With summer and Ramadan upon us, this downtime is the perfect opportunity to explore Sharjah's 16 publicly funded museums.
Late openers
Sharjah's three big hitters are staying up late to attract the post-iftar crowd this month.
Sharjah Art Museum
Take a look at some of the key pieces from the museum's 300-strong collection of works by 18th- and 19th-century European orientalist painters, along with watercolours and acrylic paintings by local luminaries and artists from the wider region. The museum is spread across three floors and is home to a library of 4,000 titles (Arabic, English and other languages) and a comfy reading room.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm and 9pm to 11pm
Friday, 9pm to 11pm
Free entry
06 568 8222
Sharjah Aquarium
A network of tunnels allows you to get up close with the aquarium's 250 different species, from moray eels to reef sharks. The museum offers a good insight into the Gulf's waters and has a conservationist slant to its displays.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm and 9 to 11pm
Friday, 9pm to 11pm
Adults Dh20, children (ages 4 to 17) Dh10, children under four are free, family (two adults, three children) Dh50
06 528 5288, www.sharjahaquarium.ae
Sharjah Maritime Museum
The legacy of pearl diving and the great dhows that plied these waters play key roles in the identity of the country. But how much do you really know about these trades? Explore traditional seafaring practice, and understand the adversity that went hand-in-hand with hunting pearls.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm and 9pm to 11pm
Friday, 9pm to 11pm
Adults Dh8, children (ages 4 to 17) Dh4, family (two adults, three children) Dh20
06 522 2002
Get to know the UAE
Understand a little more about life during the pre-oil days, the Emirates' history and its early schoolrooms.
Sharjah Heritage Museum
After a top-to-bottom refurbishing, the heritage museum now has a number of new exhibits and a fresh lease of life, with its collections grouped into clearer themes. Containing everything from the first run of UAE money to a loom used to make desert tents, the museum is an insight into the lodgings and lifestyles of the pre-oil days of the Emirates, merely a generation ago.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh10, children free
06 568 0006
Al Mahatta Museum
At 4pm on October 5, 1932, the first plane landed in Sharjah, en route to Bahrain from India and piloted by the British captain Horsy. Today, the former airport has been turned into a museum to celebrate those early days of air travel, including four original, fully restored period propeller planes in its hangars. There's also a celebration of aviation in general - from the mechanics of bird flight to the intimidating scale of an A320 engine.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh10, children free
06 573 3079
Beit Al Naboodah
The former residence of the wealthy Al Shamsi pearl trading family, today the museum offers an insight into the interior design and layout of a traditional Emirati house. Built in 1845, the two-storey house also provides a glimpse into innovative cooling methods in the days before oil and air-con, and the exquisite carvings done by regional artisans.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh10, children free
06 568 1738
Al Eslah School Museum
Sharjah's first educational institution dates from 1935 and shows off the beginnings of formal Islamic schooling in the emirate. The dormitory upstairs was used to house visiting students from around the Gulf, and photographs show what classroom life was like back then.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh10, children free
06 568 4114
Right for Ramadan
There are two museums with specifically Islamic content, and both make for fine wanderings during the Holy Month.
Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation
This former souq is a sight in itself, with its arched ceilings and warren of passageways. The museum traces the story of the scientific, medicinal and engineering breakthroughs that were founded in various Islamic societies around the world. Peruse everything from astrolabes to domestic objects that show how Islamic design built into a long legacy of artisan studios and craftsmanship.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Free during Ramadan
06 565 5455, www.islamicmuseum.ae
Sharjah Calligraphy Museum
Calligraphy can make for difficult viewing at first, particularly for non-Arabic speakers. The museum aims for an onslaught of the form in a bid to inspire, showing off some of the most difficult calligraphic constructions by true international masters of the craft. It presents the major writing styles in calligraphy, from the ancient to the contemporary.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh10, children free
06 569 4561
Get hands-on
Take the kids to explore these two exhibitions that include some interactive elements.
Sharjah Science Museum
Thankfully, this goes a little further than a Van Der Graaf generator; everything from exploring how illusions work and the very nature of colour, through to the science behind cryogenics.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh10, children (ages 3 to 17) Dh5
06 566 8777
Sharjah Discovery Centre
Aimed specifically at the younger demographic of budding scientists, the centre is packed out with hands-on gadgets and exhibits. Understanding how our senses work, the art of travel and becoming a TV star are just some of the topics covered.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Sharjah Discovery Centre is having minor maintenance work done during Ramadan, but will be open later this month. Call ahead to check the museum is open before visiting.
Adults Dh10, children (ages 3 to 17) Dh5
06 558 6577
Off the beaten track
Road-trippin' to Kalba, digging for treasure or coming face-to-face with a vintage Rolls-Royce.
Sharjah Classic Cars Museum
The interior might look a little like a showroom, but there are some incredible old motors stationed in Sharjah. Take the open-top Dodge made in 1917, complete with baby-blue chassis and wooden spoke wheels. Or the 1956 Cadillac that was at one time used as an ambulance in Sharjah. There's a mid-1930s Fiat, and a Skoda Felicia, all part of a too-often overlooked collection of more than 100 stunning vehicles.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh15, children free
06 531 1411
Beit Sheikh Saeed bin Hamad Al Qassimi
Once the beachside retreat of Sheikh Saeed bin Hamed Al Qassimi, this charming spot in Kalba now houses archaeological finds including weapons and agricultural tools. A trip out to the museum can double as a fine excuse to explore the peaceful, mangrove-lined east coast and the nearby Al Ghail Fort.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh6, children free
09 277 4442
Sharjah Archaeology Museum
The history of the Arab Peninsula drawn from the Stone Age through to the dawn of Islam is on show at this museum, including coins from Rome that circulated through the region, 1st-century water jugs and items from the ancient site of Mleiha. Housed in a low-lit, reverential space, detailed scale models of burial plots and Stone Age dwellings feature, along with examples of the earliest forms of writing found in the region.
Saturday to Thursday, 9am to 2pm, closed Friday
Adults Dh5, family Dh10, children free
06 566 5466, www.archaeologymuseum.ae
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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
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Kill%20
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Company%20profile
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah
Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
The view from The National
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
