Celebrities ranging from comic Cedric The Entertainer to singer and actor Farhan Akhtar will headline Abu Dhabi Summer Season when it returns in July. The star-studded line-up boasts comedy acts, musicals, concerts, cartoon shows and a circus, at a variety of venues, including Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and du Forum on Yas Island.
Regional talent
Lebanese diva Myriam Fares, whose Instagram has been flooded with images of her baby since he was born in February, will perform around Eid Al Fitr.
Arabic comedy nights are scheduled for September, and will be led by Emirati Bin Baz, whose 2.8 million Instagram followers are huge fans of his slapstick videos, along with Saudi pranksters Fadi Al Shehri, Ibrahim Saleh and Ibrahim Khairallah. Also making an appearance will be Kuwaiti comedian and actor Tariq Al Ali. Emirati comedian Taim Al Falasi, who has her own internet radio show and YouTube channel, will also appear, supported by Saudi YouTube stars Darin Al Bayed, Rajae Qawas and Fahad Albutairi.
International stars
A host of funny men will come together for Comedy Get Down on September 9 – expect to see Cedric The Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, D H Hughley, George Lopez and Charlie Murphy present their latest gags.
British illusionist Jamie Raven, who won over the audience of Britain's Got Talent in May last year, when his sleight of hand added a caricature of judge Simon Cowell to a £50 note, makes his Middle East debut on July 8 and 9.
On August 19, Hollywood comedy veteran Marlon Wayans arrives as part of his Scandal-less tour.
Coming to the stage for a family musical extravaganza are Alvin & the Chipmunks. The Abu Dhabi debut will see the much-loved characters performing their trademark high-pitched renditions of pop hits by the likes of One Direction, Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera and Elvis Presley, as they try to outwit arch nemesis Ian Hawke.
Other popular offerings for children include Hello Kitty and the Dinosaur Show.
Indian acts
Bollywood gets a large slice of the action this year. Singer Shaan returns for an August 11 gig, while actor, scriptwriter, musician and singer Farhan Akhtar, who has starred in blockbusters including Rock On!! (2008) and last year's Dil Dhadakne Do, will headline the music concert Farhan Live! on August 12. The same day, musicians Vishal and Shekhar will perform some of their newest Bollywood chart-toppers. Musical trio Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy follow with a gig on August 13. Television comedian Kapil Sharma will also be in town for a stand-up performance. Organisers will be hoping to tap into the strong Indian tourism market in Abu Dhabi – last summer, the largest increase in visitor numbers was among those from India, with a rise of nearly 30 per cent. There has been an overall increase of 21 per cent since 2014 in the number of Indian visitors.
Family fun
A welcome new addition to this year’s line up is the family festival Fun Nation, which will run at the du Forum on Yas Island from July 14 until August 6. It will present mini-shows for young children, hosted by cartoon favourites Shaun the Sheep, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. Adults, meanwhile, get to indulge in video-gaming, cooking, sports and fashion shopping. Watch out for celebrity appearances, too.
Youth appeal
Teenagers and young adults, do not despair – there’s more on offer besides colourful cartoon shows and circus acts. Launching on August 11 at du Forum is The District, a space dedicated to a month-long mini festival of shows and workshops on innovation, entertainment, technology, fashion, digital media, health, science, nutrition and sustainability. Each weekend will feature a separate showcase of guests conducting classes and informal talks.
• Abu Dhabi Summer Season runs from July 7 to September 11. The full schedule of programmes will be announced at a later date on abudhabisummerseason.ae
artslife@thenational.ae
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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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.
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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 President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20with%2048V%20mild%20hybrid%20system%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E544hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20at%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh700%2C000%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Elate%20November%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
