Mena Massoud plays the title role in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic 'Aladdin'. AP
Mena Massoud plays the title role in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic 'Aladdin'. AP
Mena Massoud plays the title role in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic 'Aladdin'. AP
Mena Massoud plays the title role in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated classic 'Aladdin'. AP

'Aladdin' star Mena Massoud is coming to Comic Con Dubai


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

What do Aladdin, Superman, Elektra and Gimli from Lord of the Rings have in common? They're all going to be in Dubai next month. Or at least the actors playing them are. The first four celebrities coming to this year's Middle East Film and Comic Con have been revealed, and it is a great line-up.

The region’s favourite Disney prince is coming to town. Canadian-Egyptian actor Mena Massoud, who played Aladdin in the 2019 live action remake of the 1992 animation, will meet fans and share anecdotes from his time as Agrabah’s prince.

Attendees will also have the chance to meet the Man of Steel himself. Brandon Routh played the titular superhero in the 2006 movie Superman Returns. He reprised the role of Superman in the 2019 Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Brandon Routh in Superman Returns. Courtesy Warner Bros
Brandon Routh in Superman Returns. Courtesy Warner Bros

Also coming to the festival is Elodie Yung. The French-born actress is best known for her role as Elektra Natchios in the second season of the Netflix series Daredevil. Yung starred in the Netflix miniseries The Defenders. In 2013, she appeared on the silver screen as the ninja Jinx in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Elodie Yung in Marvel's 'Daredevil'. Courtesy Netflix
Elodie Yung in Marvel's 'Daredevil'. Courtesy Netflix

The fourth name to be announced is John Rhys-Davies, who is best known for his portrayal of Gimli and as the voice of TreeBeard in the Lord of The Rings trilogy. He also played Sallah in the Indiana Jones films. The Welsh actor and producer's filmography goes back to the 1970s.

Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and John Rhys-Davies 1989's 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'. Alamy
Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and John Rhys-Davies 1989's 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'. Alamy

According to MEFCC organisers, more celebrities will be announced in the coming weeks, fans will get the chance to get up-close with their favourite stars in meet and greets at the event.

Fans will also be able to attend interactive workshops where they can explore original artworks, prints and sculptures. And a line-up of some of the world's biggest comic book artists, who have worked on biggest projects for DC, Marvel and Disney, have also been confirmed to attend the event.

Artists that are coming to the event include: Sam De La Rosa, whose credits include The Amazing Spider-Man, Black Panther, The Avengers and Star Wars. His contribution to Venom's Lethal Protector storyline helped inspire the production of the Venom movie that was released in 2018 starring Tom Hardy.

Veteran of the comic book industry, Mostafa Moussa, is also scheduled to appear at the event. Moussa is an illustrator who has worked on Batman, X-Men and Godzilla.

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets for the star-studded event as soon as possible. The exclusive Gold VIP tickets sold out in the first week, but fans can still purchase other tickets, including Silver VIP and day tickets. There are discounted offers on family tickets and children under five are guaranteed free entry.

The ninth edition of the Middle East Film and Comic con will take place from March 5 to March 7 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. More information is available at www.mefcc.com

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 420 bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: from Dh293,200

On sale: now

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The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

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Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

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Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

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RACE SCHEDULE

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm

Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm

Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

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Schedule in UAE time

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War and the virus
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.

The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?

My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.

The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.

So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.

 

 

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
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General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
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Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 571bhp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh431,800

Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 455bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: from Dh431,800

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The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)

Engine 5.2-litre V10

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch

Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm

Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est) 

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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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