Generous Dubai exempts Dh146m loans, Convincing UAE shoppers, Will streaming platforms co-exist with cinemas? Gulf News Editors comment on the top stories on April 20

GENEROUS GESTURE: On Wednesday (April 19, 2023), Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, ordered the exemption of 426 low-income citizens from repaying their remaining housing loans worth Dh146 million. In February, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the allocation of 8,500 plots of land to Emiratis. These acts of generosity will greatly enhance the standard of living of the beneficiaries and makes this Eid truly memorable. (By Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor)

GET PRICING RIGHT AND CONVINCE UAE’S SHOPPERS: Serve up the ‘right prices, throw in a few incentives, offer shoppers a chance to save more through zero interest bearing ‘buy now pay later’ schemes. If need be, add some cashbacks. By now, UAE retailers have come to grips with selling in a marketplace where cost of merchandise has gone up and consumers exhibit a great deal of circumspection on what and when to buy. This Ramadan, the strategic price-offs have found shoppers clamoring for more, whether that’s on smartphone upgrades or picking up the latest fashion statement. The clear message from all this? Get the pricing right and you can convince enough shoppers to buy into this. Now, retailers and shoppers have one more box to tick – go all out during Eid. (By Manoj Nair, Business Editor)

ARJUN TENDULKAR NEEDS TO TURN A DEAF EAR OF THE FIELD: Arjun Tendulkar must have enjoyed numerous benefits and advantages as the son of legendary player Sachin Tendulkar, easy access to the players and getting the right guidance from the best. But now is the time that he will start feeling the heat as he will come under the microscope every time he steps on the field. The 23-year-old showed plenty of nerves when he spoke to the broadcasters after getting his first wicket in Indian Premier League on Tuesday. In the two matches that he has played so far, Arjun has showed that he is ready for the challenges that’s in front of him. But off the field, he needs to shut himself out and turn a deaf ear to all the talk that’s happening around him and just focus on his game. That will be the best way forwards for him. (By A.K.S. SATISH, Sports Editor)

WILL STREAMING PLATFORMS AND THEATRES TURN FRIENDS? The Hollywood movie ‘Air’, starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Chris Tucker, wasn’t initially supposed to be released in theatres. The idea, Matt Damon says, was brought to them by executives at Amazon Studios, which owns the streaming platform Prime Video, according to an AP report. The movie went on to have a successful run at the box office. This episode challenges the notion of streaming platforms being eternally at odds with Hollywood mandarins and movie theatre chains. If they can collaborate with one another, as this episode shows, it can be for everyone’s benefit. (By Rajagopalan Venkataraman, Assistant Editor-Features)