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Ceramic Innovation: How Large-Format Slabs Are Redefining Design and Function
By: Clara Vicedo, Architect, ASCER
Spain’s ceramic tile industry continues to push the boundaries of innovation and versatility, and one of the most exciting developments in recent years is the rapid growth of large-format ceramic slabs. These slabs are transforming modern architecture and design. In the UAE, where luxury interiors meet extreme climate demands, large-format porcelain slabs are gaining attention from architects, interior designers, and developers alike.
A recent survey conducted by ASCER, Spain’s national association of ceramic tile manufacturers, shows that production of large-format porcelain slabs doubled between 2021 and 2023, driven by both global and regional demand.
Spanish tile producers are at the forefront of this trend, offering slabs that combine technical excellence, design sophistication, and sustainability. These oversized ceramics are increasingly being specified not just for walls and floors, but also for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, backsplashes, and even building facades.
Their resistance to heat, scratches and stains makes them ideal for heavy-use spaces. Their waterproof and hygienic qualities make them a smart solution for environments where cleanliness and durability are non-negotiable like restaurants, hospitality venues and family homes
Why Designers in the UAE Are Choosing Large-Format Slabs
Durability That Matches the Climate
Ceramic countertops are resistant: they do not scratch when kitchen utensils are placed on them or removed and they do not require any special care unlike other more delicate materials, such as marble or natural stone. In fact, they are perfect for outdoor kitchens. They also stand out for their high resistance to heat. In comparison with other surfaces that might get damaged, ceramic slabs are not affected by direct heat. Indeed, induction systems have been developed that enable users to cook on top of countertops, facilitating the cleaning process.
Waterproof & Hygienic
Porcelain countertops have a very low porosity. This impacts on their resistance to dirt, acids, fats from food products etc. because they do not absorb stains, contributing to hygiene and the disinfection of surfaces. This impervious quality is even extendible to textured surfaces. It really is possible to have an impervious, stain resistant tactile surface whose relief texture coincides with the design of the countertop and fits in with the rest of the living space.
Ceramic materials are so versatile that countertops can be integrated with the sink, backsplash, kitchen island and walls and floors to achieve a wrap-around appearance.
Sustainable and Easy to Maintain
Thanks to being waterproof and resistant, ceramic countertops are very easy to care for and they are swift and simple to clean, just using soap and water. Because they do not absorb dirt, they prevent the build-up and spread of bacteria. Secondly, because they have a high resistance to more aggressive detergents and disinfectants unlike other surfaces, they do not gradually lose their shine. Thirdly, because they have a long lifecycle, they only need minimum care and no pollutant materials are needed to clean them, they are a sustainable option in the mid and long term.
Seamless, customisable Design
Ceramic materials can come in a multitude of different looks, with no limit to their designs, shades and finishes. Consequently, you can always find the perfect choice for your kitchen or bathroom, from tiles in gentle neutral colours able to ensure added spaciousness to other colourful options or stone or wood-effect tiles to add a striking, original touch to kitchens.
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WHY MOST AESTHETIC CLINIC OWNERS NEVER BUILD A TRUE BUSINESS

By Nurse SarahLouise, CEO & Founder of The Business Injection
People often ask me what the biggest lesson has been over fifteen years in this industry. They expect me to talk about marketing, or pricing, or scaling tactics and it isn’t any of those things.The biggest lesson I have learned is that you never build a business for the good days, in fact you build it for the days when life falls apart.
I started my own clinic from a back garden room, with a ten thousand pound personal loan, no investors, and no business background whatsoever. I was a single mother in the middle of a divorce at the time. I am telling you this because there have been moments in my own life where I could barely think straight, yet the business still had to serve patients, still had to support a team, and still had to generate revenue. Those moments taught me something that has shaped everything I have built since. The businesses that survive are not built by the most talented practitioners in the room, instead they are built by people who create something that does not depend on them being at one hundred percent every single day. That is the gap I see across this entire industry, and it is the real reason most aesthetic clinic owners never build a true business. They build a job instead, and they call it a business because it has a logo and a lease.
