ABU DHABI // An international conference on localised architecture will be held at the Al Qattara Arts Centre in Al Ain next week.
The three-day conference, which begins on Monday, is being hosted by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
The annual summit on vernacular architecture - design based on localised needs and construction materials, reflecting local traditions - is being held in an Arab country for the first time.
The theme is Sense of Place in a Heritage of Vernacular Buildings amid a Fast-Changing Environment, and related topics will be discussed by experts and organisations presenting research papers.
The annual meeting of the International Committee of Vernacular will be held on the sidelines of the conference.
The committee is an affiliate of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which specialises in issues related to vernacular architecture, the concepts behind it and the best ways to protect it.
The council is also organising an international camp for documenting vernacular architecture until Saturday.
Twenty student architects and professionals from around the world are taking part in the event, which is being held at Camp Vernadoc, one of Al Ain's historical buildings.
They comprise 10 UAE nationals representing government institutions and 10 from other countries.
The participants will document vernacular buildings in Al Ain in architectural drawings, which will then be displayed as part of a special exhibition at the Al Qattara Arts Centre.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.