Check out the exhibition Code and Portraits of the Middle-Way

See the exhibition Code, in which Iraqi artist Serwan Baran, and Cheikhou Ba, from Senegal, use creatures, figures, shapes and numbers to create two and three-dimensional artworks infused with coded messages. The artists challenge the viewer to decipher their overt and obscured messages, which are embedded in fantastical scenes. From 10am to 7pm, The Mojo Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 04 347 7388, www.themojogallery.com.

Explore Portraits of the Middle-Way. The exhibition, by artist Olivia Pendergast, presents work painted in two African countries – Malawi and Kenya – and focuses on portraits of people from Kawangware slum and a rural village in Malawi. Pictured above is the work, Mother with Child. From 10am to 6pm, Showcase Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 04 379 0940, www.showcaseuae.com.

Sign up for the Island Landscape Painting course and learn how to compose and create oil paintings. The four-week course on Mondays, will be at Dolphin Island. The fee includes all art materials and transport from Yas Marina to the island by boat. Open to all skill levels. Starts September 28 and runs every Monday until October 19, 9am to 1pm, Dh3,500, 055 145 4595 or email mccobb@hotmail.com.

Get active and join #WalkWithMeUAE, a series of mini-walks hosted by Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, in the lead up to the annual diabetes awareness walkathon – Walk 2015 – at Yas Marina Circuit on November 13. Walks held on Mondays (7pm, Al Jaheli Park, Al Ain); Tuesdays (TrainYAS, 6:30pm, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi); Wednesdays (women only – GoYAS, 6:30pm, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi); for all (7pm, Al Gharbiya Public Park, Madinat Zayed); and Saturdays (8am, Abu Dhabi Mall; 7pm, Mushrif Park, Abu Dhabi), www.walk2015.com.

Get your tickets to see Al Murray. Best known as The Pub Landlord, the British comedian returns to Dubai for a live stand-up show, One Man, One Guvnor. October 2, doors open at 6pm, show starts at 8pm, from Dh300, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, www.platinumlist.net.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Almnssa

Started: August 2020

Founder: Areej Selmi

Based: Gaza

Sectors: Internet, e-commerce

Investments: Grants/private funding

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.”