One of Lebanon's most enduring cultural festivals returns on July 20.
Held on the grounds of the two-century-old palace in the Chouf Mountains that it is named after, the annual Beiteddine Festival has been hosting eclectic events since launching in 1984.
Past performers have included everyone from pop stars Mariah Carey and Phil Collins to Lebanese music titans Fairouz and Majida El Roumi.
This year, the draw of the bill is Lebanese-Armenian pianist Guy Manoukian. His shows on July 22 and 23 are sold out, but here's who else is playing this year's Beiteddine Festival.
July 20: Farrah El Dibany
The opening concert will have Lebanese mezzo-soprano El Dibany perform popular arias and classic Arabic songs by artists such as Asmahan, Fairouz and Dalida.
A seasoned singer, having performed regularly at the Paris Opera as well as the Bolshoi Theatre, El Dibany also performed as part of the closing ceremony of the World Cup Qatar 2022.
She will be accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Lubnan Baalbaki of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.
Show starts at 8.30pm; tickets from $20
July 25: Donna Khalife and Arthur Satyan
Two fine jazz musicians will team up for a special concert.
Lebanese vocalist and double bassist Khalife has been performing for more than two decades with shows at home and abroad as band leader or side woman.
The festival could be the ideal place for her to showcase new works from her coming third album.
Armenian pianist and composer Satyan is the present dean of the jazz department at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music.
Having performed with jazz stars Larry Coryell and Sonny Fortune, he is renowned for his authentic approach recalling artists such as Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk.
Show starts at 8.30pm; tickets from $20
July 27: Mayssa Karaa
Berklee Abu Dhabi artistic director Karaa returns to her native Lebanon for a concert alongside colleagues from the UAE conservatory.
The singer will showcase her eclectic body of work, veering from Arabic folk and pop to rock and electronica. Last month she released Netla'a Bi Beirut (We'll meet in Beirut), a song in which she yearns for the city of her birth.
She will be accompanied by an ensemble led by Jordanian composer and violinist Yaurb Smarait, and Lebanese oud player Charbel Rouhana will make a guest appearance.
Show starts at 8.30pm; tickets from $20
August 2, 3 and 5: Chicago the Musical
An Arabic version of the much-loved musical Chicago will be performed.
Created by US theatre stalwarts John Kander and Fred Ebb, it features choreography by Bob Fosse.
A glamorous tale of love and deceit, Chicago went on to become a mainstay of New York’s Broadway and London’s West End.
A lot of its appeal comes down to its catchy tunes, such as Razzle Dazzle, Cell Block Tango and All That Jazz.
Show starts at 8.30pm; tickets from $25
More information is available at beiteddine.org
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Al Montaqem, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m | Winner: Daber W’Rsan, Connor Beasley, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m | Winner: Bainoona, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: AF Makerah, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 | Winner: AF Motaghatres, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,600m | Winner: Tafakhor, Ronan Whelan, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
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
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
