14 Ramadan-inspired desserts to try in the UAE


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End every iftar on a sweet note with these delicious treats.

Magnolia Bakery

The Ramadan-themed cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery outlets come in classic vanilla or chocolate flavours, topped with vanilla buttercream icing and edible Arabian designs. Available at all Magnolia Bakery outlets. Dh17 per cupcake. Visit www.magnoliabakery.com

Edo Cafe

Edo Cafe, a Japanese cafe in City Walk, has taken mochi – traditional sticky rice cakes – to a new level with their desserts, with cream-filled dough and an ice cream centre in raspberry, mango and white chocolate. Special mochi cream gift boxes available. Tip: the mochi can be kept for about four hours without melting. Dh12 per mochi cream; Dh108 for a box of 9; Dh144 for a box of 12.

Call 04 344 0833

Pie Face Bakery

The palm-sized honey date and nut pies at Pie face Bakery have just the right amount of sweet. At Marina Walk, Dubai (04 5531084); Al Wasl Road, Dubai (04 3434895) and in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi (02 5651006). Dh75 for 16 pies; Dh140 for 32. Party platters of 64, 128 and 256 are also available. Visit www.facebook.com/PieFaceME

Candylicious

Candylicious has unique, spun sweets featuring Ramadan motifs in all-natural karak chai and rose flavours (from Dh25). There are iftar hampers on offer, too: the Chocolate Moonshine box with chocolate fudge cigars (from Dh95); and the Ramadan Lantern hamper filled with madeleine mini stars (from Dh100).

The Dubai Mall, 04 330 8700; Yas Mall, 02 565 0064.

SugarMoo

This delivery-only dessert shop has a special holy-month menu: nutty mahalabiya in a jar (Dh25/jar); saffron mousse rice pudding in a jar (Dh25/jar); kunafa cheesecake (Dh30/piece); fun-coated date bombs (Dh55/9 pieces per box); and pistachio lemon cake (Dh150/8-inch cake). SugarMoo will deliver to your home, office or iftar gathering. Call 800 78 427.

Cocosia

The home-grown artisan chocolate shop has created a special line of dates and chocolates for Ramadan. The handmade chocolates are designed by the Cocosia team with Ramadan images and messages. The dates come filled with a variety of nuts and fruits. To add your own personal touch, Cocosia will also design bespoke assortments of chocolates or dates. Call 04 395 0977.

Yogurtland

The self-serve frozen yogurt shop Yogurtland has a new addition to its menu – the Vanilla Date Shake blends medjool dates, vanilla from Madagascar and a touch of molasses. And, of course, the yogurt is topped with fresh dates. Available at Yogurtland in The Dubai Mall from iftar to 3am and in Boxpark from iftar to 1am. Price by weight. Visit www.facebook.com/YogurtlandDubai.

Molten Me

Dig into Molten Me’s three new flavours of lava cakes: a chocolate base with halawa centre; lemon with panna cotta; and white chocolate saffron. Dh20 per jar. Molten Me is on Muroor Road in Abu Dhabi (02 443 5542) and on Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah, Dubai (04 343 1310).

Roberto Cavalli Chocolates

Have you tried Roberto Cavalli’s new line of chocolates yet? They come individually wrapped or in giraffe- or zebra-print boxes. Flavours include sesame gianduja cream and salt, coconut and vanilla, crunchy almond praline, peanut, mint, cinnamon, and chilli pepper. Prices start at Dh45 for a box of four. Also available loose at Dh325 for 500g. Cavalli Caffe is at The Beach, JBR. Call 04 551 9671.

Häagen-Dazs

The popular ice-cream shop has introduced special desserts including the Ramadan Delight (Dh135) – three tiers of different ice-cream flavours with nuts, brownies, Arabian pastries, fruits and melted chocolate; Arabic Sensation (Dh44), warm kunafa in light sugar syrup, filled with pistachios and topped with two scoops of cream and vanilla ice cream; and sorbet refresher (Dh36) in lemon and mint or raspberry and mint. Each refresher is a blend of two scoops of sorbet with sparkling water and crushed ice. Available at all Häagen-Dazs outlets throughout Ramadan.

Yoku Moku

Try Yoku Moku's new collection of its beloved baked and rolled butter cookies, designed especially for Ramadan. Choose from unique gift boxes – Ramadan Kiri or Arabesque – that come adorned with a different Arabian motif. Or opt for one of their special arrangements on a gold or silver tray: both double as table centrepieces. Both boxes and trays cost from Dh110. Visit www.yokumokugulf.com.

Garrett Popcorn Shops

Garrett Popcorn Shops have introduced a special Ramadan flavour: Cardamom CaramelCrisp. Chefs have created the new taste by infusing cardamom into Garrett Popcorn's signature CaramelCrisp flavour. Available only during the holy month at The Dubai Mall and Yas Mall branches. Dh15 for a small bag; Dh130 for a one-gallon tin. Visit garrettpopcornuae.com.

Love Doughnuts

This specialty doughnut shop with two locations in Abu Dhabi has come up with four new doughnuts in honour of Ramadan: a red velvet cheesecake doughnut dipped in white chocolate and tope with hibiscus crumbles; a red velvet doughnut filled with vanilla cream, dipped in white chocolate and drizzled with strawberry sauce; a saffron and custard doughnut and a date and tahini doughnut cup. Dh14 each. Guardian Towers on Muroor Road, 02 446 6240; World Trade Centre Mall, ground level, 02 446 6230.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Stop in at Dunkin' Donuts and grab one (or more) of their special star- and crescent-shaped donuts in honour of Ramadan. Available at all Dunkin' Donuts outlets across the UAE, these blue and white donuts are just Dh5 each. Visit www.dunkindonutsuae.com.

sjohnson@thenational.ae

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

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Price, base: From Dh77,900
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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
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Who's who in Yemen conflict

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

SERIES INFO

Schedule:
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
1st ODI, Wed Apr 10
2nd ODI, Fri Apr 12
3rd ODI, Sun Apr 14
4th ODI, Sun Apr 16

UAE squad
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Zimbabwe squad
Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
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

if you go

The flights

Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.

The tour

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.

The%20specs
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Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."

Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell 

Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."

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

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Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami

NEW ARRIVALS

Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
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Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m 

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Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

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Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
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Women:
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series information

Pakistan v Dubai

First Test, Dubai International Stadium

Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11

Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20          

 Play starts at 10am each day

 

Teams

 Pakistan

1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza

 Australia

1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland

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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Other must-tries

Tomato and walnut salad

A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.

Badrijani nigvzit

A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.

Pkhali

This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):

Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE

Match is on BeIN Sports

Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com

The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5