What’s in a font? Four artists, including designer Maria Iqbal, who’s featured on the cover, share their journeys as creatives and how their personal stories reflect the deeper message of the birth of the Dubai Font, the first-ever Microsoft font to be named after a city.
Also in this issue, we speak to UAE parents who have homeschooled their children and ask: was it all worth it? 
And with the Emirates Lit Fest just around the corner, we caught up with Ahlam Bolooki, the new director of the fest, to find out what’s new this year.

On this issue's cover, Omran Al Owais, who is among a new generation of young architects introducing fresh ideas into UAE architecture, while staying true to indigenous designs and old school wisdom. Omran tells of his architectural innovations, including a pop-up mosque and the restoration of the Jumeirah Archeological Square. Also, get to know other award-winning young architects and their contributions to the UAE’s architectural space.

In this issue, we speak to award-winning photographers, the amazing places and people they’ve documented and their stunning photographs.


In today’s cover story, Bollywood actress Soniya Mehra, daughter of the late Vinod Mehra, tells of leaving behind the glamor of Bollywood to embrace the Dubai life and become a full-time yoga teacher.

Billionaire Sridhar Vembu relocated his $1-billion software development company Zoho Corporation from Silicon Valley in the US to a remote Indian village 600kms away from Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai.  He tells Friday why the move to India’s hinterland has been a mind-expanding experience.

In this issue, we speak with futurist and the guru of trend spotting Faith Popcorn, who predicts market and consumer trends with an amazing 95 per cent accuracy.

In this issue, one of the world’s top illusionists, Wayne Hoffman reveals his most unforgettable acts, including a potentially fatal “dynamite trick”.

And, yes, excitement is in the air as this season’s IPL opens this Saturday here in the UAE. We’re spicing up the affair with a special IPL quiz with the lucky winner taking home a special gift. And don't forget to drop by the recipe section for the perfect dish while you cheer for your favourite team.

On this edition’s cover, Ahlam Bolooki, the Emirati co-founder of Mangroves 4 Mankind, who of a mission to address an environmental issue that is “literally and metaphorically close to us”.

On this issue’s cover, British artist Sacha Jafri, who’s in Dubai working on a record-breaking artwork spread over 1,800 sq m, larger than two football pitches together.

He tells Friday what he intends to do once he completes the gigantic artwork.

On the sixth annual celebration of Emirati Women's Day, we’re proud to have the UAE’s youngest inventor, Fatima Al Kaabi, on the cover. 

Fatima, who was 10 when she built her first robot, one that could take pictures, tells what inspired her to become an inventor and how she taught herself all the skills she needed by watching YouTube vidoes.

In this issue, we talk to Emirati film-maker Amal Al Agroobi, who believes in the power of film as a socio-political tool to make the world a better place. And read our feature on why wearing a mask can be a blessing in disguise.

In this Father's Day special, we speak to Bollywood actor and producer Tusshar Kapoor about a role he's very keen to master: a loving father, but in a style that is "very different from the previous generation". And don't miss our special feature on homemade facial masks dads will love.

In this edition of Friday Lite, summer fashion ideas in cool shades of white.

Taapsee Pannu, Bollywood’s new ‘go-to girl’, graces our cover today and shares her thoughts about stardom, fans relating to her girl-next-door appeal and conquering the film world - on her own terms.

On this edition's cover, Jawaher Alkhayyal, Emirati product and interior designer,  who is keen to keep local craftsmanship alive with her contemporary creations that reflect the essence of the past.

In this edition of Friday Lite, we speak to a few families in the UAE whose children are observing their first fast and how they plan to celebrate the festival even while staying at home. 

Darshan Murali, who at just 16 is already an expert in organic farming, sharing his knowledge with other kids from different schools, tells us how, with support from the government, his group’s organic farming project could grow into a major nationwide initiative benefiting more students and households.

Also in this issue, we talk to employees in the UAE about the implementation of the work-from-home policy and how this has affected their productivity and daily routine. It seems both employees and employers, as one expert told us, are still unable to embrace ‘the essence of working from home’.

Ventriloquist Sati Achath, who’s travelled the world with his hilarious gang and his unique brand of entertainment that blends ventriloquism, hand shadows, magic and music, speaks to Friday about how he splits his time between work at the World Bank and his hobbies, and how his craft became a refuge in the most vulnerable moments of his life.

