After opening in 1978, Sharjah's Flying Saucer has lived many lives over many years – cafe, grocery store, fast food restaurant. Last Saturday, it reopened after a two-year renovation as an art and community space run by the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF).
The building’s design is distinctive for its Brutalist influences and unusual appearance against the backdrop of downtown Sharjah. The circular structure has a star-shaped canopy that gives it a space-age look, along with a seven-metre-high dome that sits on top of a ring of eight columns. Its panoramic facade is supported by V-shaped pillars.
SAF acquired the building in 2012 and began making renovations to restore its original form. This included removing inner partitions and a false ceiling that had been added in earlier years, additions that obscured the view of the dome from the inside.
Previous owners of the building also added aluminum and metal cladding on the canopy, pillars and inside the space, cutting off its 360-degree views. These have now been stripped and the building painted all in white.
Led by SAF and Mona El Mousfy of SpaceContinuum Design Studio, the modifications were initially made to accommodate the 2015 exhibition 1980-Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the UAE National Pavilion for the 56th Venice Biennale. The major renovation project began in 2018.
El Mousfy explains that one of the first things to go was an annex linked to the Flying Saucer, constructed as a kitchen during the time the building was a restaurant. Now, the circular structure stands alone, situated on an elevated platform that will be used as an outdoor space for events and outdoor installations.
In place of the annex is one of the newest major additions, an underground community art space named Launch Pad, built underneath the structure and platform. Its size extends all the way to the edges of the site above ground.
Despite its location, the Launch Pad is bright and airy, thanks to the "green crater", a sunken circular courtyard that lets in light from above, as well as from three skylights installed along the sides of the structure.
The community area also includes a public art library – the first of its kind in the emirate – with publications from the foundation and other regional institutions, including Jameel Arts Centre. Underneath the dome is a wall panel that will be used for film screenings. The acoustics of the space have been considered as well, with speakers embedded into the ceilings to allow for sound to fill the space if needed.
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The Launch Pad features numerous table stations designed for workshops, as well as seating areas that double as spaces for socialising and can also be rearranged for film screenings. It also includes a cafe at one of its entrances, plus enclosed pods and rooms that can be used for meetings, workshops and other activities.
The Flying Saucer itself has become an exhibition space, reopening with an installation by Lindsay Seers and Keith Sargent titled Nowhere Less Now 3 [flying saucer]. Metallic silver sheets hang from the dome to house a film installation, while large-scale sculptures resembling reef balls and dolos encircle the space.
SAF has prepared a programme of film screenings, workshops and events such as poetry readings to take place in the coming weeks, in order to bring the community into the space. Visitors can expect to attend calligraphy, photography, drawing and tile art workshops, which are all free, though prior online registration is required.
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars