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MES Indian School, Abu Hamour branch,(Mesis) celebrated its third annual day with the theme, 'Mesis Tranquil – The White Dove,' symbolising peace, unity and harmony. The overarching message revolved around the imperative need for global peace. The evening began with a recitation from the Holy Qur'an, followed by choir and welcome dance. Indian embassy first secretary Sachin Dinkar Shankpal was the chief guest and Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar's senior associate for pre-medical education Dr Marco Ameduri was the guest of honour. They were felicitated by MES Indian School officiating president Najeeb K P, general secretary Hazmal Ismail, principal Dr Hameeda Kadar and other dignitaries. Mesis principal Pramila Kannan presented the annual report highlighting the school's achievements and milestones. The evening further unfolded with the prize distribution ceremony. The dignitaries released doves and white balloons to show solidarity with world peace. Students presented indigenous dances of different countries. The finale featured a mash-up dance performance by students of all grades. The evening came to a conclusion with the national anthems of Qatar and India.

The managing committee of Maharashtra Mandal Qatar (MMQ) for 2023-24 organised a mega event, Swarotsav, featuring the acclaimed Indian classical vocalist and national award winner, Mahesh Kale. He was accompanied by Apurav Dravid (multi-percussionist), Omkar Dalvi (pakhavaj), Pandurang Pawar (tabla), Abhinay Ravande (harmonium) and Prathamesh Lad (flute). Indian embassy first secretary Vaibhav Tandale was the chief guest. Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) vice president Subramaniyam Hebbagelu, general secretary Mohan Kumar and Indian Community Benevolent Forum vice president Deepak Shetty were guests of honour. The event was attended by more than 600 members of MMQ. Achiever students of Grade 10 and 12 were felicitated by the dignitaries. MMQ's 2023 souvenir, 'Garja Maharashtra Maza,' was unveiled by Kale. MMQ president Rakesh Wagh, delivered the inaugural speech. Vice president Rachana Chaudhari compered the event. The organising committee comprised Manish Shah, Ajay Dhole, Siddhesh Zade, Nilesh Vaidya, Amruta Patil, Gayatri Modak, Vidya Mogare and Anilkumar Kadam. General secretary Parag Sonawane proposed a vote of thanks. On behalf of the Indian community, the ICC gave a community reception in honour of Kale. President Manikantan A P felicitated the renowned singer.

Indian Sports Centre's (ISC) second throwball tournament for ladies, featuring 12 teams, saw Tulukoota emerging as thechampions. Indian ambassador Vipul was the chief guest at the finals and closing ceremony.Karnataka Sangha Qatar was second and Mangalore Cultural Association third. Indira Ravi Kunder was selected as the best smasher, Vileeta Alvares the best catcher and Muriel Meryln won the best all-rounder award. The tournament had Indian national referee Jojimon Devasia officiating in the tournament in Qatar.ISC president E P Abdul Rahman addressed the gathering. Indian Cultural Centre president A P Manikantan, Indian Community Benevolent Forum president Shanavas Bava, ISC vice president John Desa, general secretary Nihad Ali, secretary Pradeep Pillai, head of Throwball Sujatha Fernandez, management committee members Purushotaman Appavoo, Trupthi Kale, Deepesh Govindankutty and Shalini Tiwary, were present.

The Next Generation (TNG) School recently hosted a science fair, themed 'Exploring Sustainable Future: Technology for a Greener World,' aligning with Qatar’s commitment to nurturing scientific talent.Students from Years 1 to 6 showcased enthusiasm and dedication to shaping a sustainable future.TNG Nuaija headmistress Emine Demir highlighted the goal of cultivating future scientists and innovators, lauding projects across all year levels. She appreciated the science head Devi Priya and teachers for nurturing a culture of scientific inquiry, aligning with Qatar’s vision of integrating research into education, aiming to empower young minds for a sustainable future.The judges were Khaled Zaki (marine life activist, Professional Association of Diving Instructors ambassador); Dr Gazi Demir (Physics assistant professor at Community College of Qatar); and Sumaira Abid (MSc Zoology subject consultant).The event showcased TNG Nuaija student research and presentations, culminating in 11 winners announced from Key Stages 1 and 2.Zaki said: "I was honoured to have a chance to impact the next generation and potentially shape their career choices towards a sustainable future. The science fair at TNG School Nuaija was meticulously organised, specifying displays and project materials, particularly for ecosystems, energy, environment and waste management, in line with Qatar's Sustainable Development Goals."Dr Demir stated: "It is great to see that The Next Generation School prepares young minds for the challenges of the future and promoting sustainability."