As the world celebrates International Day of Happiness, Anand Raj OK discovers new revelations (and tips) about the seemingly elusive concept of happiness – is there truly a secret to being happy?

Plus, don’t miss our brand-new section on microfiction, Not Too Tall Tales, where we feature some of the best contributions from readers.

And chances are a lot of us will be stuck at home this weekend or even longer, so check out our feature on a new effort by the video game industry that might just be a perfect fit for many of us – fitness video games!

Margery Kraus, founder of global consulting company Apco Worldwide, was in
Dubai recently to launch her book, Roots and Wings. She tells Esha Nag how motherhood made her a good business leader. Also, we bust 10 myths about the novel coronavirus.

In celebration of Women's Day, this issue brings you beautiful stories of women overcoming odds and those who give colour, and laughter, to our lives.

Saeed Al Gergawi, whose mission is to ensure Dubai’s futuristic initiatives are in tune with the skills and proficiency of its people, tells what it truly takes to future-proof Dubai and how data will determining this path.

Also in this edition, life lessons from Dubai’s quilt makers, and on the subject 'identity makeover', do men really need one?

We explore how sustainability has become a big part of the UAE’s food narrative – and how this impacts the kind of food that makes its way to your dinner table or on your favourite restaurant’s menu.

We also visited one of the many fascinating places hidden in the dessert: an organic fruit and vegetable farm! The Emirates Bio Farm sits on 250,000 sqm of farmland, producing 60 varieties of crops and no less than 8,000 eggs daily. And would you believe nearly all of the farm’s produce make their way to the local markets within 24 hours of harvesting?

Discover how this green oasis thrives amid harsh conditions and learn in what ways sustainability is going mainstream in the UAE’s food scene.

Award-winning authors Annabel Kantaria and Clare Mackintosh talk about leading writing workshops and acting as mentors to inmates who have been part of a first-of-its-kind writing programme in Dubai.

The collaboration produced a truly satisfying result: a compilation of stories and essays in a book titled Tomorrow, I Will Fly, which was launched at the recent Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Friday Magazine was given unprecedented access to Dubai’s central jail facility to talk to the inmate writers and go behind the scenes in the making of the historic book.

In this issue, a simple reminder that love is in the air. From our guide to the most romantic getaways and top picks for Valentine’s Day dining experiences, to love stories that will melt your heart, we’re loading up on inspirations for the most romantic day of the year. Plus, don’t miss our feature on ‘self-love’ – how self-compassion helps us suffer less from the painful experiences of life.

In this issue, we get a glimpse into what had long been an intrepid traveller’s secret. Recent Bond and Bourne films were shot here, and it’s home to the world’s most expensive resort. But you really don’t have to be a billionaire to enjoy this paradise in the Philippines. We also meet a school teacher in Dubai who has rescued and rehabilitated more than 4,000 animals in a shelter she runs – 140km away in Fujairah!

In this issue, check out our guide to the best restaurants serving up special menus to ring in the Year of the Rat. And for those looking for a more homey affair for the occasion, head over to the food section where we’ve prepared a selection of recipes to cook up a feast.

Also in this edition, meet the 88-year-old Doctura of Fujairah, whose steely resolve and bagful of 'magic pills' have helped endear her to an initially distrusting community. Plus, discover fascinating insights into ancient settlements in the UAE as we pay a visit to the Sharjah Archaeology Museum.

On the cover, Edgora McEwan, who shares her other-wordly adventures as one of a few woman hot-air balloon pilots. ‘It’s an unbelievable feeling,’ Edgora says of the flying basket. ‘Everyone should experience it once in a lifetime.’
She elaborates on becoming a licensed pilot and what it’s like gliding over Dubai’s spectacular deserts and dunes in a chat with us.

On the cover, Haysam Eid, a hairstylist with a knack for extreme sports, which he recently demonstrated by running a 250km ultramarathon across the Jordanian desert, over five days, and finishing seventh in a field of 73. ‘It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever done in my life,’ says Haysam of his first-ever ultramarathon.
Read all about Haysam’s grueling training regimen and why ultramarathons are ultimately a mental challenge. 
Also in this issue, the inconvenient truth about the selfie culture. Plus, a microbiologist's revelations about the dangers of an ultra-clean lifestyle.