Clinical training teaches you to diagnose, treat, and deliver outstanding results. It teaches you nothing about cash flow, retention, team structure, or pricing that reflects actual value. I often describe this as an eighty-twenty problem. Clinical skill is roughly twenty percent of what a practitioner actually needs to succeed. The other eighty percent, the part nobody teaches in any training academy, is the operational backbone that determines whether a brilliant clinician ends up with a thriving brand or an exhausting job they built for themselves and cannot step away from. I see the same pattern constantly when practitioners attempt to scale, and it almost always comes down to three specific mistakes.
The first is confusing a full diary with a profitable business. I have sat across from clinic owners who are booked solid for months, exhausted, and barely breaking even, because nobody has ever taught them to look past revenue to what is actually left once costs, time, and their own labour are properly accounted for. Being fully booked feels like success. It is frequently the opposite, dressed up convincingly.
The second is scaling the treatment menu without ever scaling the experience. Practitioners add more services, more machines, more brands to their price list, believing variety is what grows a business. What actually grows a business is the experience a patient has from the moment they walk in to the moment they leave, and the relationship that experience builds. I have watched clinics with fewer treatments but a genuinely memorable patient journey consistently outperform clinics offering everything under the sun with no real identity behind any of it. Patients are no longer simply choosing a treatment. They are choosing the person and the brand behind it, and a clinic selling pure product with no experience attached to it is increasingly vulnerable to a competitor who understands that distinction.
The third, and the most damaging, is hiring and growing before any system exists for the practitioner to hire and grow into. I have seen owners bring on associates or expand into a second room with nothing documented, no consultation framework, no retention process, no consistent way of training a new team member, because everything that worked previously existed only in the owner’s head. The result is a business that cannot maintain its standards the moment the owner is not personally present, which means it has not actually scaled at all. It has simply multiplied the owner’s exhaustion.
The turning point, in my own business and in every clinic owner I have mentored since, comes down to one shift. It happens the moment an owner stops asking how to get busier and starts asking what would happen to this business if I disappeared for a month. That single question exposes everything a clinic has never built. No retention system. No documented process. No team capable of holding the standard without supervision. It is an uncomfortable question, and it is exactly the right one.
I built The Business Injection because I learned every one of these lessons the expensive way, with no mentor and no roadmap, and I do not believe any clinician should have to. The frameworks I now teach exist specifically to close that eighty percent gap, because clinical excellence alone was never going to be enough to build something that lasts.
The clinics that genuinely thrive over the next five years will not be the ones with the most treatments or the busiest diaries. They will be the ones who understood early that a business and a job are not the same thing, and who built accordingly. Anyone can build revenue for a while. Far fewer people build something resilient enough to survive the days when life asks for everything else.
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THE GUIDE THAT WILL MAKE EVERY FAMILY’S LIFE EASIER THIS SUMMER
From childcare and learning support to home cleaning, telehealth, and baby gear refreshes, Mumzworld’s new services category brings practical everyday support into one trusted platform for modern families. Expanding beyond the shopping basket, Mumzworld is bringing childcare, home support, health, learning and children’s lifestyle services into one trusted platform. Designed around the real needs of families, the new category offers practical services through the Mumzworld app, helping parents feel more supported through the moments that often pile up.
Summer can quickly become one of the busiest times of year for families, with routines shifting and parents managing childcare, home organisation, learning, health and everyday needs all at once. For modern parents, the challenge is not always finding more things to buy, but finding reliable support that saves time, eases pressure and fits into daily life, which is where Mumzworld’s new services category comes in.
Here is how parents can build their summer survival toolkit with Mumzworld’s latest services.

Keep childcare support within reach
Summer often means parents need more flexibility, especially when regular routines change. Through the Mumzworld app, families can now access trusted babysitting services, with caregivers carefully selected, trained, and equipped with essential childcare and CPR knowledge.