Allah Says (what means): “[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad ], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.” [Qur’an: 38: 29]Reflecting upon the Qur’an is one of the reasons behind its revelation; it is the way to comprehend its rulings and find out its objectives and meanings. The Qur’an will not be properly understood, nor will its objectives be truly realised except by pausing at each verse and giving it its due right of pondering to discover the meanings and wisdom within it.All perfect praise is due to Allah, that we still see many Muslims reciting the Qur’an day and night, which is good, yet many of them recite it without the due reflection or understanding. Thus people miss the main reason for which the Qur’an was revealed, to apply its rules, adhere to its commands and refrain from its prohibitions.In an attempt to practically apply the Words of Allah (which mean): “And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.” [Qur’an: 51: 55] we designate this article to address some important ways by which a person may ponder the Noble Qur’an and thus properly understand it.One such way is to be acquainted with the Arabic language and its methods of expression. The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, and can only be understood according to the rules of this language, and all scholars attach great importance to learning the Arabic language and encourage their students to learn it. The one who does not know the rules of the language could easily misunderstand the following saying of Allah (which means): “And ask the city in which we were and the caravan in which we came” [Qur’an: 12: 82] and he will not be able to distinguish between the sayings of Allah (which mean): “It is You we worship and You we ask for help” [Qur’an: 1: 5] and the saying: “We worship You,” and so on.It must be pointed out here is that not every one who recites the Qur’an is asked to be a grammarian; rather, all he needs to obtain is enough knowledge and command on the language with which he can understand the Book of Allah and reflect upon it.An important practice which can help a person reflect upon the Qur’an is to study the biography of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. We must know that he was the authentic interpreter of the Qur’an and that his manners were all derived from the Qur’an. We must also know that he was a practical Qur’an walking on earth, in the sense that he clarified to verses that were revealed in general terms and verses that may have sounded confusing. Knowing all this makes a Muslim realise that in order to properly be able to reflect upon the Qur’an, he must return to the biography of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and the authentic Sunnah.Knowing the historical context in which specific verses of the Qur’an were revealed increases the reader’s understanding, because many verses were revealed pertaining to a certain incident.Without knowing the reason for its revelation and what it came down to address, one could read a verse but not really understand what it intends. For example the following saying of Allah (which means): “So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers. If a wound should touch you- there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it” [Qur’an: 3: 139-140].This saying was addressed to the companions, may Allah pleased with them, during the battle of Uhud in which they suffered causalities fighting the disbelieving enemies. They are being rallied to fight harder by Allah’s reminder that they had already inflicted similar suffering upon these enemies during their previous battle of Badr.One other helpful factor in reflecting on and understanding the Book of Allah, is referring to the trustworthy books of interpretation of the Qur’an, and reading what the scholars have said. Such books contain many of the interpretations of the Salaf whether the statements of the companions or those who came after them . Some of these books of Tafseer (i.e. interpretation) are by At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Katheer and others . Reading these sources helps the person reading the Qur’an reflect upon the verses and better understand them.Reciting the Qur’an attentively while thinking of what one is reading is a matter that was stressed in the Qur’an, and it helps one reflect. Allah says (what means): “Say, `I only advise you of one [thing] - that you stand for Allah, [seeking truth] in pairs and individually, and then give thought`” [Qur’an: 34: 46]. This better helps the reader understand the Qur’an.Another important rule regarding reflecting upon the Qur’an is applying it to reality. This means (in short) that the Qur’an was not revealed just for a certain period or a specific place; but is applicable during all times and places. One can best understand the Qur’an and feel it alive, when it is applied to reality and to the issues of the Muslim nation. For example, every era has its own disbelievers and hypocrites and every era has its own ‘Pharaohs’ and oppressors.A serious mistake in this regard is applying verses to those for whom it was not intended, like applying the verses about hypocrites to the believers, or the verses about righteous people to the disbelievers, as this leads to clear and serious misguidance.To conclude, we would like to remind the reader with the following prophetic narration, of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Any group of people that assemble in one of the Houses of Allah to recite and study the Qur’an, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will engulf them, angels will surround them and Allah will make mention of them to those (the angels) in His proximity.” [Muslim]. Note how the narration connected reciting and studying, and made this a precondition for the four magnificent virtues to be achieved.Perhaps the reason for the current situation of Muslims is that we read the Book of Allah but do not reflect upon it, and thus our application coincides with our degree of reflection which led us to our current situation.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: In the year of Tabuk, the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), addressed the people, while supporting his back against a date-palm, saying:Should I not tell you about the best of people and the worst of people? The best of people is a man who strives in the cause of Allah on the back of his horse, on the back of his camel, or on his feet till death comes to him. Among the worst of people is a wicked man who reads the Book of Allah (the Qur’an) and is inattentive to it. [Ahmad, An-Nasa’i and Al-Hakim who renders it authentic]The best of people are those who fight in the cause of Allah and who continue to do so till death approaches them; whereas the worst of people is the wicked man who reads the Qur’an and acts upon nothing thereof. The wicked person is he who commits sins, be he a Muslim or a non-Muslim. It includes, in our time, the orientalists and their disciples who follow their method from among the Muslims and evil scholars, as will be shown later in the three Hadiths (Prophet’s saying) to come. According to a scholar, one may recite the Qur’an and curse himself unknowingly.He may read (what means): {Unquestionably, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers.} [Qur’an 11:18] and he is one of the wrongdoers. He also may recite (what means): {Let us ... supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us].} [Qur’an 3:61] and he is one of those liars.According to Abu Sulayman Ad-Darani, may Allah have mercy upon him, the angels of Hell come to the holders of the Qur’an who disobey Allah Almighty before they come to the idolaters.One of the predecessors said: “One may start reciting a Qur’anic Surah (chapter), thereupon the angels keep invoking Allah’s blessing upon him till he ends it; and one may start reciting a Qur’anic Surah, thereupon the angels keep invoking Allah’s curse upon him till he ends it.” When asked how this takes place he said: “If he makes lawful what is lawful in it and makes unlawful what is unlawful in it, they will invoke Allah’s blessing upon him, otherwise they will invoke Allah’s curse upon him.”It is narrated on the authority of Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “We, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, were given faith before the Qur’an; and after us, there will be a people who will be given the Qur’an before faith: they will establish it in letter and neglect its limits and rights, saying: ‘We recite the Qur’an: who could recite better than us? We know (the Qur’an): Who has knowledge better than us?’” That will be their share. According to another narration, “Those will be the worst of people.” [Ibn Majah]According to Qatadah, may Allah have mercy upon him, no one sits with this Qur’an (i.e. recites it) but that he will leave it either with increase or decrease (in success or loss). In confirmation, Allah the Almighty Says (what means): {And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.