National Day celebrations will not be complete without the electrifying concerts. This year, for its 51st celebrations, the UAE will play host to both local and international artists — from Balqees to Post Malone.
Whether you want to celebrate with Khaleeji-style music, or move to international beats — there are a number of artists performing this year.
Here are some of the top UAE National Day shows not to miss
Khaleeji sounds at Al Wasl Plaza, Expo City Dubai
The awe-inspiring venue at the heart of Expo City Dubai will transform into a concert hall with acclaimed Khaleeji artists Eida Al Menhali ( known for his hit single Motasoa) and Saudi singing sensation Dalia Mubarak performing on December 2.
December 2; doors open at 6.30pm; from Dh100; Expo City Dubai; dubai.platinumlist.net
Post Malone at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi
Nine-time Grammy Award nominee Post Malone will perform at Etihad Park in Abu Dhabi on December 3. Concertgoers will be treated to the singer-songwriter's greatest hits, which include Circles, Better Now and I Fall Apart. Aside from regular tickets, private suites with an elevated view of the stage, complete with a drinks package, are also on offer for Dh22,500. These special suites can accommodate up to 15 people.
December 3; 6.30pm; from Dh295; Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; ticketmaster.ae
Hussain Al Jassmi and Hamad Al Ameri at Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi
Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi will play host to two Emirati singers, Hussain Al Jassmi and Hamad Al Ameri, performing on December 1 and 3 respectively. Both staple performers during National Day celebrations, Al Jassmi and Al Ameri will serenade guests from their hit Arabic set lists. Some of Al Jassmi's famous songs include Boshret Kheir, which has more than half a billion streams on YouTube and his recent single Bel Bont El3areedh. Al Ameri's songs include Einy Al Yameen and Jadeed Al Hob.
December 1 and 3; 7pm; from Dh50; Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi; ticketmaster.ae
Balqees and Fouad Abdelwahed at Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain
Emirati-Yemeni singer Balqees and Yemeni crooner Fouad Abdelwahed are taking the stage at Al Jahili Fort to celebrate National Day. Recently featured in the Fifa World Cup official soundtrack with her song Light The Sky, Balqees is also known for her hit singles Momken and Taala Tchouf. Some of Abdelwahed's famous tunes include Ana Sootek and Qalbi Elsagheer.
December 3; 7pm; from Dh150; Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain; ticketmaster.ae
Dubai Festival City Mall concerts
Performances from Emirati singer Fayez Al Saeed and DJ Bliss are part of the Dubai venue's National Day celebrations, which also include what the mall says will be its biggest fireworks display yet. Al Saeed will perform at Festival Bay, providing live music to the mall's laser, light and fountain show Imagine. The Emirati DJ will close the party with his modern twist on Arabic music.
December 2; 8pm; free entry; Dubai Festival City; www.dubaifestivalcitymall.com
Latino beats at Buddha-Bar Beach, Abu Dhabi
The eclectic venue at The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort is turning up the National Day party, Latino style. Chilean DJ Carlos Campos will mix tunes on December 2. The club scene knows the DJ for his expertise in moombahton, an electronic genre derived from house music and reggaeton.
The bar's resident DJ Meerkatis will also be performing an opening set. There is no door fee for the event, and food and drinks will be priced a la carte.
December 2; 1pm-1am; Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi; 02 498 8443; buddhabarbeachabudhabi.com
Arabic show at Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
An Arabic theatrical show will be staged at the Zeman Awwal cultural space in Mall of the Emirates on Saturday. Titled Watan, meaning homeland, the show promises to lead the audience on a journey through the past and the future of the UAE, with its themes of sacrifice, will and dedication. Watan is directed by Hami Bakkar and produced by local performing arts company Adwar, which is known for promoting the Arabic language in performing arts.
November 26; 8pm; free entry; Mall of the Emirates; malloftheemirates.com
Lucky Ali at The Agenda, Dubai
Billed as India's king of indie pop, Lucky Ali is performing at The Agenda in Dubai Media City on December 3. The singer, who is known for his husky vocals, gained popularity with his 1990s smash hit O Sanam, which has 57 million streams on YouTube. Ali is known for his touching Bollywood songs, including Aa Bhi Jaa, Ek Pal Ka Jeena and Safarnama.
December 3; 8pm; from Dh69; Media City; dubai.platinumlist.net
Shamma Hamdan at City Walk, Dubai
Popular Emirati singer Shamma Hamdan is performing at City Walk on December 2. With Khaleeji hits including Moajaba and Abee Afaham, Hamdan shot to fame in 2012 when she became the first Emirati finalist in the reality TV show Arabs Got Talent. Catch her energising tunes, alongside other cultural activities across the outdoor retail complex.
December 2; 8.30pm; Al Wasl Road; citywalk.ae
Read more
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The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
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)
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
HAJJAN
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
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)
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