On the cover of our first edition for 2020, Zaid Aladham and Yasser Alireza, who share their experience working on the groundbreaking graphic novel Wayl, the Middle East’s first psycho-thriller comic book series. Also in this issue, a look at the first-ever Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in the Middle East, located in Dubai’s Global Village. And don’t miss our special on dealing with passive-aggressive people – it’s such a subtle, under-the-radar way of aggression that business leaders have called it ‘the perfect crime’.

In this issue, Ani Choying Drolma, Nepal’s singing nun whose fans include Tina Turner and Tracy Chapman, sat down for an exclusive with Friday where she talks of her collaboration with AR Rahman, her social work and overcoming deep hatred towards her father. Also in this issue, astrologer Shelley von Strunckel’s annual forecast for Friday Magazine, plus your must-have guide for all the best events happening in the final week of the year.

February 5, 2021

January 29, 2021

January 22, 2021

January 15, 2021

January 8, 2021

January 1, 2021

September 18, 2020

September 11, 2020

September 04, 2020

August 28, 2020

June 26, 2020

June 19, 2020

June 12, 2020

June 5, 2020

May 29, 2020

May 22, 2020

Friday is a weekly magazine that offers a broad range of features, primarily based on lifestyle and social issues, relevant to UAE expatriates and nationals.

February 5, 2021 - Valentine's Special

January 22, 2021 @ Home Special

March 23, 2018 - Bride Special

1. You agree that the use of Magzter.com, the application and its services, are at solely at your own risk. Neither Magzter.com nor its associates nor employees nor third party content providers guarantee that the service will be completely uninterrupted or error-free or foolproof against miscreant activities. Nor do they warranty that you will get the exact results as expected or promised by the website or product.

11. THE SERVICE AND ALL PUBLICATIONS ARE PROVIDED ON AN 'AS IS' AND 'AS AVAILABLE' BASIS. MAGZTER, ITS AFFILIATES, SUPPLIERS, LICENSORS AND AGENTS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, NEITHER MAGZTER NOR ITS AFFILIATES, SUPPLIERS, LICENSORS OR AGENTS, MAKES ANY WARRANTY THAT (I) THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (II) THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, (III) THE INFORMATION THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICE OR THAT MAY BE CONTAINED IN THE PUBLICATIONS WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, OR (IV) THE QUALITY OF ANY PUBLICATIONS OR THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING AND MAINTAINING RELIABLE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY AND YOUR DEVICE. MAGZTER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR INABILITY TO DOWNLOAD CONTENT. ANY MATERIAL DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF THE SERVICE IS DONE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR MOBILE DEVICE OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOAD OF ANY SUCH MATERIAL. NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM MAGZTER OR THROUGH OR FROM THE SERVICE SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY.

2. You will maintain and promptly update that information to keep it true, accurate, current and complete. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your computer, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account, including the selection and use of all content and services.

2.You will maintain and promptly update that information to keep it true, accurate, current and complete. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your computer, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account, including the selection and use of all content and services.

3. In no event will Magzter.com or any person or entity or third party involved in the creation, production and distribution of the content on the website and the application be liable in contract or legally for any damages, including and not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, special, and consequential incurred to you while or on using Magzter.com. By registering on the website or downloading the application, you agree that the provisions mentioned in this section shall apply to all use of and content on the website and the application.

3. Without prior written or authorised permission from Magzter, you should not modify, copy, distribute or sell any content obtained from Magzter as everything published here is the proprietary property of Magzter or its licensors. As such unauthorised use may also violate applicable laws including copyright and trademark laws, Magzter strictly prohibits these and will terminate your access and account if any such illegal activity is proved or detected. You should also stand liable for the damages caused by these unauthorised activities. Except as permitted by the Publication's lawful owner, you acknowledge that you do not acquire any ownership rights by downloading Publications accessed through the Service. Except as explicitly required under copyright law or permitted by the features of the Service you may not modify, reverse engineer, publish, transmit, display, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works of, or in any way commercially exploit or provide to a third party the content of the App, the Publications, or any portion of them without the express permission of Magzter and the owner of such content. We do not grant you any licenses, express or implied, to the intellectual property of Magzter or Magzter's licensors.

