Jessica Alba, left, and Zac Efron, centre, star in 'Dubai: A Riveting Mystery'. Photo: Dubai Tourism
Jessica Alba, left, and Zac Efron, centre, star in 'Dubai: A Riveting Mystery'. Photo: Dubai Tourism
Jessica Alba, left, and Zac Efron, centre, star in 'Dubai: A Riveting Mystery'. Photo: Dubai Tourism
Jessica Alba, left, and Zac Efron, centre, star in 'Dubai: A Riveting Mystery'. Photo: Dubai Tourism

Watch Zac Efron and Jessica Alba in Dubai Tourism's new 'riveting mystery' advert


Katy Gillett
  • English
  • Arabic

Zac Efron and Jessica Alba are back with a fifth installation of the Dubai Presents series of trailers by Dubai Tourism, directed by award-winning filmmaker Craig Gillespie (Cruella).

Dubai: A Riveting Mystery is set to an exciting music score and features action-packed sequences starring the two Hollywood stars.

It begins at Dubai Opera, where Alba, playing a professor, is making a speech. "You have some interesting theories," says one character after she's finished.

"I wouldn't exactly call them theories," Alba's character replies, as Efron, who plays an archeologist, approaches to ask for a photo with the young professor.

"Sometimes the undiscovered is right in front of you," read the subtitles.

The pair then embark on an adventure to solve an undetermined mystery that results in a car chase from the alleyways of Al Seef, over the towering Downtown Dubai skyline and through the desert dunes.

There's a splash of comedy, as Efron insists on driving backwards. "How is your instinct to drive in reverse?!" asks a panicked professor.

"I don't know," shouts the archeologist, his voice breaking. "Just, they're in front of us!"

We're also shown glimpses of Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Al Qasr and the Museum of the Future.

"Only the past can reveal the future," say the subtitles.

What is the Dubai Presents campaign?

This is the fifth video to be released by Dubai Tourism. The trailers have all been directed by Gillespie.

The fourth came out on September 22. Dubai Presents: A Captivating Saga, a one-minute video, takes a closer look at the city's hidden gems. It also includes more traditional activities, such as desert safari, camel trekking and sailing on traditional abras, while also showing the historical Al Fahidi neighbourhood.

The third video came out on September 8. In Dubai Presents: A Brand New You, Zac Efron meets his future, older self. Following the theme of a buddy comedy, the clip, which lasts one minute and 36 seconds, sees Efron wandering around the emirate’s biggest attractions with his future self.

Dubai Presents: A Romance to Remember came out on August 11. Alba and Efron appear as tourists visiting the city, destined to cross paths after a mix-up leads to them having each other’s bags, which contain contrasting lists of things to do in the emirate.

The first video in the series came out on August 5 and was called Dubai Presents: A Five-Star Mission, which was told in the form of a spy thriller. In that video, the duo skydive off the Burj Al Arab, take a dip in the seven-star hotel's pool, dine at romantic restaurant Pierchic and pose in front of the Museum of the Future.

Dubai Presents is being distributed in 27 countries and 16 languages.

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
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  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
  4. Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
  5. Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

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Women’s Singles 
Group A:
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Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)

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Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver 

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Time; race; prize; distance

4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)

4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed

5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
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5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.

Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.

“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”

Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”

Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.

Updated: October 21, 2021, 5:48 AM