Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for June 7, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. Ellen Fortini rounds up 10 things to do today in the UAE.
Want to see your event listed here? Email us with the details and contact information at listings@thenational.ae
Abu Dhabi
Yoga workshop
Sign up to take part in a workshop at Bodytree Studio to bring more abundance into your life. Caroline leads the class that uses transformational tools of Kundalini yoga and meditation to generate the kind of energy that attracts opportunity. The class is suitable for all levels.
Saturday, 4pm to 6pm, Dh120, Bodytree Studio, Abu Dhabi, 02 443 4448, info@bodytreestudio.com
Dubai
Art exhibition
Ramadan Art Bazaar is a group exhibition of more than 30 UAE-based artists, each showing four works in a variety of media at affordable prices, with no works priced higher than Dh4,000. Find fine art, traditional pieces and furniture. Pictured: The Way by Shahira Serrys
Daily until July 6, 11am to 5pm, Sundays to Thursdays (closed on Fridays and Saturdays) and after iftar by appointment, Citizen E Art Gallery, Dubai Design District, Dubai, www.citizene.net
Abu Dhabi
Film screenings
Register now to attend film screenings as part of the Cinema Space series on Saturday at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The animated feature The Secret of Nimh is a family-friendly story of Mrs Brisby, a mother mouse, who plans to move her home to save her family and meets some helpful friends along the way, as well as a life-changing secret. The 400 Blows is a 1959 French film directed by François Truffaut and told through the eyes of 13-year-old Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), who grows impatient with his home life and chooses to live on the streets of Paris.
Saturday, 11am for The Secret of Nimh; 8pm for The 400 Blows, free with registration, Cinema Space, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, register at cinemaspace-abudhabi.splashthat.com
Abu Dhabi
Grand prix
Take advantage of the discounted tickets available this month for the 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The GP Parks Pass gets you unlimited access to the Yas Island parks – Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld – and for every three-day adult grandstand ticket, one child under 12 will get free Friday entry to that grandstand, along with free access to the Yas Island parks.
November 24 to 26, from Dh1,120 for three-day Abu Dhabi Hill package, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, 800 927, www.yasmarinacircuit.com
Abu Dhabi
Fitness event
Women can take part in the weekly GoYas training event, presented by Daman ActiveLife, and enjoy a 3km bike, run, walk or jog around the Yas Marina Circuit. The event is staffed entirely by women so as to ensure participants’ privacy. Bikes and helmets are available to rent.
Tonight, 6pm to 10pm, free with registration, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, register at www.yasmarinacircuit.com
Dubai
Family fun
Aventura Nature Adventure Park has night sessions available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through mid-June, so visitors can enjoy exploring the lightly lit park with a head torch during cooler evening temperatures. Have fun on the various circuits, including tree-surfing, zip-lining, rope-climbing and more obstacles suited for various heights and age groups. Arrive early and attend a briefing session in advance of your booking time.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, twilight till 10pm, with briefings at 6.30pm, 7pm and 7.30pm, ages 16+, Dh150 includes a head torch, Aventura Nature Adventure Park, Mushrif Park, Dubai, book at 052 178 7616, night@aventuradubai.com
Dubai
Gallery tours
Explore the galleries of Alserkal Avenue as part of the Alserkal Lates programme. The venues across the avenue open their doors to the public every Wednesday evening during Ramadan and guided tours begin from Nadi Al Quoz at 8.30pm and 9.30pm.
Tonight, 8pm to 11pm, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.alserkalavenue.ae
Dubai
Art talk
Gulf Photo Plus presents a talk with photographer Lisa Ross, who will speak about her ongoing exhibition Living Shrines, which runs until September 2. It features a series of ethereal photographs of the Xinjiang region of China, where Ross spent more than a decade documenting Islamic holy shrines created by the Uyghur community. Pictured: Unrevealed, Site 3 (Ladder) by Lisa Ross
Tonight, 9pm, Gulf Photo Plus, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, www.gulfphotoplus.com
Dubai
Iftar
Join Alliance Française Dubai for a storytelling evening followed by an iftar. Chirine El Ansary and Teresa Amoon from The Storytelling Company will tell stories in French that will entertain and engage the whole family. The iftar that follows will feature Moroccan specialities, including harira, pastillas, tagine and Moroccan mint tea.
Tonight, 6pm, from Dh80 for adults; Dh40 for children younger than 12, Alliance Française Dubai, Oud Metha, Dubai, 04 335 8712, www.afdubai.org
Dubai
Kids’ camp
Register your children, ages 3 and older, for summer camps at Fairmont The Palm. The Falcon Club Summer Camps feature weekly themes, including music and movement, treasure hunters, space discovery, jungle safari and under the sea. Children can take part in art-therapy sessions to express themselves through movement, music and crafts. Fitness activities will run every Sunday, Monday and Wednesday led by a certified trainer and tailored to age groups.
June 18 to August 24, 1pm to 5pm, Sundays to Thursdays, from Dh180 per day; Dh610 for five days, Fairmont The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, 04 457 3331, palm.childrensactivities@fairmont.com
listings@thenational.ae
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
More coverage from the Future Forum
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
How Sputnik V works
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24
July 8: New Zealand v Lions
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
RECORD%20BREAKER
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