5. You specifically acknowledge that Magzter.com is not liable for any kind of defamatory or offensive or illegal conduct of other users or third parties or their content and that the risk of injury from the foregoing rests entirely with you.

8. Magzter reserves all rights to monitor the content published and inputted by you for the purpose of determining whether you are compliant with these terms and conditions and other operating rules determined by Magzter. Magzter has the right to take decisions about the content and delete them at its own will.

9. Magzter is a distributor and NOT a publisher of the Publications and so Magzter has no editorial control over the content, including opinions, advice, statements, services, offers etc., that is represented in the magazines. So Magzter will not take responsibility for the accuracy or the reliability for any information or facts provided therein or that is made available through the service, by anyone other than authorised Magzter employees who are acting on their official capacities. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered by the Service, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of Magzter. Magzter will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information obtained through the Service or from the Publications. The Service may contain links to other Internet sites and third-party resources and Magzter does not assume any responsibility or liability for communications or materials available at such linked sites. These links are provided for your convenience only. You are solely responsible for understanding any terms and conditions that may apply when you visit or place an order through a third-party site.

Details of the objectionable content, including its link on our platform

Download your favorite titles and read them offline, anytime and anywhere

Gift your loved ones with a Magzter Gift Card instantly and give them the freedom to read their favorite magazines and newspapers from thousands of best-selling titles.

Gift your loved ones with a Magzter Gift Card instantly and give them the freedom to read their favorite magazines from thousands of best-selling titles.

Gift your loved ones with a Magzter Gift Card instantly and give them the freedom to read their favorite magazines from {{magCount}} best-selling international titles.

Girish Ramdas is the Co-founder and CEO of Magzter, a New York based startup that has been making waves in the global digital publishing business. Magzter has crossed 80 million users since its inception in 2011 from more than 150+ countries with 1000s of magazines, newspapers and books from more than 4,500 publishers worldwide. He has more than 25 years of experience in cross-platform publishing, including print, mobile, and Web development. During this period, he has co-founded and run three successful start-up businesses. He has enabled magazine companies to go digital and helps them monetize their content across the digital world. Girish's deep industry experience in online, mobile and publishing ecosystems has made him an expert in acquisition, marketing and monetizing digital content across platforms globally.

In the event that you encounter any objectionable content on our platform, we have put in place a grievance redressal policy to address your concerns.

Magzter Inc. (“Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”) knows that you care about how your personal information is used and shared. Please read the following privacy policy (the “Policy”) to learn more about our privacy practices. By visiting any of the websites operated by the Company, and any sub-domains thereof, or using any of our mobile applications and other methods of content distribution (collectively, the “Service”), you acknowledge that you accept the practices and policies outlined in this Policy, and you hereby consent that we will collect, use, and share your information in the following ways.

Magzter Inc. is the World's largest and fastest growing self-service, cross-platform digital newsstand with over 80 million users since its inception in 2011 and thousands of magazines and newspapers across 40+ categories and 60+ languages. Headquartered in New York, Magzter has its local presence in Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Singapore, and will soon be expanding to other countries. Founded by global entrepreneurs, Girish Ramdas and Vijay Radhakrishnan in June 2011, Magzter enables magazine and newspaper publishers around the world to create and deliver digital editions of their titles to global consumers.

Magzter is committed to providing a safe and secure platform for our users. Please note that Magzter is merely a platform for publishers to distribute their content. We do not control or endorse the content published on our platform. We cannot be held responsible for the actions of our publishers or their content.

Magzter is not responsible for compensating any party that has suffered damages or incurred costs due to any content, or part of the content, that violates their rights. Magzter is not liable to face any legal action in civil court for any violation of rights caused by any content, or part of the content, that infringes the rights of a third party.

Magzter offers the world’s largest {{allyoucanread}} subscription service called {{gold}} which gives digital readers unlimited access to 8,500+ magazines and newspapers for a monthly subscription price. Magzter also has the largest number of stories in the world with its game-changing ezRead 2.0 feature for its apps, which enables smartphone and small-screen mobile users to enjoy magazine content the way it was meant to be enjoyed, with article text that is easy to read and is accompanied by stunning videos and high resolution photography.