} [Qur’an 17:82]It is narrated on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: There will appear among you a people (who will be engaged in religious service, so much that) you will look down upon your prayer, fasting and deeds, compared with theirs. They will recite the Qur’an, though it will not go beyond their collar-bones (because they will have practically no belief). They will deviate from the religion as an arrow goes out through the game, whereupon the archer would examine the arrowhead but see nothing, look at the bow but see nothing, and look at the feathers but see nothing. Finally, he would look at the arrow shaft and doubt whether he could find anything. [At-Tirmithi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah and An-Nasa’i]To deviate from the religion is to take only what agrees with one’s inclination and abandon everything else. That is, they will abandon the religion as fast as the arrow goes out of the game.According to the narration of Muslim, Abu Dawood and An-Nasa’i:Towards the end of time there will appear some young, foolish people who will use (in their claim) the best speech of all people (the Qur’an). They will recite the Qur’an, though it will not go beyond their collar-bones. They will abandon Islam as an arrow goes out through the game. So, wherever you meet them, kill them, for he who kills them shall receive a reward on the Day of Resurrection.This applies to him who is endowed with extensive knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence but has no faith, like the Orientalists and their disciples: they speak pleasant words characterised by scientific accuracy, objectivity and the desire to reach the fact. But they hide in its folds feelings of resentment towards Islam and the inexorable attempt to slander and ruin it with malicious ways.It also applies to the religious innovators who follow their inclinations. They have corrupt ideas they like to prove by taking from the religion what agrees with their opinions and leaving the rest of it. In order to do so, they gather the information which supports their inclinations and religious innovations; thereby, they appear, in the eyes of the simple and naive people, as investigating, accurate scholars, whose speech is convincing and conclusions valid.Mu‘ath ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “There will be, after you, fitnah (turmoil), in which wealth will become abundant, and the Qur’an will be opened (i.e. become in circulation among people), so much so, that it will be recited by the faithful believer and the hypocrite, the man and woman, the old and the young, and the slave and the free one; and one will be about to say: ‘What is the matter with the people that they do not follow me, even though I recite the Qur’an: they seem not to follow me until I innovate for them something other than it.So, beware of innovations, for they are falsehood; and be warned of the deviation of the wise, for the devil may say the word of falsehood on the tongue of the wise; and a hypocrite may say a word of truth.’” They asked: “What makes us know that the wise person is saying the word of falsehood and the hypocrite is saying the word of truth?” He said: “Nay! Avoid the wise man’s words which you disapprove of and which are questioned by people, but let not this dissuade you from him, for perchance he may retract and follow the truth once he hears it, for there is light on the truth.” [Abu Dawood]It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said:No envy is (acceptable) but in two cases: a man whom Allah has endowed with the (memorisation and knowledge of the) Qur’an with which he stands (and acts upon) at the approaches of night and day; and a man on whom Allah has bestowed wealth which he spends (in His cause) at the approaches of night and day. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]The hateful envy is to hope that the favour given to another should vanish, whereas the praiseworthy envy is to aspire to have the like of what is given to the envied person as regards knowledge and wealth.To stand with the Qur’an at the approaches of the night is to recite and learn it and worship Allah with it; and this is likely to happen in secret, far from the people’s eyes. To do so at the approaches of the day is to act upon it publicly in front of the people in compliance with the command of Allah, and in the hope of being an example for others to follow and receiving the reward of anyone following him.The Hadith gives preference, in mention, to the superiority of him who is given the Qur’an and acts upon it over him who is given wealth and spends it (in Allah’s cause), which points out the superiority of knowledge over charity. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Kumayl ibn Ziyad ibn Nuhayl (one of the Taabi‘is d. 82AH), “O Kumayl! knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you whereas you guard wealth. Knowledge is a ruler whereas wealth is ruled. Wealth decreases by charity whereas knowledge increases by spending (i.e. by teaching it).” The decrease of wealth here refers to the apparent reduction which seems to the people, but with Allah it increases and multiplies.The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, clarified this meaning when he said, as narrated on the authority of Abu Kabshah al-Anmari, may Allah be pleased with him:The world is for four kinds of people: One upon whom Allah Almighty has bestowed wealth and knowledge, so he fears his Lord in respect to them, maintains kinship ties and acknowledges the rights of Allah on him [and fulfils them]; this type is in the best of ranks. One upon whom Allah Almighty has conferred knowledge but not wealth, and he is sincere in his intention and says: “Had I possessed wealth, I would have done like so-and-so.” If that is his intention, their rewards are the same. (He aspires to have the like of this good person in order to do like him; and he does not hope that what the other has of blessing should vanish) One whom Allah Almighty has given wealth but no knowledge, and he ignorantly flounders with it, does not fear Allah in respect to it, does not maintain kinship ties and does not acknowledge the rights of Allah. Such a person is in the worst rank. One upon whom Allah Almighty has bestowed neither wealth nor knowledge, and he says: “Had I possessed wealth, I would have done like so-and-so.” For his intention, both will be equally sinful. [Ibn Majah and At-Tirmithi, who renders it as good-authentic]Here, the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, dispraises him because of his desire for sin rather than for a favour like the other. There is no difficulty on him who aspires to have the like of the favour given to another, so long as he does not like that it vanishes from him nor dislikes that it should remain with him. If this favour pertains to the obligatory religious service like faith, prayer and zakah, the competition over it is due: that is to aspire to be like him because if he does not like this, he then will be content with the sin, and that is unlawful. If the favour pertains to such good merits as spending wealth in charity and good things, competition over it is recommended. If it pertains to a permissible form of enjoyment, competition over it is permissible. [Ihya’ ‘Uloom Ad-Deen, grand Imam Al-Ghazali]It is narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said:He who recites the Qur’an, it seems as if prophethood has been drawn to him except that he receives no divine revelation; and whoever recites the Qur’an and thinks that somebody has been given better than what he has been given, he will have exalted what Allah has regarded with slightness and regarded with slightness what Allah has exalted. It is not fit for the Qur’an holder to be among those who behave foolishly or be angry or enraged: but he should rather forgive and pardon because of the superiority of the Qur’an. [At-Tabari]The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was given revelation through a particular text, i.e. the Noble Qur’an, and the Sunnah through the words of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. So, whoever is given the Noble Qur’an has the same which Allah Almighty revealed to His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, in the same text, with difference that he receives no divine revelation. No doubt, the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets: they inherit neither dirham nor dinar, but inherit the knowledge which they act upon and spread among the people.An aspect of exalting Allah Almighty is to exalt His Book (the Qur’an), and whoever is given much good should thank Allah Almighty for this great favour and feel the magnificence and grandeur of the bounty granted to him by Allah Almighty.‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said:It is due on the holder of the Qur’an to be recognised for his (standing at) night when the people are asleep, for his (fasting during the) day when the people are not fasting, for his sadness when the people are rejoicing, for his weeping when the people are laughing, for his silence when the people are engaging in discourse, and for his humble submissiveness when the people are arrogant. The holder of the Qur’an should be compliant and lenient rather than harsh, displeasing in voice like a donkey, a noise-maker, or an obstinate person.”A righteous man said:I have learnt that the Qur’an holder will be asked as the Prophets will be asked (i.e. on the Day of Judgment). In the noble Hadith, the Prophet forbade the Qur’an holder to behave foolishly or be angry or enraged, and rather commanded him to adhere to forgiveness and forbearance. That is, to maintain a good moral character and noble manners. Such was the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, as described by ‘A’ishah, the Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, when she said: “His moral character was (an application of the laws and instructions of) the Qur’an.” [Muslim, Ahmad and Abu Dawood]Since the moral character of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was (an application of) the Qur’an, then, the Qur’an is among us, and it is due on the Qur’an holders to behave according to the manners of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, which are the manners of the Qur’an.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

