Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan and Parineeti Chopra have dropped out of their scheduled appearances at the International Indian Film Awards in Abu Dhabi owing to scheduling conflicts. The star-studded event, which was to have been held on May 20 and 21, was postponed following the death of Sheikh Khalifa.
The event will now be held on June 3 and 4 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
The IIFA Awards, which celebrate the best of Hindi films and stars from the previous year, is returning to the UAE for the first time since 2006, when they were held in Dubai.
The IIFA Weekend & Awards, which are typically held over two days, will feature performances by some of the biggest Indian stars, with the main awards handed out on the second night.
Here's everything you need to know about the rescheduled event in Abu Dhabi:
Who's in and who's out?
Bollywood star Salman Khan remains as host of the gala night on June 4. He will be assisted by actors Riteish Deshmukh and Maniesh Paul in an evening that will feature performances and awards in the leading categories handed out.
Singh and Dhawan will be replaced by Tiger Shroff and Shahid Kapoor. Actress Chopra and director Karan Johar, who were meant to host IIFA Rocks on the first night, now to be held on June 3, have been replaced by director Farah Khan Kunder and actor Aparshakti Khurana.
Johar will still attend the IIFA Awards gala on June 4, organisers said.
A number of stars have also been confirmed to attend on both nights, including veteran actors Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Mithun Chakraborty. They will be joined by Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Nargis Fakhri, Bobby Deol, Arjun Rampal, Sanya Malhotra, Urvashi Rautela and film producer Boney Kapoor.
Bollywood couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan have also been confirmed to attend, and so has Oscar-winner A R Rahman. Actors Vicky Kaushal, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Fardeen Khan, Sohail Khan and Suniel Shetty are also on the guest list.
"I am delighted to be a part of IIFA’s 22nd edition. It has always been splendid to be a part of IIFA Awards for years," Rai Bachchan said.
Aishwarya is the recipient of awards and honours including the IIFA for Best Actor at the inaugural IIFA Awards held at the Millennium Dome and in 2005 a tulip was named “Aishwarya” during the IIFA weekend in Amsterdam. IIFA also bestowed her with the honour of ACTRESS OF THE DECADE in 2009 at IIFA’s 10-year celebrations in Macau. Aishwarya also joined the IIFA celebrations in 2006, when IIFA was celebrated in the UAE for the first time.
What are the IIFA Awards?
First held in the year 2000, in London, the IIFA Awards were conceived by Mumbai event company Wizcraft International Entertainment to honour the best Hindi films and movie talents of the previous year.
The awards are held in a different country every year and have played a big part in boosting Bollywood's popularity globally.
Dubai hosted the event in 2006, and Bangkok, New York, Colombo, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florida, Kuala Lumpur and Macau have all taken turns.
While the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the last IIFA event was held in Mumbai, the home of Bollywood.
“I have always enjoyed being a part of the IIFA family and travelling to some great destinations, but this year I am super happy that we are headed to one of my personal favourites, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi,” Khan said.
“IIFA is always a memorable time and this year it will be an even bigger celebration as we celebrate the 75th year of India’s independence and the UAE’s 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see more from the 2019 IIFA Awards:
What to expect in Abu Dhabi
After a two-year break, the next IIFA event promises to return with a bang at Etihad Arena, the state-of-the-art indoor stadium on Yas Island.
“I am proud and excited to get ready to host the 2022 IIFA Weekend & Awards in Abu Dhabi,” Khan said. “I’m so happy to be coming back with them, especially to a place I love.”
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, chief executive of Miral, the developer of Yas Island, called it an “honour” to host the awards.
“As the Middle East’s largest state-of-the-art indoor entertainment venue, Etihad Arena presents an ideal setting for world-class events that attract international stars and audiences,” he said.
Who will perform at the event?
The IIFA Weekend will begin with IIFA Rocks, a night dedicated to music, on June 3, hosted by Khan Kunder and Khurana.
Performers announced so far for the night include composer and singer Devi Sri Prasad, music whizz Tanishk Bagchi and singers Neha Kakkar, Asees Kaur, Ash King, Zahrah S Khan and Dhvani Bhanushali. Punjabi pop star Guru Randhawa and rapper Honey Singh will also present their new collaboration track, Designer.
On the main night on June 4, Shroff and Kapoor, who are both known for their high-energy stage presence, will share the stage with actors Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Sara Ali Khan, Divya Khosla Kumar and Nora Fatehi. Abhishek Bachchan has also been added as one of the performers.
“IIFA is like family to me and it feels good to come back and perform. After being disconnected physically for more than two years, celebrations help us unite. I am excited for this reunion of the industry to be happening as the world gets together again. And I am looking forward to entertaining, meeting fans and connecting with them globally," Bachchan said.
Aaryan, who hosted the 2018 awards, called it a “phenomenal experience”.
“I’m elated to perform once again at the 22nd edition of the biggest celebration of Indian cinema. IIFA truly is an embodiment of a global phenomenon with its massive fan following and I’m looking forward to the IIFA Awards at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, this year, he said.
Who is nominated for an award?
Nominees for 12 of the most popular categories have been announced. War film Shershaah, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, leads with 12 nominations, followed by Singh's cricket biopic 83, which has nine, and Abhishek Bachchan's Ludo which has six.
Atrangi Re and Thappad follow behind with five nominations, while Mimi has four.
A full list of nominees is here.
Winners in nine technical categories were announced before the event, with Amazon's historical biopic, Sardar Udham, starring Vicky Kaushal, leading, winning for Cinematography, Editing and Special Effects. A full list can be found here.
How much do tickets cost?
Organisers said those who had bought tickets for the earlier dates would receive updated tickets for the new dates with the same assigned seats. Tickets to IIFA Rocks on June 3 start at Dh55, while tickets to the IIFA Awards on June 4 are close to selling out, with just Middle Tier B (Dh440) and Lower Tier B (Dh1,000) still available at etihadarena.ae.
Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E536hp%20(including%20138hp%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20(including%20400Nm%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C380%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Norway
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Canada
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Shipsy%3Cbr%3EYear%20of%20inception%3A%202015%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Soham%20Chokshi%2C%20Dhruv%20Agrawal%2C%20Harsh%20Kumar%20and%20Himanshu%20Gupta%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20India%2C%20UAE%20and%20Indonesia%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20logistics%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%20more%20than%20350%20employees%3Cbr%3EFunding%20received%20so%20far%3A%20%2431%20million%20in%20series%20A%20and%20B%20rounds%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Info%20Edge%2C%20Sequoia%20Capital%E2%80%99s%20Surge%2C%20A91%20Partners%20and%20Z3%20Partners%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
