Category: FEATURE

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FEATURE Lifestyle

Danube Home launches all-new kids furniture collection

Danube Home launches all-new kids furniture collection

Danube Home launches its all-new kids’ furniture collection that focuses on creating a Happy Space at home for infants, toddlers, tweens, and teenagers…reports Asian Lite News

Every parent wants to give the best life can offer to their kids, but growing minds also need a space of their own to hone their skills, to get a peaceful well-rested lay, while also serving their educational and play needs. Keeping this in mind, Danube Home has launched its all-new kids’ furniture collection that focuses on creating a Happy Space at home for infants, toddlers, tweens, and teenagers.

Every single item in this collection truly captures the spirit of childhood. Every child is different in the way they learn, play, and grow. Danube Home’s all-new kid’s collection embodies this thought process which is why each piece is thoughtfully crafted to seamlessly grow with the child, straight from infancy to their blooming teenage. The collection comprises everything a mom would envision in her motherhood journey, such as nursery cribs, cots, nightstands, bunk beds, study desks, tables, bean bags, and comforter sets.

The Expect the Unexpected collection revolves around a child’s journey from an infant to teenagehood, where anything and everything is uncharted territory. Their new ELIT collection features a convertible nursery range-furniture that grows with the child’s age, from newborn to toddler to kids up to 9yrs of age, nursery day bed with storage, and built-in LED nightlight inspired from the fantasy world of a child.

ALSO READ: Danube Home launches new garden theme catalogue

While the process of pregnancy and childbirth can be overwhelming, Danube Home is here to support mothers with their new range of maternity pillows that provide comfort during the pregnancy and after.

“Today’s millennial parents and children have varied demands and requirements, the ideation of a fully functional collection took birth while I was looking for furniture for my two toddlers and one infant. Our collection’s main aim is to provide a welcoming and nurturing space for children of all age groups to play, grow and learn. I’m sure our transitional furniture collection is something a growing family in the region will love to use” Quoted Adel Sajan Group Managing Director Danube Group.

SAYED HABIB, DIRECTOR, DANUBE HOME AND ECOMMERCE: ” The expectation of parents have increased in terms of what they want in their home and children these days have a mind of their own when it comes to how they want their room to look. Keeping this in mind, the EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED collection meets both these demands. Colour schemes like ivory, grey, muted coral, sky blues, and pinks are aesthetically pleasing and appeal to both parents and children. In addition, we have paid close attention to the quality and durability as we believe these pieces are an investment that will pay off for many years to come.

ALSO READ: Danube Unveils Skyz Tower

With a wide variety of sub-collections like Masal Gen C, Piedra, Retro, Elit, and Golden, Danube Home has hit a home run with this cleverly designed line. This collection also features a wide range of soft furnishing products like comforter sets, cushions, bean bags, curtains, and more in fun and quirky prints.

Danube Home has launched this collection in their flagship store in Al Barsha, but the brand aims to have this collection across all their stores and franchise outlets in no time.

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FEATURE Health

Breathlessness a straight route to heart damage

The study included 66 patients without previous heart or lung disease who were hospitalised with Covid-19 between March and April 2020…reports Asian Lite News.

Covid-19 patients who continue to be short of breath during physical activity one year after recovering from the infection may have suffered heart damage, according to a small study.

There is increasing evidence of cardiovascular complications due to Covid-19 and of long-lasting symptoms such as dyspnoea, shortness of breath, known as long Covid.

The team investigated whether subclinical heart abnormalities were more common in long Covid patients with dyspnoea, thereby potentially explaining the reason for their symptoms.

“Our study shows that more than a third of Covid-19 patients with no history of heart or lung disease had persistent dyspnoea on effort a year after discharge from hospital,” said Dr. Maria-Luiza Luchian of University Hospital Brussels, Belgium.

“The findings could help to explain why some patients with long Covid still experience breathlessness one year later and indicate that it might be linked to a decrease in heart performance,” she added.

The study included 66 patients without previous heart or lung disease who were hospitalised with Covid-19 between March and April 2020.

At one-year after hospital discharge, spirometry together with chest computed tomography were used to assess lung function and possible sequela of Covid-19. Cardiac ultrasound was performed to examine heart function and included a new imaging technique called myocardial work which provides more precise information on heart function than previous methods.

The average age of participants was 50 years and 67 per cent were men. In one year, 23 patients (35 per cent) had shortness of breath during effort.

The researchers examined the association between imaging measures of heart function and shortness of breath at one year after adjusting for age and gender.

The analysis showed that abnormal heart function was independently and significantly associated with persistent dyspnoea.

Cardiac imaging revealed poorer heart performance in patients with versus without dyspnoea at one year after hospitalisation due to Covid-19.

The research was presented at the EuroEcho 2021, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

ALSO READ-India needs proper data on heart ailments

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FEATURE

Fashion of love for ‘making ensembles’

As soon as her pictures started floating on Instagram, there was a storm of comments on the social media platform leaving the Internet divided.

A closer look at Alia Bhatt’s Indian wear wardrobe shows her love for statement-making ensembles. The young star was recently spotted at a wedding in Mumbai dressed in a bright yellow Manish Malhotra lehenga. However, this time, it wasn’t the silhouette or the styling that caught everyone’s attention, it was her blouse. As soon as her pictures started floating on Instagram, there was a storm of comments on the social media platform leaving the Internet divided.

Known for calling out plagiarised outfits and discussing all things fashion, anonymous account Diet Sabya also dedicated a post titled “blousegate”, featuring comments from several self-proclaimed fashion critics speaking for and against the style. While some called it refreshing and on-point, some outright dismissed it. “A risqué look for Alia Bhatt who is usually subtle with her sartorial choices. In terms of grabbing attention, it definitely did the trick,” quoted Diet Sabya.

Just a couple of days ago, Manish Malhotra shared a picture of actress Ananya Pandey dressed in a black and metallic lehenga paired with a similar blouse. For someone who likes to keep it mostly floaty and feminine, Pandey looked very comfortable in the dramatic outfit.

A couple of weeks ago, actress Radhika Madan too stepped out in a similar style blouse paired with checked trousers. The 26-year-old was brutally called out for the choice of outfit and bad fitting. To be fair, fashion is a funny thing – too many voices, too many opinions and mostly all noise.

ALSO READ-Iconic hairstyling trends of 2022

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FEATURE Lite Blogs

Make this festive season special with ‘customized’ gifts

It isn’t always possible to create a photo album or a photo frame of all your special moments or even gift them all the time. This is where new age personalised gifting platforms are a boon…writes N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

Life was moving at a fast pace for most of us and then the pandemic hit. The pace definitely slowed down and gave us an opportunity to look back at our lifestyle, routine and our most cherished old memories. ‘Looking back’ through your old photos on a phone versus flipping through a glossy photo album and reliving each memory? Getting teary-eyed at some, and straight-up howling with laughter at some others.

Today, advancement in technologies has opened up an ocean of possibilities. So how does one hold on to these closest moments and memories in a thoroughly tangible way? Sachin Kataria, CEO of, Zoom in shares all the minute details to make the festive season personal.

Moving from gifts to personal stories: Gifts are no longer just confined to material items of a certain ‘price tag’. Gifting someone is now seen as a chance to create a unique experience and splash of emotions that the receiver can enjoy for years to come. It’s a fact that preserving memories is now a lot easier with delivery partners that can convert digital memories into actual personalised frames, albums and a host of memorabilia. And this makes it so much easier and quicker for you to hold meaningful memories close to your heart.

Reframing moments of joy: It isn’t always possible to create a photo album or a photo frame of all your special moments or even gift them all the time. This is where new-age personalised gifting platforms are a boon. It is now possible to add a touch of personalisation to any gift item making it that much more special and meaningful for both the giver and the receiver. One can choose from functional items such as coffee mugs or calendars to more stylized gifts like Canvas Prints and Photo decor and add a favourite memory to make the gift item personal and more valuable.

Festive season Fun: Why just adorn your house with lights and flowers? Add a touch of ‘YOU’ to plain walls and tabletops and make them more intimate during special occasions. Some simple Photoprints and colourful, wall-safe washi tapes or magnetic ropes can add a touch of style without leaving any pin marks.

New-age apps offer products that are both affordable and of excellent quality – could there be a better deal than this? With the 2022 calendar and planner season around the corner, one can experiment and customise some cool calendars for friends, family, colleagues, business contacts etc. These will last on someone’s wall (or table) for a few years. What’s more, your gift will be more than just another product… it will be a canvas upon which a beautiful story unfolds!

ALSO READ-CFI Hosts Diwali Reception in London

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Arts & Culture FEATURE

‘Nature Didn’t Make Borders Anyway, Humans Did’

“I was curious to know about the local gay scene and how to photograph it. Everything was very hidden and no one wanted to be ‘out’ and be photographed, so it was very complicated. I did the best I could and made a few pictures.”… Sunil Gupta speaks with Sukant Deepak.

He says that the world generally looks a lot better when viewed through a camera’s viewfinder.

Internationally acclaimed, London-based photographer Sunil Gupta, whose career has revolved around making his work respond to the injustices suffered by gay men across the globe, himself included has lived across continents before calling London home.

Migration, he feels has made him a detached observer. “It has helped me in finding the nuances in everyday lives as none of it seems ‘natural’. Nature didn’t make borders anyway, humans did,” he tells.

Gupta, whose works were presented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Frieze London recently, besides those of a host of contemporary Indian artists including B.V. Doshi, Rameshwar Broota, Atul Dodiya, Shilpa Gupta and Anju Dodiya in a curation titled ‘A Brief Current’, was born in 1953 in New Delhi, holds a master’s of arts from the Royal College of Art, London, and a PhD from University of Westminster, London. He has been involved with independent photography as a critical practice for many years focusing on race, migration and queer issues.

With his works in many private and public collections including George Eastman House (Rochester, USA); Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Royal Ontario Museum; Tate Modern; Harvard University and the Museum of Modern Art, the artist remembers the years between 1980-82 when he was making his first visits back to India as a working professional photographer from London, after having left Delhi at the age of 15.

“I was curious to know about the local gay scene and how to photograph it. Everything was very hidden and no one wanted to be ‘out’ and be photographed, so it was very complicated. I did the best I could and made a few pictures.”

Ask him if the reception of his work has changed in India after Section 377 was abolished here, and the artist asserts, “No it was possible to show the work in 2004 at the Habitat Gallery in Delhi organised by Radhika Singh, and it was very well received. This was followed by a big solo show at Vadehra Art Gallery in 2008. The law only changed later. Culture tends to be ahead of the law as it is the artists’ job is to ask questions about life.”

And what did he feel looking at ‘From Here to Eternity’, the much talked about retrospective chronicled his work of over five decades? He says, “Looking at it, all I felt was love, friendship and kinship. Across borders, genders and generations. I have met many wonderful people who I love.”

For someone who left India when he was still in his teens, does he think about how things would be different if he had not? “Yes, frequently, as I saw what happened to some of my classmates from my school in Delhi. Forced marriages, unhappy lives and very unhappy trapped spouses. I may have gone that route; I was certainly expecting to get married when I lived there as a teenager. Everyone got married in the 1960s, there was no question about it.”

All his life, Gupta, who was diagnosed as HIV positive in 1995 may have explored the complexities of homosexual life, race and migration among others, but there are many other themes that he would like to explore at this stage of his career. “What is it like to be an older gay man of Indian origin living with HIV? What does it mean to be a man when gender is so fluid? What does it mean to be gay when sexuality is so fluid?”

Gupta, who admires the works of photographers including Dayanita Singh, Gauri Gill, Sheba Chhachhi, Sooni Taraporevala, Ketaki Sheth, Susan Lipper, Emily Andersen, Anna Fox and Rosy Martin among many others, talking about the long lockdowns in England says, “Medically I was fine as HIV is also immune system related, so I was well looked after in London. The UK has a brilliant National Health Service and it’s free. It was a drag not to be able to travel and do shows etc, but I was lucky in that I have a husband (photographer Charan Singh) and a great loft studio where we live, so there was company and space. I made work about my local street as my lockdown project. One day we will show it somewhere.”

The artist’s book on London Street life in 1982, was launched at The Photographers’ Gallery in London on November 9 and he is working on a new book of his writing with Aperture, New York which will be out in September 2022.

“I am also working on a commission from Studio Voltaire and the Imperial Health Trust in London this year that is looking at long term HIV survivors and people who have recently had gender reassignment surgery in London. Should be on show early next year,” he concludes.

ALSO READ-Life of drama, colour and emotion

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Arts & Culture FEATURE Lite Blogs

Art that simplifies the complexities

It is an attempt to capture the understanding that both of them make when working in tandem. This possibly makes it an artwork…reports Olivia Sarkar.

The art series, “Paradigm of Oneness,” is the artist, Dr Kalra’s internal dialogue, a journey of art as a personal expression. His art is not about deciphering or finding reasons but simplifying the complexities. The intangible and invisible spirit become a manifestation in this series through the verses that become symbolic of the beauty of nature.

This personal expression of setting text in artworks has been part of Dr Kalra’s style for more than a decade. When his mother left for her eternal journey, it transformed into an interpretation. The artworks have metaphors and signs that not only take forms but also attempt to express the essence through iconography.

The word ‘Sab Tera’ is colloquially also interpreted as ‘terah’, or thirteen, and in keeping with this concept, thirteen Shabads have been taken to create this series of artworks. The Oneness of Humans, Gender, Nature, Universe, Divinity, and the Value of Sharing are all addressed in Shabads by Baba Nanak, Kabirdas, and Sheikh Farid. This series encourages the soul to reflect on itself. Each stroke or piece of artwork is a process of discovering and comprehending the Divine through His creations.

The engagement with the artisan at Sangraha Sacha Sauda Atelier transfers the artist to a state of bliss as the minds and expressions connect. It is an attempt to capture the understanding that both of them make when working in tandem. This possibly makes it an artwork.

Through the words of Dr Kalra, and through the medium of embroidery, I work towards the discovery of spiritual realism and the truthfulness of my soul. Shabads, with their full grace, have been lovingly sketched and embroidered in zardosi and chikankari.”

Dr Kalra’s relationship with the pencil and colours began at a young age. His artistic expression was not restricted to flat surfaces; from the age of fifteen, he began creating three-dimensional artworks for the theatre. He went on to earn a professional degree in design and pursued graduate, master’s, and doctoral studies in the field. Throughout his education and afterwards as an academician, he maintained an interest in art and a passion for workmanship.

ALSO READ-‘Music School’ fills missing ‘art’ in education

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FEATURE Food Restaurant Reviews

Dining at Hilton London Croydon

Hilton London Croydon is the perfect place to stay if you intend to visit the capital or to explore all the nearby attractions, or to spend time in the Surrey countryside … writes Reza Amirinia

Our stay at Hilton London Croydon gave us the great opportunity to see London from a different perspective. After a day exploring what Croydon has to offer including spending time in Croydon’s large shopping centre (called the Whitgift Centre), and walking in Lloyd Park near the hotel, now it was time to treat ourselves to a romantic and memorable evening. We sat at a reserved table in a quiet corner of the Lounge Bar. There is also the Larder restaurant in the hotel, which offers a different ambience.

The menu was quite comprehensive. We chose red pepper and tomato soup as the starter with nachos. The combination of roasted red pepper and tomato soup served with sourdough bread was delicious. With the nachos came a starter plate of beetroot, linseed, and turmeric tortillas, topped with jalapenos, grated cheese, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream which made a very rich dish. We couldn’t finish it all as we needed to save some space for the main course.

Dining at Hilton London Croydon

For our mains we chose grilled chicken. It was served with a flat mushroom and the plate delicately decorated with roasted vine cherry tomatoes, chunky chips, and came with a pepper sauce.

The restaurant manager, Mr Clifford generously guided us on the selection of dessert. He offered us two of the most popular dessert options from the menu. We chose a cheesecake with blackcurrants. Then the manager surprised us with a complementary dish of their mandarin sorbet dessert. Both dishes were very rich and tasty. We finished off this feast with a mint tea and added lemon to help better digest all those deliciously sweet and sugary desserts.       

After a great night’s sleep we woke up feeling great. Our breakfast was a real treat, with a variety of healthy options on the buffet but with table service. The chef, Mr. Von Collantes, gave us a quick tour of the extensive selections. We also looked through the colourful breakfast menu. We ordered an omelette with beans, potato patties, tomato, and vegetable sausages. While waiting for our order, we started our breakfast with oat porridge and a small bowl of fresh fruit. The chef lovingly prepared our omelettes which were neigh-on perfect and the potatoes were lovely and crunchy. The chef made us feel very special being attentive to our every need. Now I was comfortably full and finished off this breakfast feast with a cup of strong coffee.

Hilton London Croydon is the perfect place to stay if you intend to visit the capital or to explore all the nearby attractions, or to spend time in the Surrey countryside. If you are interested why not visit the Croydon Airport visitor centre which is housed in the original terminal building. Unfortunately, we could not visit as it was closed due to the pandemic.

Dining at Hilton London Croydon

There is a quick and frequent train service from Croydon to “Victoria Station” in central London that gets you there in less than a 20 minutes journey on the direct train service. You can drive into central London but be aware of the Congestion Charge Zones. The M25 motorway is just 20 minutes away giving easy access to both Heathrow and Gatwick airports as well as seaside towns like Brighton and Hastings.

I highly recommend staying at Hilton London Croydon as you will not be disappointed. You will certainly experience luxury at an affordable price and lovely friendly staff.    

More information

Hilton London Croydon offers Wellness Guest Room from £96 for two adults and Wellness Junior Suite from £141 for two adults.

To find out more about Hilton London Croydon and book your next trip, please visit https://www.hilton.com. 

To see Reza’s images of Hilton London Croydon, go to http://www.amirinia.com/uk.

  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
  • Dining at Hilton London Croydon
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Afghanistan FEATURE World

Limits to power: Taliban in Kabul, a jailbreak in Israel

True, a jailbreak cannot be compared with the reconquest of a country but that is not the way Palestinians see it…writes Saeed Naqvi

What could possibly be common between the Taliban brandishing their weapons in Kabul and Palestinians twirling their spoons (yes, teaspoons) with a flourish? Well, the latter were celebrating because six Palestinian prisoners had pulled off a seemingly impossible escape from the high security Gilboa prison in Northern Israel. Clearly an embarrassment for a state which flaunts national security as a marketable commodity. The spoon has become an emblem because the six used it as an implement to dig a hole in the toilet attached to their cell.

Israeli-Prime-Minister-Benjamin-Netanyahu-

The prisoners, according to Israeli authorities, were affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to the Times of Israel, the leader of the group, Zakaria Zubeidi, was “a former commander in Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.” That Zubeidi and three others (at the time of writing) have been arrested is a separate chapter. Kabul and Gilboa establish without any shadow of a doubt a reality all too common in history: limits to power. In this instance, the US globally and its ally Israel, regionally — particularly considering its stalemate with Arab militias like Hezbollah.

Massive intelligence failure attended both the events. True, a jailbreak cannot be compared with the reconquest of a country but that is not the way Palestinians see it. The Times of Israel reports: “The escape is considered a highly symbolic success for the terror groups. It is being celebrated with ‘euphoria’ among Palestinians.”

The Taliban, likewise, in the initial flush are folk heroes in Afghanistan and beyond having done a David on Goliath. To bring out the irony in sharp focus on the US debacle in Afghanistan, recall the January 29, 2002, State of the Union address by President George W Bush. The President sketched in bold colours the ‘Axis of Evil.’ Ironies upon ironies attend that speech. Bush welcomes Hamid Karzai as “leader of liberated Afghanistan.” Karzai is now under house arrest. Bush gloats “Terrorists who once occupied Afghanistan now occupy cells at Guantanamo Bay.” There is a disconcerting update on this too. Not only have the Taliban returned to power in Kabul, at least five in the new Kabul power structure were released from Guantanamo Bay in 2015.

ALSO READ: Palestine condemns Israeli opposition to 2-state solution

What does all this portend? Is a phase of Imperialism coming full circle? One cannot expect US President Joe Biden to say it in quite that language, but what else does one make of his promise to end “never ending” wars. American youth, who are now 20 years of age, have never seen “America at peace.” Suicide rate among military veterans as high as 18 per day? Biden clearly abhors this data.

The problem, of course is, that Biden is only the President, not the system. Even so he is proceeding with some sense of the consensus he has forged around him. For him to declassify the secret FBI report which reveals the connection of Saudi Nationals to 9/11, indicates a sharp departure from past practice. Remember the days of George W Bush and his buddy Saudi Ambassador Bandar bin Sultan, or Bandar Bush as he was called because of his chumminess with the President? Those days seem like ancient history, days when Israel and Saudi Arabia were equally sacrosanct. Both had to be protected from bad copy.

And now even military protection is being withdrawn. In recent weeks the US removed its most advanced missile defense system, and Patriot batteries from the Kingdom which faces attacks from, say, Houthis in Yemen. Troop reductions from Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan have also been confirmed by the Pentagon. Departure from Afghanistan will remain vivid in our minds for years. Despite these stories every American strategist will tell you “the Middle East is not being abandoned.” There is that ‘over the horizon’ capability which includes updated drones. British premier Boris Johnson calls it “outside-in” ability.

Israel, which is busy adjusting to limits on its power as a concept, must place in its calculus the US distancing itself from the Arab theatre. Yes, support for Israel in the US remains durable — Jewish control of banks, media, institutes of learning, election, finance. What is not so well known is what Noam Chomsky describes as much the most powerful support for Israel — Christian Zionism. Former Israeli Ambassador in the US, Ron Dermer, has urged Israel to prioritise maintaining the support of the American evangelical Christian. It must be assiduously wooed. “People must understand that the backbone of support for Israel in the US is the evangelical Christian.” The quote is from The Palestinian Policy Network, Al-Shabaka. Israel can breathe easy because there is no indication of Biden distancing himself from this line of thinking.

US thinning out from the region will accentuate popular perception of Israel’s exclusive support base inside the US. As Israel rolls its eyes around to size up the neighbourhood for subtle adjustments, it will find to its chagrin, Iran undiminished. Houthis in Yemen, Hashd al Shaabi in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, groups supportive of President Assad in Syria and increasing reports of Iranian role in Afghanistan, initiated by the late Quds Commander, Qasem Soleimani — all of these enhance Iran’s position in the region. The cookie in Afghanistan having crumbled the way it has, Iran’s role in this theatre may in the future be of interest to the US.

The launch of AUKUS (Australia, UK and US), an idea borrowed conceptually from ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand and US) against the Soviet Union, shows the urgency Biden accords to what Barack Obama called ‘pivot to Asia’. The pivot was of much greater saliency. West Asia, though still important, had placed a disproportionate demand on Washington’s attention. The nuclear deal conferred on Tehran the kind of legitimacy that was to have enabled it to balance power in the region. This would be in concert with Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, Turkey. The regional balance of power would then require less day-to-day attention, freeing Washington to pay greater attention to the pivot. That appears to be the route on Biden’s GPS.”

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Business FEATURE UAE News

Tips for successful marketing campaigns

Karam Malhotra- Partner & Global VP, SHAREit Group

Connecting with offline consumers: The trends and tactics Middle Eastern businesses should consider for successful marketing campaigns…writes Karam Malhotra

In today’s evolving technology-first world, the connected consumer effectively lives on digital platforms, surrounded by connectivity devices and active on real-time communication tools. While connected consumers may range from young digital natives to full-time working professionals and their interests and demands vary – commonalities in their behaviors are also apparent. Mobile devices have propelled them into a new dimension, one where they could be reading on their phones during transit or checking product reviews when face-to-face with store sales representatives. Without question, connectivity is a constant state of being, applicable to many millions of people. However, what’s equally true is that another segment has, to date, remained traditional: the offline consumer.

Karam Malhotra- Partner & Global VP, SHAREit Group

Regional offline consumer outlook

This applies to the Middle East, where there remain markets where connectivity is not seamlessly acquirable. Although approximately 280 million people across the region were connected to mobile internet by the end of 2020 , a further 350 million were still without mobile internet connections – emphasizing the scale of offline consumers even today, as well as the varying level of digital maturity across the region.

With these scenarios in mind, two questions have arisen from a brand standpoint: Firstly, are they looking beyond connected consumers? Secondly, how can they connect with potential offline consumers? While 70 percent of Middle Eastern organizations will have accelerated digital technologies adoption to transform their business processes and outreach capabilities by 2022 , many will still be challenged to successfully reach those who do not fall into the connected consumer category. Although surprising to some, certain communities will continue residing in areas where reliable and uninterrupted connectivity issues persist, with content consumed in native languages.

Fortunately, mobile represents an opportunistic gateway for brands to engage with this target audience, especially considering the challenges COVID-19 has posed. As of January 2021, the Middle East had witnessed a sizeable increase in mobile device activations with 23 percent year-over-year growth  and e-commerce sales are expected to reach USD 48.6 billion by 2022 – a USD 21.7 billion increase from 2018 . The mobile phone is a constant companion for the Middle Eastern consumer wherever they are – at home, work, or social gatherings – and many brand marketers are proactively considering new ways to circulate mobile content in communities that lack internet access via offline marketing.

In simple terms, offline marketing is reaching out to audiences without connectivity access by leveraging the power of mobile. Various content sharing and discovery platforms enable users to share files and content even when offline, while in-app advertising can also drive huge volumes of downloads – yielding successful offline marketing results.

Key marketing considerations for businesses

As businesses look ahead and chart a course for interacting with offline audiences, they should be aware of the latest trends and consider the marketing technologies that will be most beneficial to them. Firstly, it is apparent that the pandemic has changed the content consumption playbook for brands. Traditional cable or satellite service cancellations have led to a decrease in TV viewership, with consumers no longer watching TV ads or visiting stores to purchase products. Instead, an omnichannel mobile-oriented shopping experience has taken effect. The Middle East has witnessed exponential growth in over-the-top (OTT) videos and related services in recent times, and this momentum will continue through 2024  as OTT platform subscriptions continue rising.

ALSO READ: High digitalization among women-owned businesses

Consumers, although advertently, also have declining attention spans, which businesses should view as an opportunity rather than a challenge. Short format videos lead to better engagement with consumers, and these should be pursued as a form of engagement with the offline consumer. Furthermore, while there are popular marketing technology tools that businesses use to efficiently drive campaigns, such as Google Analytics and Salesforce, it is worth highlighting a different approach for increasing user numbers from an application standpoint. Partnering with peer-to-peer (P2P) apps that target offline audiences, have an established user base, and boast notable expertise in app marketing can help drive quality downloads for one’s business and solidify successful engagement with offline audiences.

For Middle Eastern businesses, the coming period represents an opportunity to reach out to offline consumers and acquire new customers through the power of mobile. Irrespective of limited internet access, mobile activation, payment, and subscription rates will continue increasing in the years ahead, broadening potential and possibilities. By pursuing OTT services, marketing technologies, and platform partnerships, businesses can interact with offline consumers like never before and build mutually beneficial relationships for the long term.

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Arts & Culture Asia News FEATURE

Buddhist Philosophy and Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) during his exile in Switzerland he came across the massive 647-page book called History of Indian Buddhism (1844) by a well-known Sanskritist and French Indologist Eugene Bernouf (1801-52) after reading the book he was deeply moved by its philosophical concept of renunciation and immediately sketched out a dramatic poem based on the book and called it Die Sieger (The Victors) and it this project that occupied till the very end of his life …. A special report by Dilip Roy

Gautama the Buddha or the Enlightened one was born at a place called Lumbini in (Sixth century BCE) in ancient India. Buddhist philosophy spread from across India to Sri Lanka to the entire South East Asia including Japan and Tibet reaching the West in the 19th century.

In America intellectual thinkers like Albert Einstein, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and in Germany it was philosophers of the likes of Arthur Schopenhauer Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Friedrich Schlegel and above all Richard Wagner were influenced by Buddhist philosophy. In India too intellectual giants like Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda were greatly inspired by the philosophy.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) during his exile in Switzerland he came across the massive 647-page book called History of Indian Buddhism (1844) by a well-known Sanskritist and French Indologist Eugene Bernouf (1801-52) after reading the book he was deeply moved by its philosophical concept of renunciation and immediately sketched out a dramatic poem based on the book and called it Die Sieger (The Victors) and it this project that occupied till the very end of his life.

Wagner in his own diary (1865) wrote a letter to King Ludwig of Bavaria on 31st May 1868 with a proposal of developing the opera and in that he explains the terms Nirvana, Brahman, Samsara and Dhyana are roughly equivalent to eternity, soul and paradise and he goes Brahman becomes desire, as music; the music which is turned towards samsara, poetry; which is the other, the side which is turned away from samsara? Nirvana – untroubled, pure harmony.

Richard Wagner also relates the title “The Victors” to his own individual philosophy and situation. The expression for Buddha and disciples has been from the Buddhist term Jina and does not refer to the archetype of a radiant conqueror, but rather to a person who, in course of moral struggle with himself, overcomes his passion and selfishness through renunciation. On 22nd February 1859, Wagner felt that he had made so much progress himself along the Buddhist path that he could imagine – and indeed yearned for a – a life as a medicant monk outside the social constraints.

However, in spite of all the efforts, Wagner’s dream of staging the Buddhist opera remained unfulfilled for he was too ill to continue the project which only survives in sketches but a lot of found its way into his last opera Parsifal. Wagner was among the very first to appreciate Buddhism and that he was the first major European artist to be inspired by this religion.

( Mr Dilip Roy is an ardent admirer of Richard Wagner’s operas and prose works. Mr Roy is also an elected Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He considers Wagner as the greatest cultural icon of 19th century and remains unequalled till today.)