DJ Snake will lead the opening day's line-up on September 22, including Saudi Arabia's veteran electronic music acts Vinyl Mode and Dish Dash. Photo: Arabian Radio Network
DJ Snake will lead the opening day's line-up on September 22, including Saudi Arabia's veteran electronic music acts Vinyl Mode and Dish Dash. Photo: Arabian Radio Network
DJ Snake will lead the opening day's line-up on September 22, including Saudi Arabia's veteran electronic music acts Vinyl Mode and Dish Dash. Photo: Arabian Radio Network
DJ Snake will lead the opening day's line-up on September 22, including Saudi Arabia's veteran electronic music acts Vinyl Mode and Dish Dash. Photo: Arabian Radio Network

Culture

On Stage

DJ Snake to perform at Azimuth festival in AlUla

Festival will be held in the desert with music performances until dawn

Saeed Saeed
Saeed Saeed

September 04, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

DJ Snake is headlining Azimuth, a music and cultural festival in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.

Taking place in the same desert valley that hosted the Desert X AlUla art fair earlier in the year, Azimuth runs from September 22 to 24 and features international and local music acts, alongside arts and cultural exhibitions.

The event also marks DJ Snake's second show in the kingdom in as many months, having played at the Gamers8 festival in Riyadh in August.

Known the for hits Turn Down for What and Let Me Love You with Justin Bieber, his reputation has been strengthened with the latest hit Disco Maghreb, which pays tribute to his Algerian roots — he was born in Paris to a French father and an Algerian mother.

DJ Snake will lead the opening day's line-up, including Saudi Arabia's veteran electronic music acts Vinyl Mode and Dish Dash, in addition to the UK's Damian Lazarus.

Saudi producer and singer Biirdperson will take the stage on September 23, alongside fellow local Baloo and Austrian spinner Parov Stelar.

Doors open each evening from 8.30pm, with performances stretching until closing time at 6am the following day.

AlUla has become a tourism hotspot

An array of accommodations can be booked from the festival website, from single and double tents to glamping and hotel options.

Running for the second year, the annual Azimuth festival is the latest addition to AlUla's burgeoning calendar of events, encompassing adventure, health and wellness.

Key activities to experience in the region are Saudi Arabia's largest zip line, helicopter flights over the country's first Unesco World Heritage site and desert tours of Hegra — the most significant preserved site showcasing the Nabataean civilisation south of Jordan’s Petra.

AlUla has also become more accessible to UAE travellers, with low-cost airline flynas resuming direct flights between Dubai and AlUla in June.

Leaving Dubai on a Friday and returning on a Sunday, the schedule is perfectly timed for a weekend getaway.

More information on Azimuth is available on experiencealula.com

Six must-try adventures in AlUla: from Saudi Arabia's fastest zip line to helicopter tours

  • Adventure awaits in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Visit AlUla
    Adventure awaits in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Visit AlUla
  • Fly on Saudi Arabia's longest and fastest zip line. Photo: Visit AlUla
    Fly on Saudi Arabia's longest and fastest zip line. Photo: Visit AlUla
  • Scale ancient rock faces in AlUla. Photo: Visit AlUla
    Scale ancient rock faces in AlUla. Photo: Visit AlUla
  • Head into the desert in a vintage Land Rover for a tour of ancient Hegra. Photo: Visit AlUla
    Head into the desert in a vintage Land Rover for a tour of ancient Hegra. Photo: Visit AlUla
  • Try the via ferrata challenge in the ancient region. Photo: Visit AlUla
    Try the via ferrata challenge in the ancient region. Photo: Visit AlUla
  • Stay at eco-friendly Habitas AlUla Resort. Photo: Kleinjan Groenewald
    Stay at eco-friendly Habitas AlUla Resort. Photo: Kleinjan Groenewald
  • Enjoy an outdoor cinema session at Caravan AlUla. Photo: Habitas
    Enjoy an outdoor cinema session at Caravan AlUla. Photo: Habitas
  • Sleep in an Airstream trailer at Habitas Caravan AlUla in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Habitas
    Sleep in an Airstream trailer at Habitas Caravan AlUla in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Habitas
  • Soar over date palms, desert and ancient cities on a helicopter tour. Photo: Visit AlUla
    Soar over date palms, desert and ancient cities on a helicopter tour. Photo: Visit AlUla
  • Visit Nabataean carved tomb at the archaeological site of Hegra. AFP
    Visit Nabataean carved tomb at the archaeological site of Hegra. AFP
  • Tackle cliff face climbing on a via ferrata in AlUla. Photo: Visit AlUla
    Tackle cliff face climbing on a via ferrata in AlUla. Photo: Visit AlUla
HIV on the rise in the region

A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.

New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.

Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.

Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.  

Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.

About Seez

Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017  

Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer

Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon 

Sector:  Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing

Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed

Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A 

Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds 

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Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai

Three stars

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

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.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Uefa Nations League

League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

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Rating: 4/5

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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

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Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

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Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

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Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier

UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs

Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)

1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0

Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT

Price, base / as tested Dh460,000

Engine 8.4L V10

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km

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Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Premier Futsal 2017 Finals

Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side

Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado

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

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The Sand Castle

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Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

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Schedule:

Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore

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Updated: September 06, 2022, 6:34 AM
MusicSaudi Arabia