The Louvre Abu Dhabi might not be open yet, but the historic museum is already making a seismic contribution to the emirate’s cultural scene.
Wednesday, March 16, will see the world premiere of two new orchestral pieces, specially commissioned to mark the continuing relationship between the UAE and France, home of the world’s most-visited museum.
The concert, which will take place overlooking the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s already iconic dome, symbolically features the debut of works by leading Emirati composer Faisal Al Saari and French musician Bruno Mantovani.
Germany’s renowned, 120-piece Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester (youth orchestra) will be tasked with bringing these pieces vividly to life, under conductor Christoph Eschenbach.
A special purpose-built stage has been set up on the edge of the Louvre construction site. Raised seating for up to 1,000 guests has been erected in the Manarat Al Saadiyat car park, with the dome sitting behind the stage from this vantage.
Meanwhile, a big screen will broadcast images of the iconic building. To the audience's right sits the sea – and, fittingly, the concert will close with Debussy's masterpiece, La Mer.
While the weather forecast was fine at the time of press, organisers have confirmed there is a “plan B” in place, were the recent spate of bad weather to make an unwelcome return.
Zayed’s Dream
Offered what might be the most high-profile orchestral commission ever granted to an Emirati, Al Saari chose to dedicate his piece to the father of the nation, Sheikh Zayed.
He called it Zayed's Dream because he believes seeing the Louvre Abu Dhabi sprout from the sands of Saadiyat would have been a dream come true for the founder of the United Arab Emirates.
“Sheikh Zayed spent his life making us happy, and making this country one of the best in the world – this was his dream,” says the 42-year-old composer.
"Anything that makes us successful and unique would be a dream for Zayed – that's why I called it Zayed's Dream."
A celebrated oud player, Al Saari will appear on stage to perform his composition, which pits him as a soloist in dialogue with the orchestra.
The work incorporates traditional UAE melodies and scales, and will also be performed alongside a 10-piece Emirati percussion section to emphasise the region’s unique rhythms.
While the orchestra is limited to a 12-note western musical palette, Al Saari’s own parts will make use of the quarter tones which characterise Arabic music.
Inspired by the concerto form – but not strictly tied to its formal conventions – the 18-minute work is split into three movements which each represent a different stage in the UAE’s history.
The first, says Al Saari, is inspired by the early days of the union, in the 1970s and 1980s.
“In the beginning, it was a big challenge, and many people said the union would not last, it was not easy for Sheikh Zayed and all the rulers. I put my feelings of this into the music,” says Al Saari, who uses sudden switches of harmonic key to create a sense of change and unease, as well as quoting from classic Emirati songs to create a sense of nostalgia.
The second movement takes on the sombre mood of a mass to reflect Zayed’s death.
“He’s our father and founder, we love him so much,” says Al Saari.
“His death was a disaster for us; we cannot forget it. When we remember that day, we get sad, and this piece represents that.”
The third movement addresses the contemporary climate, and looks to the future of the nation. “You will feel the challenges we face, as well as our achievements and our successes,” adds the composer.
The performance will be filmed live, and is likely to be made available as a commemorative package to visitors of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
It is a fitting showcase for Zayed's Dream, which represents a significant achievement in integrating Emirati musical traditions with western classical music. "It's the first time an Emirati has reached this level, the first time our heritage is going to be played by a full orchestra," says Al Saari, who takes the responsibility firmly in his stride.
“I feel that I am lucky, but I am ready for it,” he adds. “But are the people ready for this kind of challenge? This is the question.”
• Universal Expressions: Inspired by Louvre takes place Wednesday, March 16, at 8pm at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Tickets cost from Dh80 (Dh30 for students) at www.ticketmaster.ae
rgarratt@thenational.ae
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
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Price: Dh359,000
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."