The best cosplay at Dubai's Middle East Film and Comic Con 2019 – in pictures


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

Cosplay is always one of the highlights from Middle East Film and Comic Con, and the 2019 convention was no exception.

Scroll through the gallery above to see a selection of some of the best cosplay that was on display over the proudly geeky weekend.

MEFCC 2019 saw some 50,000 walk through its doors at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 11 to 13, and many dedicated fans came in full cosplay.

One particular cosplayer was Sumi Cosplay, whose Daenerys Targaryen costume was so realistic, it almost fooled Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon.

"I was walking outside and he did a double take, like he thought I was the real thing," Sumi proudly told The National. 

She also posed for a photo with the show's star: 

On day three, Sumi dressed as Elsa from Disney's Frozen. The incredibly detailed dress and cape took her seven days to hand-make. She individually sewed each bead on to the bodice for a costume, she assures us, and it is identical to the animated-movie look.

Sumi was at the convention with her fiance, Saud Al Hazzani, who is also a cosplayer. The pair met through cosplay and were both judges at the cosplay competition.

The top prizes were claimed by Lucy Watson and Naif Alsheneify; the pair will now travel to Japan for the summit’s global finals.

Cosplay looks ranged from kid-friendly Tom and Jerry costumes to Walking Dead zombies, anime characters and plenty of Marvel and DC character tributes. Full families were spotted dressed up together at the event, as well as friends in group costumes.

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More on Comic Con:

MEFCC day two in pictures

MEFCC day one in pictures

MEFCC: All you need to know about the Middle East Film and Comic Con 2019

Budding actors can attend an open casting call

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LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES

Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)

FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm

Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm

Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm

Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm 

Thursday

Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm

Sevilla v Roma  (one leg only)  8.55pm

FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm 

Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)

Charles 57, Amla 47

Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)

Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9

Bangla Tiger win by five wickets

It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times

If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.

A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.

The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.

In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.

The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.

Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.

Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.

“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.

The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.

“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.

“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”

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Director: Michael Bay

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco

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Results

2-15pm: Commercial Bank Of Dubai – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Al Habash, Patrick Cosgrave (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)

2.45pm: Al Shafar Investment – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Day Approach, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash

3.15pm: Dubai Real estate Centre – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Celtic Prince, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly

3.45pm: Jebel Ali Sprint by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Khuzaam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

4.15pm: Shadwell – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Tenbury Wells, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

4.45pm: Jebel Ali Stakes by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson

5.15pm: Jebel Ali Racecourse – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Rougher, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

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AUSTRALIA SQUAD

Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle

TWISTERS

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Rating: 2.5/5

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Squads

Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.

India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.