• Popular boy band Stray Kids show off their dance moves on the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Miaad Mahdi / Expo 2020 Dubai
    Popular boy band Stray Kids show off their dance moves on the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Miaad Mahdi / Expo 2020 Dubai
  • Stray Kids performing during the K-Pop concert on the Jubilee Stage. Photo Miaad Mahdi / Expo 2020 Dubai
    Stray Kids performing during the K-Pop concert on the Jubilee Stage. Photo Miaad Mahdi / Expo 2020 Dubai
  • Sunmi performs during the K-pop concert in honour of South Korea's country day at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Sunmi performs during the K-pop concert in honour of South Korea's country day at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Sunmi was once a member of the girl group Wonder Girls but left in 2010 to pursue her studies before returning to a singing career. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Sunmi was once a member of the girl group Wonder Girls but left in 2010 to pursue her studies before returning to a singing career. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Psy performs during the K-Pop concert on the Jubilee Stage. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
    Psy performs during the K-Pop concert on the Jubilee Stage. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
  • During his show, Psy announced that he is planning to release a new album this year. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
    During his show, Psy announced that he is planning to release a new album this year. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
  • Psy closes the event with a performance of his hit song 'Gangnam Style'. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
    Psy closes the event with a performance of his hit song 'Gangnam Style'. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
  • (G)I-dle perform at the K-pop concert in matching attire. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    (G)I-dle perform at the K-pop concert in matching attire. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Golden Child show off their moves. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Golden Child show off their moves. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Crossover act Forestella take to the stage. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Crossover act Forestella take to the stage. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The members of (G)I-dle post on stage. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    The members of (G)I-dle post on stage. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Fans enjoy the K-pop concert celebrating South Korea's country day at Expo. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Fans enjoy the K-pop concert celebrating South Korea's country day at Expo. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Fans brave the rainy weather to enjoy the K-pop concert. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Fans brave the rainy weather to enjoy the K-pop concert. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Quartet Forestella perform at the K-pop concert. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Quartet Forestella perform at the K-pop concert. Chris Whiteoak / The National

K-pop stars Psy, Stray Kids and others impress crowds at Expo 2020 Dubai concert


Thoraya Abdullahi
  • English
  • Arabic

K-pop fans in the UAE were treated to live performances by Psy, Stray Kids, Sunmi, Golden Child, (G)I-dle and Forestella on Sunday, South Korea’s country day, at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Ahead of the concert, a media briefing was held with some of the acts. (G)I-dle, made up of five female members, shared their excitement about finally visiting Dubai and hopefully being able to “check out Burj Khalifa” as they have seen it in movies.

“We didn’t sleep the day before we came to Dubai, we were so excited,” Golden Child also said.

“Thank you for inviting us to this huge festival. It is an honour to be here with our fans.”

The 10-member boy band will make their comeback this year with a concert event titled Play, which will be both online and in-person. The band's solo concert debut was in 2020.

Golden Child speak to the media before the K-pop concert at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Golden Child speak to the media before the K-pop concert at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Many of the artists performed for the first time in the UAE, expressing their amazement at the turnout for the event, which was held during an unusually rainy day. The bands pointed out the differences between the weather in the two countries.

Rain and humidity were experienced throughout the day at Expo 2020, with the Korea pavilion advising beforehand that concertgoers bring rain jackets and umbrellas.

Stray Kids, who were named ambassadors of the Korea pavilion, had a very eventful day at the world's fair. They performed for the president of South Korea and the first lady at Al Wasl Dome and also toured the pavilions, later performing in front of thousands of people.

“We were looking so forward to this moment, ever since we were elected as ambassadors for the Korea pavilion,” Felix from Stray Kids said on stage.

I was so surprised because all of you know K-pop so much. I am so proud of you
Psy

“The water feature right in the middle of the Expo, I don’t know how they were able to build ... but it was really mind-blowing.”

The band then proceeded to watch TikTok dance challenges of their song Thunderous in a segment called "vibe together with a K-pop artist".

The event was brought to an end by singer Psy.

The hitmaker also announced he will make a comeback this year with a new album. “I haven’t been on a stage for the last two years. This kind of applause with a rare crowd, is speechless, really.

“My last song it came out 10 years ago and because of this song you guys all know me,” he said, before closing his show with the upbeat hit Gangnam Style.

Company profile

Name: Steppi

Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic

Launched: February 2020

Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year

Employees: Five

Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai

Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMaly%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mo%20Ibrahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.6%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%2C%20planning%20first%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GCC-based%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
%3Cp%3EDisplay%3A%2040mm%2C%20324%20x%20394%3B%2044mm%2C%20368%20x%20448%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProcessor%3A%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECapacity%3A%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMemory%3A%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPlatform%3A%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%202nd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EConnectivity%3A%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDurability%3A%20Water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%20269mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECards%3A%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFinishes%3A%20Aluminium%3B%20midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20Watch%20SE%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPrice%3A%20Starts%20at%20Dh999%20(40mm)%20%2F%201%2C119%20(44mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

FIGHT CARD

Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight

Company profile

Date started: January, 2014

Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe

Based: Dubai

Sector: Education technology

Size: Five employees

Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.

Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)

PROFILE

Name: Enhance Fitness 

Year started: 2018 

Based: UAE 

Employees: 200 

Amount raised: $3m 

Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors 

Upcoming games

SUNDAY 

Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)

 

MONDAY 
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.5-litre%20V12%20and%20three%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C500Nm%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Early%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh2%20million%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: January 18, 2022, 4:34 AM