US University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine researchers have discovered how Lactobacillus, a bacterium found in fermented foods and yogurt, helps the body manage stress and may help prevent depression and anxiety.The findings open the door to new therapies to treat anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.UVA researcher Alban Gaultier and collaborators say the discovery is notable because it pinpoints the role of Lactobacillus, separating it out from all the other microorganisms that naturally live in and on our bodies."Our discovery illuminates how gut-resident Lactobacillus influences mood disorders, by tuning the immune system," said Gaultier, of UVAs Department of Neuroscience, its Center for Brain Immunology and Glia and the TransUniversity Microbiome Initiative. "Our research could pave the way toward discovering much-needed therapeutics for anxiety and depression."Gaultier and his team decided to continue their depression research using a collection of bacteria, known as "Altered Schaedler Flora," which includes two strains of Lactobacillus and six other bacterial strains. With this rarely used bacterial community, the team was able to create mice both with and without Lactobacillus, circumventing the need for antibiotics.The Altered Schaedler Flora produced exciting results. Gaultier and his colleagues were able to explain exactly how Lactobacilli influence behavior, and how a lack of the bacteria can worsen depression and anxiety. Lactobacilli in the family Lactobaccillacea maintain the levels of an immune mediator called interferon gamma that regulates the bodys response to stress and helps stave off depression.Our guts are naturally home to countless bacteria, fungi and viruses. There are more microorganisms living in and on us than there are cells in our bodies. That may sound disgusting, even alarming, but scientists say these tiny organisms and their interactions are critical to immune systems, health, mental health and other facets of well-being.Disruptions of the microbiota, whether from illness, poor diet or other causes, are known to contribute to many diseases and even help cancer spread. So, researchers have been very excited in recent years about the potential to battle diseases by targeting the microbiota.Early attempts to manipulate the gut flora with beneficial bacteria, called probiotics, have produced mixed results. A big part of the problem has been the sheer complexity of the microbiome, which is estimated to include 39 trillion microorganisms. Trying to understand what specific bacteria or fungi do much less how they interact with all the other microorganisms and their host can be like trying to count grains of sand on the beach.Gaultier and his team took an innovative approach to focus on Lactobacilli in specific. Prior research from Gaultiers lab suggested that the bacteria could reverse depression in lab mice a hugely promising finding. But the researchers needed to understand how."We were aware from our prior research that Lactobacillus was beneficial in improving mood disorders and was lost following psychological stress, but the underlying reasons remained unclear, primarily due to the technical challenges associated with studying the microbiome."

In an opulent realm of luxury hospitality, where every detail is meticulously curated and elegance knows no bounds, there emerges a luminary who effortlessly embodies the essence of sophistication and excellence. Meet Adrian Messerli, President of Hotel Operations, EMEA, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, a visionary at the helm of one of the world's most renowned and opulent hotel brands. From palace hotels in Europe to glittering skyscrapers in the Middle East to hideaway beach resorts in Africa, he is tasked with overseeing Four Seasons hotel operations across a diverse portfolio of more than 40 operating properties and 20 under development.A journey that started in 2005 with Four Seasons, Adrian's experience has been a tapestry woven with threads of passion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to redefine hospitality and how it is crafted for each person at Four Seasons. Adrian's 18-year sojourn transcends a mere professional trajectory; it's a narrative of belonging and contribution. "Our company offers more than just a job; it provides a sense of belonging," he affirms.Adrian has been a maestro in in orchestrating unparalleled guest experiences, he navigates the brand with a finesse that mirrors Four Season’s iconic commitment to perfection. Under his stewardship, FS has become synonymous with a lifestyle that transcends the ordinary, offering a sanctuary where every moment is well-crafted.Adrian is a connoisseur of the finer things in life, seamlessly blending an appreciation for art, culture, and fashion and it is quite evident from the way he talks about the brand and that’s “all about people”. In an exclusive conversation we explore the the inspirations that fuel his vision, the nuances that define the Four Seasons experience, and the secrets behind crafting a world where luxury becomes a way of life.You have had a remarkable career with Four Seasons, spanning various regions globally. Could you share more insights into your journey within the company, and what qualities make you well- suited for the role of President, Hotel Operations – EMEA?After 18 years with Four Seasons, the one thing that is most clear to me is that our company offers more than just a job; it provides a sense of belonging, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to strengthening an already firmly built foundation.Our employees, and their dedication to genuine care, makes all the difference in luxury hospitality and I am incredibly proud and energized to be taking on this new leadership role across EMEA.Over the past almost two decades with Four Seasons, I’ve been privileged to work across all three regions: EMEA, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, gaining experience in wide-ranging properties – from palace hotels in Europe to glittering skyscrapers in the Middle East to hideaway beach resorts in Africa. Most recently, I led the opening of Four Seasons Hotel Madrid – our first property in Spain, in addition to oversight of several of our hotels in the region.EMEA is such an incredibly diverse region and I hope that my experience at our properties in Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Seychelles, Lisbon, and Madrid, combined with the opportunity I have had to work with our teams, guests, and owners around the world will allow me to continue to help advance and support the amazing people who bring the Four Seasons experience to life each day.In such a leadership role, I have the opportunity to work with so many specialists – all of whom are experts in their craft and operate at a completely different level. It’s my role to bring everyone together and make sure the word on the street reflects the true talent of our team.With 60+ years of experience delivering highly personalized experiences and a service culture grounded in empathy and compassion, Four Seasons is well-equipped to deliver a standard of luxury defined by humanity, generosity, and emotion.What is the main driver of hospitality?Hospitality is broadly known as a service industry, yet for Four Seasons, hospitality is a people industry – Four Seasons is a brand powered by our people.In August 2022, we launched a new creative platform – Based on a True Stay – that represents an authentic evolution of the brand. Inspired by true acts of unscripted care and generosity that have taken place at properties worldwide, it articulates who we are today and where we are going tomorrow. With this new creative, we are leaning into our brand ethos and communicating it in a heightened and surprising way.Our Based on a True Stay creative perfectly blends real-life guest experiences with the flair and imagination of our brand, evoking the feeling of luxury with genuine heart that remains at the core of every Four Seasons experience. It is a campaign developed from our guest insights that reveal genuine heart as the key driver in guest feedback.At Four Seasons, our philosophy is that the guest should be at the center of all decision-making.True "luxury" has markedly changed. It is not about stuffy, impersonal service and over-the-top opulence. It is now about an unabashed focus on how people want to be treated, on the simple elegance of radical empathy - consumers are craving connections to companies whose business is rooted authentically in their brand purpose.The luxury customer is changing in both demographics and expectations. Our guest demographic is evolving towards younger, more diverse guests who are passionate about social and environmental issues and have an expectation that brands will mirror these values. Expectations are also shifting towards a convenient and personalized journey across all brand touchpoints.Customers expect a seamless high-tech/high-touch experience across their journey. Customer expectations around technology are higher than ever. They prefer digital interactions throughout their travel journey and shift seamlessly from offline to online channels at a whim, all with a personal touch.For Four Seasons, the App and Chat have been popular platforms since launch. Our Chat offering is the only one that doesn’t resort to the use of a chatbot – we have real Four Seasons people on property behind each chat. While there may be AI innovations in the future that help enhance this offering, it will always be ultimately powered by our people.How is the regional industry currently faring compared to other markets?2023 has been a strong year for EMEA. Off the back of 2022, we have continued to see high levels of demand for our properties in the region as global travelers continue to embrace their love of travel and desire to explore both new and treasured destinations.With the more gradual easing of travel restrictions, Asia has once again become more accessible to many this year. As a result, the continent has attracted huge interest from global travelers who are keen to return to city and resort destinations alike. Yet even with these expanded travel routes returning, the diversity of destinations seen in EMEA has ensured that it continues to hold appeal for so many and the desire to travel to the region remains strong.Just three weeks ago we opened our newest property in the region, with the launch of Four Seasons Hotels and Residences, The Pearl-Qatar. This incredible property is situated in one of the GCC’s most exciting new communities and offers apartment-style accommodations, world-class dining, extensive family programming, and luxurious leisure amenities.Overall, leisure business continues to lead as our core business segment, although we are seeing an increase from the group and corporate segments.As an overall trend, we have seen increasing lead times for bookings across the region, with international reservations already looking strong for the first quarter of 2024.What are the key markets for Four Seasons in the Middle East and how will you be supporting the brand growth?The Middle East is an incredibly important market for Four Seasons. This is both in terms of our brand presence through our hotels, resorts, and residential offerings and as a region that represents a key source market for our guests.With 40 properties in the wider EMEA region, we have been able to achieve strong brand awareness, yet it is through the quality of the genuine care in our service that we have been able to also establish a high brand preference.While we see guests from across the Middle East staying with us in our properties, our top markets are currently Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait.In addition to domestic and inter-regional stays, travelers from the Middle East are a key source market for many of our properties around the world - from our beautiful Indian Ocean resorts in Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius, our historical European palace hotels, which includes George V, Paris, San Domenico Palace, Taormina, and the Gresham Palace in Budapest, as well as international cities such as Washington and Seoul.Here in Dubai, we celebrated the opening of this flagship property in 2014, closely followed by Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre in 2016. In 2021, when we announced our standalone Four Seasons Private Residences Dubai at Jumeirah, all 28 units sold out before going to public sales – the first time in our 38-year residential history.What can you tell us about some of the most promising ideas and projects you are currently working on?There is an exciting pipeline of projects underway for EMEA, with 2024 poised to mark the opening of multiple properties, including our third hotel in Morocco, in the country’s capital of Rabat; Mallorca, with the transformation of the former Hotel Formentor; along with Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Jeddah at the Corniche.As we focus on our future expansion in the region, we are thrilled to announce a series of dynamic projects. These include developments at various stages among our current portfolio of 20 properties, namely:• Egypt – Luxor and Cairo New Capital• Saudi Arabia - Jeddah, Diriyah, NEOM's Sindalah Island, and Red Sea’s Shura Island• A seaside resort in Puglia• The conversion of the historic Hotel Danieli in Venice, Italy• A new development in Muscat, OmanTo continue leading our industry, we must always reach higher, innovating the ways in which we showcase our brand. As our founder Isadore Sharp said: “It’s the pursuit of excellence that allows you to never be complacent, to always say, ‘What else should we be doing?”To truly recognize our customers, placing them at the center of all decision making, requires a strong corporate culture and purpose that empowers employees to deliver a level of unscripted, personalized care – a form of service excellence combined with digital savvy that will define the future of luxury.At Four Seasons, we have been honing and evolving this notion for more than 60 years. And as we continue to evolve our brand, we find ourselves at a fascinating inflection point in the modern luxury industry; more than ever, consumers are craving connections to companies whose businesses are rooted authentically in their brand DNA and purpose.Through our ability to deliver simple acts of unscripted care that creates a sense of belonging, we aim to transform a one-time transaction into lifetime connections with our brand.

