Expo 2020 Dubai continues to be a haven for culture lovers in the new year.
After explosive New Year’s Eve concerts by EDM stars Armin Van Buuren and Dimitri Vegas, the world's fair returns to its eclectic programme of performances.
In January, there will be concerts ranging from chart-topping pop music to Balkan and Italian jazz, and from Hungarian folk to Spanish flamenco.
Here are seven shows to see this month. All are free to attend with an Expo pass.
1. Goran Bregovic
Country Pavilion: Serbia
What it is: With six million albums sold over a three-decade career, Goran Bregovic is one of Serbia’s most successful musicians and a star across the Balkans.
Bringing his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra, a vibrant ensemble featuring a brass and string section and male choir, Bregovic promises an upbeat show.
“I haven’t written anything sad in 20 years,” he said. “My music is cheerful, it invites people to dance, to rejoice, no matter what their religion or nation, I believe that the audience in Dubai will recognise it and that we will have a great time.”
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Date: January 13
2. 'Faro' by Eduardo Guerrero
Country Pavilion: Spain
What it is: A lush flamenco show inspired by some of the lighthouses dotting Spanish coastal cities and towns.
Dancer Eduardo Guerro will channel the beauty of these edifices with pieces named after them, such as Faro de la Cerda de Santander in Aviles and Sacratif in Granada.
Fiery and wistful, Faro is set to be a memorable journey.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 8pm to 10pm
Date: January 18
3. National Jazz Orchestra: All that Jazz
Country Pavilion: Italy
What it is: Originally conceived as an education project in 2016, the orchestra went on to perform across Italy and Europe with a repertoire highlighting the rich history of Italian music from the post-war period.
The Expo 2020 Dubai show will feature jazzed-up takes on Neapolitan folk songs and works by influential Italian composers.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 9.30pm to 10.30pm
Date: January 24
4. Infinite Nights: Black Eyed Peas
What it is: The concert by the big-selling trio comes as part of the six-month Infinite Nights series, which has had the likes of Kadim Al Sahir, Nancy Ajram, Ragheb Alama and Alicia Keys take to the stage over the past few months.
Also being streamed live on the Expo website, the special show by the Black Eyed Peas has been "inspired by the pace and pulse of technology and music that explores and embraces new musical frontiers”, according to the official announcement.
You can also expect the group to play some of its biggest hits such as Where Is the Love?, Boom Boom Pow and I Gotta Feeling.
Venue: Al Wasl Plaza
Time: 8.30pm to 9.30pm
Date: January 25
5. Tania Libertad
Country Pavilion: Mexico
What it is: The veteran Peruvian-Mexican singer is a leading light in the world music scene.
With more than 44 albums recorded in a career spanning five decades, Libertad has performed alongside Spanish opera star Placido Domingo and South American music giants such as Puerto Rican mambo composer Tito Puente and Mexico's Vicente Fernandez.
With a sound mixing bolero and mariachi with Afro-Peruvian rhythms, Libertad's performance should be as enchanting as it is energetic.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 9pm to 11pm
Date: January 25
6. Iwal rock folk group
Country Pavilion: Algeria
What it is: With its delicate acoustic guitars, harmonica and piano, the folk group conjures a tender and ethereal sound with eclectic songs inspired by the mountainous Chaouis region of Eastern Algeria.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 9.30pm to 11pm
Date: January 26
7. Csik Band
Country Pavilion: Hungary
What it is: One of Hungary's most popular groups, Csik Band specialises in their native country's folk music tradition with a dash of rock and world music thrown in the mix. The group are widely acclaimed at home and were awarded the prestigious Fonogram Prize from the Hungarian Association of Record Producers.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Date: January 29
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Rating: 1/5
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
