Whether you want to shop, dine, relax or check out art exhibitions – there is a lot happening across the Emirates this weekend. We round up some of the best Eid events to check out.
Food Deals
Abu Dhabi brunch
Al Raha Beach Hotel is offering a Middle Eastern, European and Asian brunch at Sevilla restaurant on the second day of Eid. For Dh234 a person, guests can savour traditional dishes, including ouzi, kebabs and kabsa, and there will be games and activities to keep the children entertained. For Dh354, guests can also take advantage of the hotel’s facilities, including the beach and pool access for the day.
• www.alrahabeach.danathotels.com
Food Deals
Dubai Eid lunch
Arabic restaurant Ewaan, at the Palace Downtown, is serving up a modern take on a traditional menu for Eid Al Fitr. Authentic flavours from the region will be presented while guests dine at tables with pool and garden views. Lunch, which costs Dh225, will be served from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and a dinner menu, costing Dh275, will be available from 7pm to 11.30pm.
• www.addresshotels.com
Food Deals
Sharjah’s sharing celebration
Usher in Eid with communal brunch at the Cote Jardin restaurant in Sharjah’s Coral Beach Resort. The festive buffet will be available on the second and third days of Eid, from 12.30pm until 4pm. For Dh125 per person, diners can enjoy traditional Arabic fare and international dishes. Children under 6 years of age eat for free, and guests attending the brunch can enter a raffle to win a one gram gold coin.
• www.facebook.com/CBRsharjah/
Family Fun
F1 drive time
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will keep its doors open through the night on Sunday to celebrate Eid Al Fitr. As part of the park’s FreeView season, guests will have free access to a rollercoaster rally and can enjoy musical entertainment from four DJs. The new Turbo Track ride has also opened in time for Eid, and those brave enough, are invited to strap themselves in for a vertical climb before a zero-gravity fall. Small children can receive driving instructions in fun-sized 430 GT Spider cars and race around a purpose-built track. Tickets range from Dh125 to Dh175 for general admission.
• www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com
Family Fun
Dining with dinosaurs
The world’s largest indoor theme park, IMG Worlds of Adventure, has plenty of fun for the whole family over Eid. There will be live music performances, special appearances and interactive shows for children. Visitors can explore the prehistoric world of dinosaurs in the Lost Valley, and enjoy rides based on characters from the Cartoon Network and Marvel comics. The venue also has a wide range of shopping and dining options in its central zone of the site. Ticket prices range from Dh150 to Dh440 for a day pass. The park will be open from 11am to midnight from Sunday until June 28.
• www.imgworlds.com
Family Fun
Junior kids’ camp
Starting on Sunday, indoor play and entertainment centre Kids HQ will host what it is calling the “best camp in town” for 3 to 8-year-olds. Parents can drop off their children for a day for Dh85, or book them in for seven-day programmes from Dh60 a day. In addition to assault courses and soft-play games, interactive workshops for children this summer include arts and crafts, painting and gymnastics. Visit the venue on Umm Suqeim Road in Dubai’s Al Barsha 2 from 8.30am to 7pm, Sunday to Wednesday; 8.30am to 8pm, Thursday to Sunday; and 10am to 8pm on Fridays.
• www.kidshq.ae/kids-hq
Family Fun
Overnight zoo stay
Emirates Park Zoo and Resort in Abu Dhabi is offering Eid Al Fitr room rates starting from Dh518 per night, including taxes, for two adults and a child. Book one of 27 family villas with views of the giraffe park. During the day, guests can learn about more than 1,800 species of wildlife during an interactive tour with an expert keeper. Activities for children and adults include elephant feeding, a petting zoo, plus educational shows and presentations. Additional resort features include a swimming pool with slides, water chutes and a waterfall area.
• www.emiratesparkzooandresort.com
Family Fun
Food market tour
The much-anticipated new fish market recently opened in Dubai, making it the perfect place to shop for your Eid meals – or simply enjoy the sights and sounds. The venue spans about 100,000 square metres and features hundreds of vendors selling everything you might need, from fresh fruit and vegetables to meat, seafood and catches of the day. Expected to attract more than 500,000 visitors a month, the Waterfront Market replaced the Deira Fish Market, a traditional trading hub that stood on the site for almost 60 years. The sleek and modern attraction, near Hamriya Port, is open during the week from 10am to 10pm for retail, and 9am to 11pm for restaurants. Retailers are open on weekends from 10am to 11pm, and 9am to midnight for all dining establishments.
• www.waterfrontmarket.ae
Shopping
24-hour mega sale
Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi will open for 24 hours during Eid Al Fitr. Starting at 10am on Sunday and finishing at 10am the following day, more than 300 brands will be discounted by up to 90 per cent as part of the mall’s mega sale. Most stores will remain open around the clock, with many holding hourly specials after midnight, including Geant, Home Centre, Hamley’s, House of Fraser, Tryano, Vox Cinemas, Fun Works and Ace Hardware. Other activities include live entertainment, games for children and prize draws for Etihad flights and a Tesla car.
• www.yasmall.ae
Shopping
Arab fashion showcase
Head to the Dubai Design District (d3) from Saturday to Wednesday to check out seasonal and celebratory collections by regional labels, including Blanc 8.3. The contemporary label, known for supporting humanitarian causes through design, will display a range of Eid abayas and post-Ramadan kaftans. Accessories-wise there will be creations by Gafla Jewellery reflecting the UAE’s heritage in gold, diamonds and gemstones. And on the furniture front, Saudi designer Aya Al Bitar’s contemporary pieces this month include modern Quran and prayer stands.
• www.dubaidesigndistrict.com
Shopping
Home comforts
Swedish retailer Ikea is helping to furnish UAE homes with tableware and soft furnishings for Eid festivities. Stores in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will stock the new Hemmafest collection, which features Middle Eastern-inspired decorative crockery, cups, bowls and serving dishes. Also included in the limited-edition range are cushions, throws and floor seating in textiles drawn from Arabic art works. Other items on sale this month include Eid accessories for the home and garden, ranging from quilt covers to plant pot stands.
• www.ikea.com
Art & Culture
Al Ain exhibitions
Artists from across the UAE will exhibit works including from collages, pop art, and comics and animation installations at Al Qattara Arts Centre until July 29. An ongoing exhibition, which runs until August 31, is also being held at Al Jahili Fort and features artefacts pertaining to the Trucial Scouts. Entry is free.
• For opening hours and full details, visit www.abudhabievents.ae
Art & Culture
Local artist spotlight
Ductac, in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, is hosting an exhibition called Ramadanization 2017 until Tuesday. It features the works of local artists who have explored the spiritual practices and traditions of Ramadan around the world. Open from 9am until 10pm, entry is free.
• www.ductac.org/index.php
Art & Culture
Arabic music and dance
BurJuman in Dubai will celebrate four days of Eid with a variety of daily activities and performances from 7pm and 11pm. Visitors will be offered Arabic calligraphy henna tattoos, and there will be face painting, pottery classes and lantern decorating for children. There will also be a traditional oud player and tanoura every night.
• www.burjuman.com
RESULT
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 Manchester United 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
Oppenheimer
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon
Rating: 5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