Using laboratory engineered tissue, scientists at the University of Harvard and Colorado have created a full thickness, biodegradable patch that holds the promise of correcting congenital heart defects in infants, limiting invasive surgeries and outlasting current patches."The current patch materials available to pediatric heart surgeons are exclusively non-living and non-degradable, which often fail in their long-term therapeutic efficacy due to low compliance, an increased risk of thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia, and their inability to remodel and integrate with the heart," the study said.Permanent fixes require biomaterials that are degradable but that also promote heart regeneration so that the patches are eventually replaced by healthy myocardium, the middle muscular layer of the heart and the thickest.The ultimate goal is to make lab-grown heart tissue from a patients own cells that can be used to restructure the heart to correct for heart defects," said the studys senior author Jeffrey Jacot."Any patches that are not replaced by healthy tissue prior to their degradation will inevitably fail and lead to long-term complications," he added.

Growing calls for the world to come to grips with the many ways that global warming affects human health have prompted the first day dedicated to the issue at crunch UN climate talks starting next week.Extreme heat, air pollution and the increasing spread of deadly infectious diseases are just some of the reasons why the World Health Organization has called climate change the single biggest health threat facing humanity.Global warming must be limited to the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius "to avert catastrophic health impacts and prevent millions of climate change-related deaths", according to the WHO.However, under current national carbon-cutting plans, the world is on track to warm up to 2.9C this century, the UN said this week.While no one will be completely safe from the effects of climate change, experts expect that most at risk will be children, women, the elderly, migrants and people in less developed countries which have emitted the least planet-warming greenhouse gases.On December 3, the COP28 negotiations in Dubai will host the first "health day" ever held at the climate negotiations.- Extreme heat – This year is widely expected to be the hottest on record. And as the world continues to warm, even more frequent and intense heatwaves are expected to follow.Heat is believed to have caused more than 70,000 deaths in Europe during summer last year, researchers said this week, revising the previous number up from 62,000.Worldwide, people were exposed to an average of 86 days of life-threatening temperatures last year, according to the Lancet Countdown report earlier this week.The number of people over 65 who died from heat rose by 85 percent from 1991-2000 to 2013-2022, it added.And by 2050, more than five times more people will die from the heat each year under a 2C warming scenario, the Lancet Countdown projected.More droughts will also drive rising hunger. Under the scenario of 2C warming by the end of the century, 520 million more people will experience moderate or severe food insecurity by 2050.Meanwhile, other extreme weather events such as storms, floods and fires will continue to threaten the health of people across the world.- Air pollution –Almost 99 percent of the world's population breathes air that exceeds the WHO's guidelines for air pollution.Outdoor air pollution driven by fossil fuel emissions kills more than four million people every year, according to the WHO.It increases the risk of respiratory diseases, strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and other health problems, posing a threat that has been compared to tobacco.The damage is caused partly by PM2.5 microparticles, which are mostly from fossil fuels. People breathe these tiny particles into their lungs, where they can then enter the bloodstream.While spikes in air pollution, such as extremes seen in India's capital New Delhi earlier this month, trigger respiratory problems and allergies, long-term exposure is believed to be even more harmful.However it is not all bad news.The Lancet Countdown report found that deaths from air pollution due to fossil fuels have fallen 16 percent since 2005, mostly due to efforts to reduce the impact of coal burning.- Infectious diseases –The changing climate means that mosquitoes, birds and mammals will roam beyond their previous habitats, raising the threat that they could spread infectious diseases with them.Mosquito-borne diseases that pose a greater risk of spreading due to climate change include dengue, chikungunya, Zika, West Nile virus and malaria.The transmission potential for dengue alone will increase by 36 percent with 2C warming, the Lancet Countdown report warned.Storms and floods create stagnant water that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and also increase the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea.Scientists also fear that mammals straying into new areas could share diseases with each other, potentially creating new viruses that could then jump over to humans.- Mental health –Worrying about the present and future of our warming planet has also provoked rising anxiety, depression and even post-traumatic stress -- particularly for people already struggling with these disorders, psychologists have warned.In the first 10 months of the year, people searched online for the term "climate anxiety" 27 times more than during the same period in 2017, according to data from Google Trends cited by the BBC this week.

