A classical music symphony inspired by the Abrahamic Family House is available to stream on YouTube.
Commissioned by the Abu Dhabi Festival, the Symphony of Three: Peace, Love, Tolerance is a collaboration between a trio of composers: Ihab Darwish from the UAE, John Debney and David Shire, who are both from the US.
The recording was released on Friday and is available to watch below.
The piece, split across four movements, has already been lauded with Darwish receiving a nomination in the Best New/Emerging Composer category at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards held last month.
"The Abu Dhabi Festival commission and production of Symphony of Three: Peace, Love, Tolerance is a testament to the UAE’s commitment to tolerance and peaceful coexistence, which enables over 200 nationalities to live and work in harmony," said Abu Dhabi Festival artistic director Huda Alkhamis Kanoo.
Here are four things to know about the symphony.
1. It features renderings of the Abrahamic Family House
The project was first announced by the Abu Dhabi Festival last year in honour of the planned Abrahamic Family House, the interfaith complex on Saadiyat Island.
An animated video featuring renderings of the site is shown as part of the broadcast during the intermission.
2. It is epic in scope
The symphony is both ambitious and grand with more than 350 artists involved in the recording process.
The Beethoven Academy Orchestra from Poland will be on hand, in addition to six choirs, 12 soloists, five poets and seven vocalists, including Egyptian spiritual singer Mahmoud El Tohamy, South Africa’s Lebo M and South Korean soprano Sumi Jo.
3. Each composer makes their mark
The symphony is divided into four distinct movements. Darwish composes the first and final movements, titled Earth and Tolerance, respectively, while Shire and Debney separately composed the second and third movements, Peace and Love.
All three composers bring their own sensibilities to the work. While Darwish often blends contemporary and classical elements, Shire and Debney are renowned in Hollywood for their respective work in music, film and stage.
A prolific composer, Shire has scored major films for five decades including the Academy Award-winning All The President's Men (1976) and the 2007 thriller Zodiac.
Debney is a three-time winner of the Emmy Awards for his work on television dramas seaQuest DSV, The Young Riders and The Cape.
4. More music is on the way
The symphony is part of a wider Abu Dhabi Festival programme, featuring live physical performances at Emirates Palace.
Some of the artists set to take the stage are Peruvian tenor and opera star Juan Diego Florez, US jazz singer Gregory Porter and Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun with acclaimed Chinese cellist Jian Wang.
More information is available at abudhabifestival.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
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