If you’re staying in the UAE throughout December to enjoy the winter sun, there’s lots of festive fun to be had for all the family – particularly the youngest members.
After previous years of cancellations, winter markets and festivals are back in 2021, with the chance to chill out without getting chilly at street parades and stage shows, art installations and winter gardens.
This year there’s plenty on offer to keep children entertained, including gingerbread house decorating, an immersive art show that whisks them off to the North Pole, plus plenty of chances to meet Santa Claus across the emirate.
If you’re missing the cold, head to perennial favourites, Ski Dubai and Dubai Ice Rink to get your chill on, while the Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market, returning after last year’s absence, is the perfect place for the whole family to really get into the spirit of things.
Here are 11 places to visit, activities, shows and parades to entertain children this Christmas …
Winter Garden, Habtoor Palace Dubai
Back by popular demand, the Winter Garden at Al Habtoor City is packed with fun and entertainment for children this festive season.
Open until March 31, 2022 families can stroll around admiring the lights and decorations, and children and adults alike will enjoy the street entertainment, including artists, choirs and acrobats.
Food and beverage stalls offer an array of festive delights such as gingerbread men and hot chocolate, while children can enjoy spotting Santa as he makes regular appearances for photos opportunities.
Habtoor Palace Dubai; 5pm-midnight; alhabtoorcity.com
Winter Wonderland, Ski Dubai
If you’re not jetting off somewhere cold, Ski Dubai is the next best thing.
When they’re not busy throwing snowballs, children will be in their element with plenty of entertainment on offer, including the snow park, movies screened at the snow cinema, and activities such as building a snowman and a ride on the chairlifts. Not to mention the chance to meet the big man himself before enjoying a hot drink in Santa’s Alpine village.
Mall of the Emirates; December 1-25; Sunday-Thursday 10am-midnight, Friday and Saturday 9am-midnight; from Dh125; skidxb.com
Gingerbread house workshop, Raffles Dubai
Guaranteed to hold their attention for far longer than an episode of Paw Patrol, enrolling the children in a gingerbread house making workshop will not only keep them entertained, but they also get to bring home a yummy treat for the family.
The pastry chefs at Raffles Dubai will be on hand to teach children how to construct their own little house, complete with icing and sweets decoration.
December 12-18; 3pm-5pm; Dh85 per child or free for one child when accompanied by an adult who is having afternoon tea (Dh180); www.raffles.com/dubai
Christmas magic, Expo 2020 Dubai
Not content with being the world’s greatest show, Expo 2020 is also putting on a series of festive events for families with children.
Head to the Lebanon Pavilion on Saturday to experience a magical event aimed for children hosted by Michel Khairallah. There will be arts and crafts, painting and balloon animal making, as well as live entertainment and plenty of magic tricks.
December 11; 4pm-10pm; event included in Expo 2020 entry price; www.expo2020dubai.com
Theatre of Digital Art, Souk Madinat Jumeirah
Already a must-visit for art lovers of all ages, this festive season, ToDA is bringing Christmas to life for children.
The acclaimed digital team has put together an immersive 15-minute Christmas-themed digital multimedia show this winter for anyone hoping to experience a white Christmas without the need for hats and scarves.
Children will find themselves inside a realistic winter scene complete with snow-covered forests, ice palaces and trees made of lollipops, while live actors are on-hand to create the ideal North Pole atmosphere.
Festive workshops will be held at weekends.
Souk Madinat Jumeirah; until January 20, 2022; 11am-1.30pm; Dh60 per adult, Dh50 per child or Dh100 for a combo ticket for one adult and one child; www.toda.ae
Festive Ripe Market, Academy Park
Family favourite weekend destination Ripe Market isn’t just for shopping, as there are plenty of things for children to enjoy too .
As well as the usual array of stalls and food and beverage outlets, children can pay a visit to Santa’s grotto, join in wreath-making workshops, as well as decorate gingerbread houses, all to the soundtrack of festive music.
Umm Suqeim; until December 25; Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm; ripeme.com
Floating Toy Factory, Times Square Centre
If you’re stuck for ideas to entertain, head to Times Square Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road to let children try their hand at toy making.
Also meet Santa at his grotto, before getting the chance to sit in a real sleigh (reindeers not included).
At the Floating Toy Factory, children can meet Mrs Claus in the arts and crafts space and take home a toy made from recycled materials.
Until January 2, 2022; 10am-6pm; timessquarecenter.ae
Winter Camp in the Rainforest, The Green Planet Dubai
Open for children aged 5 to 10, the Winter Camp in the Rainforest at The Green Planet Dubai gives them the chance to spend their December holiday learning about nature and the planet with an array of themed daily activities.
Animal encounters with birds, bats, sloths and sugar gliders, nature-inspired arts and crafts, games and treasure hunts, plus explorations into the heart of the bio-dome are all part of the camp.
Children can take along a packed lunch or dine at The Green Planet Cafe. Lunch is Dh35 per day or Dh140 per week.
December 12-29; Sunday-Wednesday, 9am-2pm; Dh250 per day or Dh750 for a week; thegreenplanetdubai.com
Dubai Ice Rink, The Dubai Mall
If you’re missing the cold weather, get a chilly fix at the Dubai Ice Rink.
Head to the mall with your children and let them loose on the ice as they twirl beneath the snow created by the snow machines which regularly pump out falling flakes.
And don’t worry if your child is new to skating as there is an array of aids to choose from, including seals, snowmen and penguins, which they can hold onto as they find their ice-legs.
Open daily; Sunday-Wednesday 10am-10pm, Thursday-Friday 10am-midnight; tickets from Dh85; dubaiicerink.com
Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market
The family favourite market returns to the popular destination with plenty of activities and entertainment for children.
Wander around the stalls, with many toys on offer, before hopping aboard the North Pole train ride for a chugga-chugga choo-choo around the market.
A live band is on hand playing seasonal tunes, and previous years have featured a faux snowball arena as well as a traditional carousel. There’s also the chance to win an abra ride with Santa.
Madinat Jumeirah; December 16-30; Sunday-Wednesday 3pm till late, Thursday-Saturday 12pm till late; jumeirah.com
Snow arena, festive parade and stage show, La Mer
If you thought La Mer beachfront was only about the sand and sea, think again. This festive season, La Mer Central is being transformed into a snow arena for children aged 3 to 12 to enjoy.
Head along with the family and children can enjoy 20 minutes in the arena (from December 12-28) making snowballs and snow angels to their heart’s content.
There will also be a daily festive parade involving acrobats, dancers and jugglers, and a festive elf stage show (twice daily from December 19-28), with the streets of La Mer decked out in Christmas lights.
Jumeirah 1; December 12-28; children's snow arena 2pm-10pm, entry free with a minimum spend of Dh100 at any La Mer outlet; festive parade, Sunday–Thursday 5pm and 7pm, Friday–Saturday, 7pm and 9pm; festive stage show, Sunday–Thursday 5.30pm and 7.30pm, Friday–Saturday, 7.30pm and 9.30pm
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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.”
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
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