For parents, this is not just about convenience. It is about feeling confident in the support they are bringing into their homes and their children’s routines.
Help kids make the most of summer with fun education
Summer does not have to mean pressing pause on learning. It can be a time for children to stay curious, build confidence and enjoy learning in a more relaxed way at home. Through Mumzworld’s educational support with Educators at Home, parents can access KHDA-approved educators who support children’s learning at home, helping families keep children engaged while still allowing summer to feel enjoyable and balanced.
Refresh the baby gear before your next holiday
Car seats, strollers and everyday baby essentials often need deeper care, especially when families are constantly on the move. Mumzworld’s baby gear cleaning service is designed for items such as car seats and strollers, helping parents keep important family essentials refreshed and ready to use.
For parents, it is one less task to manage and one more way to feel organised during the holiday season

Bring the home back under control
When family routines become fuller, keeping the home running smoothly can feel like a task on its own. Mumzworld’s home cleaning services give parents practical support with everyday home needs, helping families manage routines more easily.
It is the kind of service that supports parents in the background, creating more room in the day for everything else that matters.
Give children’s spaces a simple update
A change in season can also be a good moment to refresh children’s spaces. Through Mumzworld, families can access wallpaper design and installation services, helping bring children’s rooms to life with less pressure on parents’ time.
Whether it is a small refresh or a more thoughtful update, the service supports parents who want to improve children’s spaces without having to manage every detail alone.
Plan celebrations without the extra stress
Summer is often filled with family moments, including birthdays and at-home celebrations. Mumzworld’s birthday party planning service helps parents create memorable celebrations at home with less stress.
From planning to execution, the service gives families support in making special occasions feel easier, more organised and more enjoyable.
Keep health and wellbeing support close to home
Family wellbeing is also part of the new offering. Through Mumzworld’s telehealth services, families can connect with doctors, mental health professionals, and nutrition specialists from the comfort of home.
For parents, this brings another layer of reassurance, offering access to support without adding more pressure to already busy routines.
Home Feature
THE EVENT BRINGS TOGETHER SUMMER SHOPPING AND EXCLUSIVE OFFERS UNDER ONE ROOF

As the summer holiday season begins, Jashanmal Group is set to bring its highly anticipated Warehouse Sale: Summer Edition to Cityland Mall Dubai. Following the overwhelming response to its recent Warehouse Sales in the region, the legacy retailer aims to create a family-focused sale for all ages.
The five-day shopping extravaganza taking place from June 24th to 28th is thoughtfully designed to offer a vibrant mix of shopping experiences. Adding to the experience, the Warehouse Sale: Summer Edition will feature a curated selection of premium international brands such as Kenwood, Clarks, Kipling, De’Longhi, BALLY, Hoover, Delsey Paris, Russell Hobbs and many more.
Commenting on the initiative Mr. Anurag Verma, Chief Distribution Officer, Jashanmal Group said, “Given the overwhelming popularity and enthusiastic response to our warehouse sales this year, truly a favorite among shoppers, we are thrilled to bring the highly anticipated Warehouse Sale Summer Edition to Dubai. Summer is a time when families come together, planning their travels and preparing for the season ahead, and it is truly the perfect time to shop. At Jashanmal, we bring together everything you need, offering a complete destination for all your summer shopping needs across multiple lifestyle categories.”
As the retail shopping experience continues to evolve in line with the changing consumer lifestyles and expectations, Jashanmal Group remains at the forefront of delivering immersive, experience-led engagements whether through unique retail concepts, seasonal campaigns and enhanced shopping experiences.
Aligned with the UAE Year of the Family, The Warehouse Sale: Summer Edition underscores the Group’s commitment to community focused initiatives, while celebrating the importance of family at the heart of life in the UAE.
Mr. Verma further added, “We are proud to offer an experience that reflects community spirit, togetherness and joy of shared moments. Through our upcoming sale, we are bringing together trusted brands, exciting experiences and attractive offers in one destination, creating a shopping event that the whole family can enjoy.”
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