One-by-one, the cast of hit TV show Game of Thrones are dropping in on the UAE for high-profile public appearances.
The fantasy drama continues to be one of the hottest offerings on the small screen and its stars are happy to spread the love in the UAE.
Two of the stars are making glitzy media appearances in the country this week alone.
Tonight (October 12), Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark in the blockbuster HBO series, will walk the red carpet at OSN’s season-launch bash, hosted at Dubai’s MusicHall on Palm Jumeirah, after attending a press conference for the event earlier in the day.
And this weekend Irish actor Jack Gleeson – best known as villain Joffrey Baratheon – will appear at the IGN Convention Abu Dhabi, the capital’s first pop-culture and gaming convention, which is at Du Forum on Friday (October 16) and Saturday (October 17).
Next month, celebrity strongman Hafthór Björnsson will follow suit. Known for playing Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in Game of Thrones, the 2.06 metre-tall Icelandic athlete has reportedly been booked as the star attraction at the forthcoming Etisalat Fitness Fest, which will take place at Dubai Autodrome from November 5 to 7.
These latest appearances follow the visit of another fellow cast member, Miltos Yerolemou, known to Game of Thrones fans as sword master Syrio Forel, to the Middle East Film and Comic Con in April.
While his character only appeared in season one of the show, the Greek-Cypriot actor is known for teaching Williams’ character some serious swordsmanship – the same skills Yerolemou shared with fans during the event at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Since its premiere in 2011, Game of Thrones – based on the best-selling series of novels by George R R Martin – has grown into one of the world's most-popular TV dramas, attracting an internationally devoted fan base. The UAE, where it screens on OSN, is no exception. The fifth season ended in June and season 6 is expected to begin in April next year.
Williams will be joined in Dubai tonight on the red carpet (October 12) by The Mask of Zorro star Antonio Banderas, as well as regional celebrities including Arabs Got Talent judge Ahmed Helmy, Saudi YouTube sensation Omar Hussein, and actors Hayat Al Fahad and Abdulmohsin Al Nimer. The event will be hosted by popular Egyptian satirical comedian Bassem Youssef.
This weekend (October 16-17) Gleeson will be joined during the IGN Convention at Du Forum by video game and animation voice-over artists Adam Harrington (Bigby Wolf in The Wolf Among Us video game) and Dave Fennoy (Lee Everett in The Walking Dead game).
This flurry of Game of Thrones activity tops an action-packed week for the UAE's film and TV industry, which is currently enjoying the heady buzz of the continuing Dubai shoots for upcoming blockbuster Star Trek Beyond, and the Jackie Chan movie Kung Fu Yoga. Brad Pitt is also expected this month for filming on his latest movie, War Machine.
The IGN Convention, which runs from 2pm to 10pm on Friday and Saturday (October 16-17), also feature gaming tournaments, a cosplay contest, regional artist showcases, workshops and concerts.
• For tickets and more information on the IGN Convention visit ignconvention.com/ad
rgarratt@thenational.ae
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20Profile
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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.
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
UAE Tour 2020
Stage 1: The Pointe Palm Jumeirah - Dubai Silicon Oasis, 148km
Stage 2: Hatta - Hatta Dam, 168km
Stage 3: Al Qudra Cycle Track - Jebel Hafeet, 184km
Stage 4: Zabeel Park - Dubai City Walk, 173km
Stage 5: Al Ain - Jebel Hafeet, 162km
Stage 6: Al Ruwais - Al Mirfa, 158km
Stage 7: Al Maryah Island - Abu Dhabi Breakwater, 127km
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
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 592bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Price: Dh980,000
On sale: now
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5