Allah Almighty Says in the Qur’an (what means): “We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers.” [Qur’an 17:82] And also (what means): “O mankind! There has come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.” [Qur’an 10:57]It is narrated on the authority of An-Nu'maan Ibn Basheer, may Allah be pleased with him, who said : "I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, say: "That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus, he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly, every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah's sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]Diseases of the heart are a mixture of suspicions and lusts which can lead our souls into turmoil and despair. However, Allah Almighty has provided us with a special prescription that will cleanse and heal our diseased hearts: The Qur’an.The Qur’an provides the healing for many types of ailments:1. It contains proofs and clear evidences which separate right from wrong.2. It adequately and clearly negates our doubts.No book on this earth other than the Qur’an provides such comprehensive proofs and testimonies in relation to exalted matters of monotheism, confirmation of Allah’s attributes, the Day of Judgment, Prophethood and refutation of incongruous doctrines and degenerate opinions.Although the Qur’an offers a genuine cure for the evils of suspicions and doubts, its benefit depends to a large extent on comprehending its essence and purpose. Those who are blessed with such faculties would have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, as clearly and easily as they can distinguish between day and night.They would know for certain that all other knowledge and concepts prevailing among people are either traditions or false presumptions; however fanciful and appealing they may appear, these would be unable to offer a substitute for the Truth or genuine matters as encapsulated in the Qur’an and would provide no benefit.The Hadith (narration) of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, compares the futility of such efforts to: “Inferior camel’s meat on top of a rough mountain, neither the hill is easy to climb nor the camel is healthy enough to get down the hill.” [Al-Bukhari]In fact, the knowledge obtained by theologians could be found in the Qur’an with a much better elaboration and explanation, for the theologians are inclined to affectation, wordiness and perpetuating perplexity. They assume that their attitudes help in refuting suspicions and doubts, but contrary to their presumption, these suspicions and doubts are better served by their efforts. If healing and guidance, knowledge and certainty could not be obtained from the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, it would be impossible to obtain them from the utterances of those perplexed sceptics.The Qur’an draws its ability of healing the diseases of lusts by its wisdom and fair exhortation, through the renouncement of earthly pursuits and the pursuance of the Hereafter. It draws upon parables and narrations containing lessons to be pondered. If the heart assimilated these qualities, it would certainly be inclined towards good deeds and renounce the evil ones.The Qur’an also eliminates spiritual diseases which corrupt our intentions and prompt us towards ill deeds; hence the heart heals and returns to its normal nature, where its facultative and self-acquired deeds excel. The body also returns to its normal functioning by rejecting whatever contradicts the right guidance, just like an infant who accepts nothing but milk. In this course of affairs, the heart feeds on faith and the Qur’an which provides it with reprimands, consolidation, support, gladness, joy and invigoration to establish its authority, as a body is nourished by what develops and strengthens it.The heart and the body would not flourish without adhering to the Qur’an. Even if they attained some of the desired results from another source, the attainment would be very minor and would not serve the purpose and desired end result.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

The Qatar Scouts and Guides Association invited MES scouts to be a part of a cycling event in Lusail Boulevard, organised by the Qatar Cycling Federation in collaboration with Aamal Company, to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle, mental and physical health and community spirit in Qatar. The event included four routes of different distances, each of which was allocated to a specific category of participants according to their cycling abilities and experience. Ten scouts from MES took part in the short distance loop (14 km). Rajesh K S, the overall in charge of scouts, accompanied the students to the event.

The Qatar chapter of Nest International Academy and Research Centre (Niarc) held a ceremony to celebrate the recognition of the parent organisation as the 'Best Rehabilitation Center and Welfare Institute for PWD (Persons with Disabilities)' by the Kerala government's social justice department.The jubilation kicked off with a ceremonial cake-cutting by renowned motivational speaker P M A Gafoor. Niarc global chairman and Well Care Pharmacy managing director Ashraf K P, vice chairman Hameed M T, Qatar chapter acting chairman Khalid C P, general secretary Shanahas Edodi, Mustafa Eenam and Rasik KV were present.In recognition of the achievement, Ashraf announced a 100-day celebration across all overseas chapters and the headquarters to reaffirm Niarc's commitment to empowering and uplifting the lives of individuals with special needs.The Qatar chapter has planned an event at the Integrated Indian Community Centre on December 8 from 6.30pm. The focus is to showcase the talents of special needs children.

DPS-Modern Indian School won the first prize in Seventh Inter School Chemistry Quiz Scintillation 2023-24, held at Al Khor International School. Ajay Sharma Sambara (XII-C), Atmika Vishwanath (XII-C) and Harshavardhini Pandiarajan (XII-D) were the team members.

A total of 16 students from MES Indian School won medals in the International Hindi Olympiad organised recently by the Hindi Vikas Sansthan, New Delhi.Syed Dawar Abbas (X-E) bagged a gold and the Rashtriya Hindi Pratibha Samman. He will receive the award from the office of Hindi Vikas Sansthan, New Delhi on November 30.The other medal winners are: Gold - Joanna Saumya Arun (I-A), Abuzar Malik (II-F), Adithya Prasanth (II-F), Muhammad Riswan (III-G), Meenakshi Rakesh (IV-P), Maheen Malik (V-N), Neha Salim Anish (VI-O), Aaditha Sujith Nair (VII-Q), Darshan Shinde(VIII-D), Rinsha Fathima(VIII-N), Saketh Lakshman Kumar (IX-N), Syed Dawar Abbas (X-E). Silver - Arisha Aijaz (VI-O), Karthikeyan Premnath Thekyan (IX-C), Aroush Ali (VII-S) and Faizan Irfan Ahmed (XI-A). Principal Dr Hameeda Kadar congratulated the winners and the teachers of the department of Hindi.

Ideal Indian School's department of commerce launched the Trade Crafters Club with an exhibition.Principal Sheikh Shamim Saheb inaugurated the club and the exhibition in the presence of other officials. Ananditha Devi of commerce and Gouri Shankar from engineering and graphics welcomed the gathering. The exhibition drew students from classes X, XI, and XII, showcasing a variety of creative and innovative commerce projects. They included - Travel agencies using AI, Line management of Saudi Arabia, Cryptocurrencies, a dictionary of business, Smart city development, vending machines, working models of ATMs. All models and project presentations were collaborative efforts by students of class XI and XII commerce. Eyad proposed a vote of thanks.

Indian Cultural Centre, under the aegis of the embassy of India, hosted famous Veena player Karaikudi S Subramanian recently. Dr Vaibhav Tandale, head of chancery, labour & community welfare, consular services at the embassy, was the chief guest. Gautam S Bhattacharya, ambassador of Sweden to Qatar, was the guest of honour. The event was conducted as part of ‘ICC Wednesday Fiesta.’

Qatar Toastmasters Club (QTM) commemorated its 600th meeting, a landmark achievement highlighting the 26 year legacy, a statement said.The event, themed 'Where Leaders are Made,' commenced with QTM president Reem al-Mansoori's welcome address.“A pinnacle goal for the club goes beyond developing individuals to contributing to the sustainable development of our country where developing human capital is one of its pillars,” she said.QTM member and District 116 public relations manager Sudhir Gujar navigated the proceedings.Prominent past leaders, including George Thomas, Thayalan Kailayapillai, and Sabeena M K, reminisced about their experiences with QTM.Shajil Kader and Saleha-Ysa Chandna led their respective table topics segments.A panel discussion on 'Communication Skills for Sustainable Development' was moderated by al-Mansoori. The panellists were Dr Dena al-Thani from Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Alhasan Al-Samarraie, Co-founder of Applab.Past president Williams Antony provided feedback on the meeting's proceedings. Shiban Khan, Rukhsana Khan, Divya Gokul, and Lahiru Mahadura were recognised for their exceptional contributions within the club.

MES Indian School organised a panel discussion of members of the MES Alumni Association (Mesaa) with the students of class XI.The members of the panel were Vineet Nambiar, founder, Mavericks 365; Amol Dani, CEO- Accreda, former vice president and CFO- Georgetown University, US; Amod Dani, COO – Accreda, former executive, creative director- Leo Burnett; Dr Aflahe, general practitioner, Naseem Medical Centre, food blogger/influencer; Fareed Ghulam, pilot and senior first officer, Qatar Airways and Dr Kunali Dalal, Robertwood Johnson University Hospital, US.The session was conducted with the objective of enabling students to obtain information, knowledge, experience, and skills required to identify various career options. It becomes challenging for students to choose the right career path when they confront an enormous number of colleges, courses, job opportunities.The panel members motivated the students to choose a career according to their passion to excel in life. They also emphasised that appropriate career choices will provide abundant job opportunities and allow a student to have a respectful and satisfactory lifestyle.Mesaa president Fazil Hameed gave the presidential address.Principal Dr Hameeda Kadar in her felicitation address remarked that the school takes pride in its alumni orienting the juniors and giving ample details of available courses of study and unique professions.Mesaa vice president Amanat Solanki compered the event while Vineet Nambiar was the moderator.

The eighth edition of the Qatar Malayali Conference, organised by the Qatar Indian Islahi Centre in collaboration with various Indian community organiations under the theme 'Let’s Preserve our Shore of Harmony,' was attended by thousands of registered delegates.Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of Public Health Department, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar, inaugurated the event.Abraham Joseph, chairman of the advisory board of the organising committee, presided over the opening session.Dr Gopinath Muthukad, Rasheed Ali V P, Shanavas Bava, Sameer Eramala, Raifa Basheer, and Dr Raseel were among the speakers.The 'Family Meet' session, inaugurated by Muhammed Easa, included addresses by P M A Gafoor and Aju Abraham. Sereena Ahed presided over the session, with Thouheeda Rasheed and Jasmin Naseer also sharing their thoughts.A media seminar followed, with insights from Rajiv Shankaran and Rihas Pulamanthol.Engineer Darwish S Ahmed al-Shebani inaugurated the session, presided over by Ameer Shaji, and featuring a speech by Fayiz Elayodan.The concluding session, presided over by Sharaf P Hameed, chairman of the organising committee, was inaugurated by Indian ambassador Vipul.Notable figures, including Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, Indian Parliament members K Muraleedharan and John Brittas, Bishop Dr Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, Dr Mallika M G, Dr. Jamaludheen Farooqi, Alankod Leelakrishnan, Shameer Valiyaveettil, K.N Sulaiman Madani, and Ali Chalikkara, addressed the audience.The event also featured a 'Kalichangadam' session for young children, and Leelakrishnan released a commemorative souvenir.Santhosh T V, regional head of Malabar Gold and Diamonds, received the souvenir, introduced to the audience by Dr Sabu K C.Ten long-term expatriate women were honoured with mementos, insurance, gifts, and privilege cards for health coverage.