The first PopCon Middle East will take place from November 10 to 13.
The event is a showcase of all the best movies, TV, comics, graphic novels, anime, cosplay and more.
“I have been a fan of comic books since I was a child and have been entrenched in the community from an early age," said Amer Rashed Al Farooq, deputy chief executive of Speedy Comics, one of the organisers.
"This is a dream come true for a true geek like me. I want this convention to have everything and more my geek heart desires.”
Here's everything you need to know about it.
When will it be held?
PopCon will be running as part of Dubai Esports Festival, from November 9 to 29. It will span one weekend, from November 10 to 13.
Where will it take place?
The event will take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, in partnership with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, Speedy Comics and Alanza Trading.
What will happen?
As part of the event, there will be exclusive workshops, movie screenings and cosplay competitions, to name a few. Limited-edition merchandise will also be on sale in a section called Artist Alley.
Fans will come face to face with some of their favourite celebrities and get the opportunity to meet like-minded pop culture fans.
Competitions will include People's Choice Cosplay, a Dungeons & Dragons game and Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh! Card tournament.
Further details will be revealed closer to the time.
What are the different zones?
There will be the Playground, a gaming area designed for people to play their favourite consoles, PC games and more. Group challenges will also take place here.
Parents can leave their little ones at the Children's Island, where there's a play area and activities.
The Dojo is where workshops focusing on film production, voice and theatre acting will take place.
There will also be a cinema, gallery area and marketplace.
The Tavern is the place to grab a bite to eat or drink.
What stars will attend?
The biggest names confirmed so far include A Nightmare on Elm Street actress Katie Cassidy, who also played demon Ruby in the fantasy horror series Supernatural.
Osric Chau, who played Kevin Tran in Supernatural, will also be there, as well as voice actor Ray Porter, who took on the role of Darkseid in Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Renowned international artists who will be attending are African-Native American Afua Richardson, whose work includes covers for five issues of Marvel's World of Wakanda, and Marvel and DC comics artist Mostafa Moussa.
More talent will be announced soon.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the cosplay competition at the Middle East Film & Comic Con 2022
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Griselda
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
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Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
RACE CARD
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m
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8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
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