The hip-hop superstar is set to take to the Etihad Park stage on Saturday, December 7, as the third headline act of the four-night concert series. He joins Maroon 5 and Muse as the confirmed acts, who are set to perform on December 6 and 8, respectively.
The artist opening the programme on December 5 will be announced soon, concert organiser Ethara confirmed to The National. Access to all four concerts is exclusive to Grand Prix ticket holders, including the one-day general admission ticket, which starts at Dh750 and is currently on sale.
The artist, real name Marshall Mathers, is also set to perform at the MDLBeast Soundstorm festival, to be held from December 12 to 14 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The exact date of his appearance has yet to be announced.
The announcements come days after Eminem released his 12th album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), which is expected to top the charts in the US and UK this week. His return continues his enduring bond with the UAE, as it marks his third show in Abu Dhabi in 12 years. It will be the second time the Cinderella Man rapper appears as part of the Abu Dhabi F1, having performed at the race day concert in 2012.
His last Abu Dhabi concert was in 2019 as part of the Kamikaze World Tour, delivering an expansive 30-song setfeaturing hits My Name Is, The Real Slim Shady, Without Me and Lose Yourself. The National praised the gig in its review, noting how Eminem shed his former brooding persona to embrace a more interactive approach on stage.
Jason Johnson, artist and content director for Ethara, says Abu Dhabi is one of the first international stops on his coming world tour. “Every year there's a list of artists that gets an offer regardless of whether they're going to come or not going to come and Eminem is on that wish list,” he tells The National. "A lot of the time those decisions are based on where the artist is in their cycle. When it comes to Eminem, we knew beforehand that he was going to drop an album. Because we have a strong relationship with his management team, we said the timing is right with the album out and the Abu Dhabi F1 being a staple event for him to come back to Abu Dhabi."
Eminem delighted fans with a catalogue of his greatest hits at Etihad Park in 2019. Photo: Flash Entertainment
Johnson was a former talent manager for Flash Entertainment, the company which merged with Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management to form Ethara last year, and was involved in Eminem’s previous concerts at Etihad Park. He describes the artist and his team as a “well-oiled machine".
“Eminem is a class act and his team is super professional,” he says. "You have to remember that he has been doing this for over 20 years and I grew up listening to Eminem as a teenager. His system runs really well and his management are easy to deal with. He is an artist who knows what he wants and that makes everything easier for everyone.”
Eminem performed his first Abu Dhabi show at Etihad Park in 2012. Antonie Robertson / The National
Johnson says Eminem will remain in Abu Dhabi after the show to experience the season-ending race on December 8, with plans to explore the city's cultural and tourist landmarks, such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Reportedly a fan of the F1, Eminem will also headline the after-race concert series for the Austin Grand Prix in October.
“Part of the legacy of what we do is we want to showcase Abu Dhabi to the artists visiting here,” Johnson says. “Eminem and his teams are big fans of the F1 so they will be in the Paddock Club to see the race. He also wants to interact with his fans on a more personal level so we do plan to take him for some outings in Abu Dhabi so you will definitely see him around.”
More information on the after-race concerts series and tickets is available at www.abudhabigp.com
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
