A dessert museum, an Instagrammable cafe and performances by Egyptian superstar Sherine Abdel Wahab and British singer-songwriter Craig David are among the things to look forward to at the Mother of the Nation (MOTN) festival.
The annual event, now in its fifth year, is organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. It is taking place until December 18 at the Corniche, transforming the city’s coastline into a vibrant cultural and entertainment destination.
The event promises to provide plenty of photo opportunities, family fun and live performances across its six themed zones, which include Inspire Space, Thrill Zone, Food Hub, Music Arena, Shopping District and Amusement Park.
Inspire Space
One of the key highlights of the festival will be the Inspire Space.
It will feature a series of picturesque rooms designed by various artists living in the UAE. The rooms trace the country’s 50-year journey since its foundation.
The zone will also feature the Dessert Museum, dedicated to sweets and confectionaries; the MOTN Funhouse, a special section celebrating manga and cosplayers; and Glow Sushi Bar by Bompas & Parr in collaboration with Akiba Dori.
Music Arena
MOTN’s Music Arena will welcome globally and regionally renowned stars to its main stage, with an exhilarating line-up all set for the opening weekend. Headlining the festival is the Egyptian superstar Sherine, who will be performing on Friday, December 10.
British singer Craig David and Jordanian TikTok sensation Issam Alnajjar will perform on Friday and Saturday to close out the event.
Australian rapper The Kid Laroi, who was set to perform during the closing weekend, will no longer appear.
Kuwaiti boy band Miami Band will also perform live on Thursday, December 9, with Iraqi Qalb Qalb singer Mohamed Alsalim as the opening act.
Iraqi pop star Mahmoud Al Turky will also take to the stage on Saturday, December 18, alongside ‘Haba Haba’ artist Khaled Fouad.
Tickets for the concerts are now on sale, with prices starting from Dh75.
Amusement Park
This zone will host the World of Nickelodeon, which includes characters from the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and more.
The eye-catching zone houses a series of fun activities such as Diggers Lab, a children’s play park, exciting carnival rides and other games.
Food Hub
Find globally recognised outlets such as Burger & Beyond and Matcha Mama from Tulum here.
South African artist Daniel Popper is also curating a one-of-a-kind installation in this zone. The larger-than-life art piece is titled Nurture, and symbolises the importance of self-nurturing and the human relationship with Mother Earth. Popper is known for his figurative sculptures and magnificent public art installations, which have grabbed attention around the world, including at the Burning Man and Tulum festivals.
Visitors will also be treated to tunes from local entertainers including Alaa Wardi, Aleksandra Krstic, Carl & The Reda Mafia, DJ Bliss and DJ Keza.
Shopping District
Here, Beach Market will feature local favourites, while Bo-tik is a pavilion for luxury brands. The zone will feature items from several recognisable brands, including Rula Galayini, Sarah’s Bag and sustainable fashion from Riot, with pre-loved pieces by Balmain, Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, among others.
The Shopping District will also feature EL&N London, reputed to be the world’s most Instagrammable cafe, in the UAE for the first time.
Thrill Zone
This zone will feature the famous Rick & Morty Laser Tag, a skate and parkour park, the Smash Room, a horror escape room, a gaming hub and more.
Covid-19 safety rules
The festival will run in line with the Go Safe Certification, a programme launched by DCT Abu Dhabi that enforces global standards of safety and cleanliness at hotels, events, attractions and venues across the emirate.
Where to find tickets
Tickets to the festival are available for purchase online and start at Dh25 for general admission. Concert tickets start at Dh75 for the Miami Band with opening act Mohamed Alsalim and Dh125 for a silver pass for the Sherine performance. Tickets will cost more if visitors buy them at the door.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
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Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
