will also deploy a daily A380 to Amsterdam @Schiphol & a second daily A380 service to @HeathrowAirport from 1 August. https://t.co/8yWrLHSXHy#FlyEmiratesFlyBetter @DXB pic.twitter.com/MEY140hjHP
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) July 15, 2020

While the majority of air travel has been on hold for the last few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, over the last month or so Emirates have relaunched services to destinations across the globe, with their network now reaching 58 cities.
Coinciding with the relaunch of the superjumbo services to Paris and London, the Dubai-based airline has announced that on August 1 its daily A380 service to Amersterdam will resume, as well as a second daily service to London Heathrow.
It’s yet another positive sign things in the region are returning to a resemblance of normality, especially given as the Dubai borders recently opened to tourists.
Last week the emirate welcomed tourists with open arms as borders reopened, with visitors receiving a new sticker on their passports was unveiled reading, “A warm welcome to your second home.”
Speaking on borders reopening to visitors, Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA-Dubai, said tourists were “always welcome”.
“We welcome all tourists and visitors to the country through Dubai Airports,” he said. “They are always welcome in their second country and we are ready to facilitate their procedures based on the highest levels of safety.”
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Feature Image: Emirates Instagram  More

A very big happy birthday is in order for HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as he turns 71 today.
Of course, plenty of birthday wishes have been sent to His Highness from the public and government entities, as well as some of his family members.

One of Sheikh Mohammed’s daughters, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, even posted a sweet throwback photo of the Dubai ruler.
“Happiest Birthday to the best Dad anyone could ever wish for,” Sheikha Latfia captioned the image of her father as a young boy.

Sheikh Mohammed’s son, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, also posted a happy birthday to his father on Twitter.

كل عام وأنت بخيرHappy Birthday pic.twitter.com/NFA9luUudp
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) July 15, 2020

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation for the UAE also sent a message to His Highness to mark his birthday, also congratulating him on the upcoming launch of the Hope Probe which was set to take off today, but has been delayed due to bad weather at the launch site in Japan.
“Today, we live in a place that is a source of pride for us all, and today we mark a date of achievement and excellence,” the government authority’s Twitter post said. “It is the birthday of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which coincides with the approaching launch of the Hope Probe to Mars, which bears the UAE’s name that strives for excellence.”
Happy 71st birthday to Sheikh Mohammed!
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Feature Image: Sheikh Mohammed Instagram More

Meghan Markle, along with many other strong and notable women including Priyanka Chopra and Michelle Obama, are taking part in the Girl Up Leadership Summit, which is taking place from the July 13 to 15.
On Monday, the former First Lady of the USA opened the event on behalf of the Girls Opportunity Alliance with a message to young female leaders and gender equality activist.

And now the Duchess of Sussex, who is currently residing in Los Angeles with husband Prince Harry, has delivered her empowering keynote speech, a first for her since stepping down from royal life.
In her speech, the former Suits star addressed the “young women around the world who aren’t just poised to change the world, but have already begun changing the world”.

Meghan Markle shares a special message with the 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit ✨ pic.twitter.com/MRkcz8fqqU
— L. (@duchessmeghn) July 14, 2020

“I want to share something with you,” she said. “It’s that those in the halls and corridors and places of power — from lawmakers and world leaders to executives — all of those people, they depend on you more than you will ever depend on them. And here’s the thing: They know this.
“They know that all of you, at a younger age than any modern comparison, are setting the tone for an equitable humanity. Not figuratively, literally. This is a humanity that desperately needs you. To push it, to push us, forcefully in a more inclusive, more just, and more empathetic direction.”
The Duchess of Sussex went on to encourage those watching and beyond to “keep challenging, keep pushing, make them a little uncomfortable” in order for change to happen.
“Because it’s only in that discomfort that we actually create the conditions to reimagine our standards, our policies, and our leadership; to move towards real representation and meaningful influence over the structures of decision-making and power,” she added.
Meghan noted the force for change to create better communities would be a step-by-step process, but encouraged everyone to look at the “big picture”.
Ending her speech on a personal note she said, “I will be cheering you on, so will my husband, so will Archie, as you all continue marching, advocating and leading the way forward.”
– For more about Dubai’s lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram.
Feature Image: Getty More

While it’s safe to say the global COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been easy on anyone, in many ways it has brought people closer together.
It’s something HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has seen throughout the last few months and has praised the Dubai community, which also includes citizens and residents, for coming together during the pandemic.

In a recent statement, the Crown Prince of Dubai said he has been in awe of the “remarkable cohesiveness” that has emerged.
“The solidarity displayed by various social stakeholders in Dubai in the face of the COVID-19 crisis will be remembered by generations to come,” he said. “The remarkable cohesiveness demonstrated by the community and their commitment to meet their social responsibilities is something the world will recognise as an example of how a progressive society should respond to a crisis like this.”

.@HamdanMohammed: The remarkable cohesiveness demonstrated by the community and their commitment to meet their social responsibilities is something the world will recognize as an example of how a progressive society should respond to a crisis like this.
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 14, 2020

Along with this, Sheikh Hamdan also gave thanks to those who took part in the Community Solidarity Fund Against COVID-19 which, according to WAM, has channelled more than Dhs343 million into humanitarian efforts to support those most affected by the pandemic in Dubai, whether that be socially, economically or for health reasons.
“We thank all those who contributed to this collective effort including individuals, corporates, charities and various other organisations that helped weather the challenges brought by the crisis,” he said.
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Images: Sheikh Hamdan Twitter More