Outdoor markets are back in business all over the country, from Umm Al Emarat Park to Yas Marina. Afshan Ahmed and Christine Iyer browse the coolest items on sale at some of the popular weekend bazaars.
Abu Dhabi
Ripe Food and Craft Market
Fashion on wheels
Dubai business Diamonds Glow is behind this small van that doubles as a portable boutique. Owned by Emirati entrepreneur and fashion designer Azza Al Marar, the van’s interior is stocked with racks of jalabiyas, abayas and jumpsuits, with prices starting at Dh250. Elegant evening gowns – beautifully appliqued and embroidered – are on sale, too, and cost up to Dh3,000. There is a changing area in the back of the curtain-draped, air-conditioned cubicle, and a comfy chair to lounge in while deciding what you want to buy. The van can also come to your door to offer tailor-made designs in the privacy of your home.
• WhatsApp 050 662 7611 or visit their Facebook page
Abu Dhabi
Hide and seek
Every child needs one of these handmade tepees. The Polish-designed tents are made of soft linen and cotton fabric, draped over five lightwood poles that fold away into a neat bundle when not is use. At about 6 feet tall, they are available in a variety of colours, including bold blue stripes, fuchsia, and beige emblazoned with white stars. The tepees are safe, sturdy and suitable, the seller says, for “kids between the ages of 3 and 103”. They make great place to play, read, hide – or simply take a nap. Prices start at Dh580, including a canvas cover-bag.
• www.malucoworld.com
Abu Dhabi
Wild things
Of Icelandic design, these cute geometric candles melt away to reveal a wilder side: aluminium skeletons that serve as funky desk decorations long after the wax has gone. Choose from rabbits, birds, cats and reindeer in various colours. Each candle costs Dh180 and burns for up to 20 hours. Smaller versions are available, too. Stocked by Dubai-based merchants Urbanscamp.
• www.scamp.littlemajlis.com; @urbanscamp on instagram.
Abu Dhabi
La Loupe at Anantara Eastern Mangroves
Feet a-flutter
We covet every single pair in this gorgeous collection of handmade slippers and sandals by Indian brand Flutter Footwear. Designs vary, with materials ranging from leather to fabric, embellished with rhinestones, tiny bells and colourful pompoms. The soft soles and gold fabric-covered straps keep your feet comfortable – and at Dh150 per pair, the price doesn’t hurt either. Add Dh15 for delivery of online purchases.
• www.facebook.com/flutterfootwear
Abu Dhabi
Face time
Get your hands on some fragrant sandalwood face-mask powder. It is just one of dozens of organic cosmetic products from Indian Earthy Naturals, a certified green company. The sandalwood is easy to use as a face pack: it forms a paste when mixed with rosewater (normal skin), beaten yogurt (oily skin), or milk (dry skin). Men can try soothing shaving cream with organic aloe vera as the prime ingredient, perfect for irritated skin, nicks and cuts. The sandalwood powder costs from Dh95 for 50g, the shaving cream from Dh75 for 90g. While you’re at it, stock up on the buttery all-natural lip balms, Dh20 each. Shipping extra for online purchases.
• indianearthynaturals.com
Abu Dhabi
Home stretch
Origins Collective is a business in Dubai that does brisk trade in bold linen cushion covers, bean cubes and plaques featuring stylised iconic prints, featuring characters such as BB-8 from Stars Wars: The Force Awakens, Wonder Woman and Breaking Bad’s Walter White. Various sizes are available and prices range from Dh130-Dh150, with discounts for multiple purchases. Delivery charges apply for online purchases.
• www.originscollective.com
Dubai
Food Truck Jam at Emirates Golf Club
Wooden Timepieces
Style and eco-friendliness is a trendy combination. La Candelaria has a range of watches and sunglasses made from recycled natural wood from Colombia. The earthy colours, such as those found in the sunglasses made from the heart of the Chontaduro tree from tropical rainforests, and the natural design of the material makes each piece unique. The wood comes from reclaimed furniture and hardwood flooring. Cases are made of rubber from airplane tyres. Prices start from Dh280.
• Follow @lacandelariauae on Instagram
Dubai
Gitano Men’s Shirts
Produced in Sharjah, Gitano shirts – which might put you in the mood for booking a holiday to the Bahamas or Hawaii – are designed by Sri Lankan national Gayashan Wijayasinghe. When he could not find anything on the market that reflected his personality, Wijayasinghe says he began creating his own apparel. Now he sells them at the market for Dh150.
• Follow @gitanoshirts on Instagram
Dubai
AFH Designs
Feel at one with the ocean thanks to delicate pieces of jewellery by Farida Abushady. The designer has a pop-up shop in Cairo and has recently started selling her wares in Dubai. Her new collection includes wing-shaped earrings made of seashells and hand carved in Bali. They can be worn as a singlet or a pair. Lucky charm wrist wraps, with ceramic lockets on Indian silk, double up as chokers. Earrings cost from Dh150, silk wraps from Dh100.
Dubai
Ripe Market in Dubai
Himalayan Salt Lamps
Purify the air in your house with a Himalayan Salt lamp, which doubles up as a pretty bedside showpiece or centrepiece in the living room. The salt rock absorbs water molecules and accompanying bacteria from the environment, and the heat from the light bulb causes the water to evaporate, trapping dust particles. The lamps are particularly good in households where someone has asthma and for people with chronic lung conditions that are adversely affected by breathing in lots of positive ions given off by electronics. The lamps absorbs these ions and releases negative ions along with water vapour back into the air. The lamps are sold by Vander Built Furniture and prices start from Dh100. Call 050 254 9923.
Dubai
Kirigami Pop-Up Cards
Kirigami is an Japanese art form similar to origami but involves cutting paper as well as folding. The craft is used by Arkadieva in Dubai to make pop-up cards for any occasion. Be it the Burj Khalifa on a card for a business event or a cartoon character for a children’s party, the company can make just about anything using a computer programme and laser printer, with the pieces assembled by the three women who run the company. Cards can take up to eight hours to create. Prices start at Dh30.
• www.facebook.com/arkadievaC/
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How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
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Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
RESULTS
Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.
Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.
Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.
Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0
Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.
Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
The view from The National
Greatest Royal Rumble match listing
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 246hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 365Nm @ 1,200rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain
Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
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LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- 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
More coverage from the Future Forum
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
