When an email has the words “aerogels and edible luminescence” in its title, you can’t help but be intrigued. Within lie more fantastical descriptors: “super-light delicacies formed using Nasa technology; flavour-changing desserts; glow-in-the dark culinary creations."
It all starts to make a bit more sense when I read the two names associated with this Future of Food: Epochal Banquet dining experience: Expo 2020 Dubai, that ultimate platform of world firsts, and Bompas & Parr, a company that specialises in putting together multisensory experiences – think edible fireworks, an all-blue food menu and the world’s lightest dessert.
It’s that last bit – created using aerogel, the world's lightest solid – that diners in Dubai will probably get to sample, among other yet-to-be-revealed dishes.
“One of the dishes on the Expo 2020 menu is [made of] aerogels treated using super-critical dryers to create an egg albumen. This forms a meringue-like base, which has an almost desiccating feel on the tongue,” Sam Bompas, co-founder of Bompas & Parr, tells The National. “It may sound strange, but there is a lot of research that shows humans can enjoy eating almost anything when presented within the right context.
“That an aerogel matrix was used by Nasa [on the Stardust mission in 1999] to collect virgin comet dust for the first time in human history, is very inspiring. And it’s wonderful to be able to telescope a culinary experience from a planetary level.”
Technology-infused dishes – inspired not only by space and microbiology, but also artificial intelligence and hyperintelligence – are at the heart of the two-hour dining experience that will launch at Expo 2020 Dubai later this year.
“The experience will begin with a drinks reception after which guests will enter a culinary universe that is set 300 years in the future,” says Bompas. “The whole meal is structured around the vision of James Lovelock, an extraordinary scientist, on the changing relationship between humanity, plants and artificial intelligence. Basically, the coming age of hyperintelligence.”
In a nutshell, Lovelock’s hypothesis states that 300 years from now, AI will be thinking 10,000 times faster than humans, which is about the same rate of difference between humans and plants.
These AI "beings" will look upon us as we look upon flora, yet will be equally dependent on the health of the planet and, according to Lovelock, 102, partner up with humans to defend it.
“So unlike a Terminator-type scenario, AI is not going to wipe out humans. Rather, this theory allows us to create quite an optimistic vision for the future,” says Bompas.
The dining experience at Expo will explore how humans and AI can combine to sustainably feed a growing population and tackle food waste, as well as the implications for future nutrition.
One dish that the studio is looking to create, for example, is defined by “super nature”. This is a theory used by a group of soil scientists to simulate environments at any point in human history – both prehistory and the future – and then projecting what the environment might be like 300 years later and creating the herbs that might be found in those conditions.
“There has been a lot of nervousness around it, but many scientists see it as an extension of a toolkit that farmers have been using for millennia to successively improve crop yield, and just getting better at that,” says Bompas.
“Having debates around this can start shaping opinions and a climate towards which we, as humanity, are more likely to be successful. If there ever were a time to address this, it certainly is now; this has been the rainiest August I have ever seen in Britain, there are wildfires raging, the most unusual of weather events have been reported and, of course, there is the pandemic.”
While this all sounds sufficiently serious, Bompas assures that the Future of Food: Epochal Banquet dining experience is first and foremost about delicious food and gracious hospitality.
“There’s not a thing we're putting on the table without having done at least five tastings. The way to think about this production is like we're putting together a restaurant, a theatrical meal, a piece of theatre, a museum and, hopefully, the best night of your life.
“This meal is the most ambitious thing we’ve had the opportunity to work on,” he says. “An Expo is about innovation. So we’re taking inspiration from past world fairs, in which many food items that no one had ever tasted before were pioneered, including things we take for granted now, from tomato ketchup to ice-cream cones to hot dog buns.
“Our question was what can we present here that may be normal in 10 or 100 years’ time, but that today will infuse people with awe and magic?”
Tickets to The Future of Food: Epochal Banquet by Bompas & Parr cost Dh550 and will be available from expo2020dubai.com from later this year. The experience is not suitable for guests under 14 and features strobe lighting that may affect those with sensory sensitivities
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Manchester City, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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
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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
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
The%20specs
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
'Ashkal'
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