Magzter offers the world’s largest “All-You-Can-Read” subscription service called Magzter GOLD which gives digital readers unlimited access to 8,500+ magazines and newspapers for a monthly subscription price. Magzter also has the largest number of stories in the world with its game-changing ezRead 2.0 feature for its apps, which enables smartphone and small-screen mobile users to enjoy magazine content the way it was meant to be enjoyed, with article text that is easy to read and is accompanied by stunning videos and high resolution photography.

Name

Note: This will only share the cover and the publication information, but not the content.

Please fill out this form if you need any help regarding publishing your content on Magzter

Prior to Magzter, he was the President of Dot Com Infoway (DCI) and Galatta Media. His duties included strategic marketing, partnership development, and monetizing content globally. DCI grew from a small team of 3 in 2000 to 300 by 2011 and was dealing with web, software and app development for clients globally.

Since we launched, Magzter has been committed to partnering with global organizations to provide the greatest possible newsstand technology & service to our customers. Whether you are looking to offer magazine subscriptions to your customer database or just want to learn more, Magzter is committed to helping your business grow. To find out more, please fill out the questionnaire below:

The DMCA allows us to restore the removed content if the party filing the original DMCA Notice does not file a court action against you within ten business days of receiving the copy of your Counter Notice.

This Policy covers Company’s treatment of personally identifiable information (“Personal Information”) and other information about you and your computer or device that Company gathers when you are accessing the Service. We may collect Personal Information from you, as explained in more detail below, and we use this Personal Information internally in connection with our Services, including to personalize, provide, and improve our products, services, content, and advertising, and to allow you to set up a user account and profile, to contact you, to fulfill your requests for certain products and services, and to analyze how you use the Services. In certain cases, we may also share some Personal Information with third parties, but only as described in point 4.

This title is included with your Magzter GOLD subscription

To analyze the quality of content and provide appropriate feedback to publishers

We have designated a Grievance Officer to address any complaints related to objectionable content.

We request that any complaint related to objectionable content be sent to the Grievance Officer through email to the above-mentioned email address. We also request that you provide the following details when making a complaint:

and the App that provides you the capability to order, subscribe to and receive the delivery of various magazines, books, news and magazine and publication related content (collectively known as 'Publications') and to have these digital versions of the Publications delivered to you

c. We also collect information associated with your use of the application in order to make personalized recommendations. If you provide your third-party account credentials to us, you understand some content and/or information in those accounts (“Third Party Account Information”) may be transmitted into your account with us if you authorize such transmissions, and that Third Party Account Information transmitted to the Service is covered by this Policy.

f. The Personal Information we collect allows us to respond to your requests, improve our products and services, customize the advertising and content you see, and communicate with you about new products.

is the World's largest and fastest growing self-service, cross-platform digital newsstand with over 87 million users since its inception in 2011 and thousands of magazines and newspapers across 40+ categories and 60+ languages. Headquartered in New York, Magzter has its local presence in Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Singapore, and will soon be expanding to other countries. Founded by global entrepreneurs, Girish Ramdas and Vijay Radhakrishnan in June 2011, Magzter enables magazine and newspaper publishers around the world to create and deliver digital editions of their titles to global consumers.

n. We will also use usage information in order to ensure users adhere to our Terms of Use. For example, a user’s usage information will help us confirm that a user only downloads a magazine or other content a permitted number of times or to a permitted number of devices.

which gives digital readers unlimited access to 8,500+ magazines and newspapers for a monthly subscription price. Magzter also has the largest number of stories in the world with its game-changing ezRead 2.0 feature for its apps, which enables smartphone and small-screen mobile users to enjoy magazine content the way it was meant to be enjoyed, with article text that is easy to read and is accompanied by stunning videos and high resolution photography.

{{magzter}} is the World's largest and fastest growing self-service, cross-platform digital newsstand with over 87 million users since its inception in 2011 and thousands of magazines and newspapers across 40+ categories and 60+ languages. Headquartered in New York, Magzter has its local presence in Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Singapore, and will soon be expanding to other countries. Founded by global entrepreneurs, Girish Ramdas and Vijay Radhakrishnan in June 2011, Magzter enables magazine and newspaper publishers around the world to create and deliver digital editions of their titles to global consumers.

Friday Magazine - February 15, 2019

Friday Magazine - February 15, 2019

In this issue

Friday Magazine Description: