Issue 56: Helping Creatives in the UAE
Welcome to Backstory, a weekly newsletter turning global technology shifts into a three-minute read. This week, we’re thinking about how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting local creatives and what we can do to help – Mary Ames, Director of Strategy
THE BIG TAKE
Helping Creatives in the UAE
The basic bond of humanity rests on our ability to be together. Community makes us human. With unprecedented social distancing measures in place across the globe to stop the spread of Covid-19, our communal bonds have had to bend and transform. Technology has replaced our physical closeness and creatives have helped us understand this moment.
The power of tech: With lockdowns spreading from South Africa to Japan, most of humanity can’t be in the same physical space. This means that we have turned to technology to facilitate communication and connection. Through platforms like Zoom, we’ve found creative ways of ensuring our communal bond strengthens (and we can still get some work done) during this crisis. How many of you have reached out to an old friend or had more frequent calls with family members?
The power of culture: We’ve also turned to the arts to help us understand this moment and find our place in it. From reading books that have long been ignored to creating art projects, culture is a vital resource we’ve all come to lean on during this pandemic. The simple power of the story at this moment speaks to something visceral inside each and every one of us. Just imagine if our ability to communicate was gone. How would we cope with the weight of being indoors and cut off?
Helping creatives: Just as we’re looking out for all sectors of society and the economy, we must pay special attention to helping our creatives. The UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development under the leadership of Minister Noura Al Kaabi announced a survey for creatives to find out what they need to get through this crisis. The message the Government is sending is a profound one: creatives are vital to our society and we will ensure their needs are met. This is an undeniably difficult time but it is also one of hope. Creatives in the UAE have a vital role to play in contextualizing the present and reimagining how society functions in the future.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
This week, we are asking for your input. What does culture mean to you during the Covid-19 pandemic? Get in touch across our social media channels @xische with your thoughts, feelings, and answers. Or drop us a line and just say hello.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
Maya Angelou, poet
A MESSAGE FROM SMART LABOUR
Smart learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented economic hardships for all sectors of society including blue-collar workers. SmartLabour is an app-based smart learning tool designed to improve the lives of millions of blue-collar workers. Workers learn critical life skills, win rewards, and can share tips through voice notes in their native language. During these uncertain times, please visit Smartlabour and consider supporting their vital work. Together we can make the lives of millions happier and smarter.
OUR VIEWS THIS WEEK
How I work: Xische has been publishing a special series on remote work over the last month. From articles about the psychology of remote work to tips on the best platforms to organize your team, our remote work series continues to evolve as we all experiment with working from home. A critical part of any remote work experiment is how individual team members react to the shift. In our ‘How I Work’ series, we’ve been interviewing various Xische team members to unpack their workflows and favorite apps. This week, we turned to Samer El Sahn, our vice president of product, to get his insights.
Our new digital home: Since we last built xische.com a few years ago, our company has grown into a collective of multiple firms across several verticals in different countries. Our network of new ventures and partners now extends across time zones and continents. Rooted in our philosophy of hybrid thinking, we engage across eight disciplines to solve modern-day government, business, and social challenges. To properly share our story, we needed a fresh overhaul of our digital home. The result is bold but classic, beautiful but spare, and respectful of the reader. Visit the new xische.com today to see the results. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.
COVID-19 STORIES
We are passionate about telling human stories. Now more than ever, those stories involve you. Covid19 Stories is a showcase of words, photos, and videos of our global community designed to celebrate shared experiences from this time of isolation. Powered by Empowering through, this exhibition is a dynamic and living testament to the historic moment we’re living through. Visit Covid19 Stories to share your story today.
SPOTTED ELSEWHERE
Long-term investment: The world’s largest sovereign wealth funds are sensing the moment is ripe for bargain-hunting. The Covid-19 pandemic has produced perfect conditions for cash-rich funds, such as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, to scoop up a wide variety of assets. Writing in Asia Times, Xische senior editor Joseph Dana explores the role wealth funds play in long-term wealth creation and why some pundits are missing the point of recent shopping sprees.
The war on coffee: Are you contemplating your morning coffee more deeply these days? If so, you are in good company. The history of coffee is a shockingly controversial subject. The world’s most popular drink is bound up with the development of the global economy as we know it. In the latest issue of the New Yorker, staff writer Adam Gopnik unravels coffee’s spectacular history. If you’re looking for a stimulating long read, you can’t go wrong with a look at this incredible beverage.