It may be one of Sweden’s most famous exports, but spotting an Ikea cafe at the side of the Sweden Pavilion is enough to get a double take from most Expo 2020 Dubai visitors.
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Al-Futtaim Ikea has opened its first stand-alone cafe in the Middle East at Expo 2020 Dubai, and it’s been designed to blend right in to the woodlands-inspired pavilion. That means straight lines, Swedish wood and minimalist signage – a far cry from the bold blue and yellow lettering we’ve grown so accustomed to.
However, inside, fans will find many of the familiar elements that have made Ikea’s restaurant something of an institution (and, yes, that includes meatballs, but sadly not the famous breakfast).
The space inside is minimal – only three tables for dining, a drinks counter, the Food Market for those wanting to pick up their packaged products, a counter serving hot food, and another housing cold dishes such as wraps, salads and desserts. There's a separate station for cutlery, napkins and the like.
It’s all self-serve, too. Guests can simply pick up what they’d like, head to the counter, make the payment and get their dishes on the spot – little to no waiting required – making it a popular spot for those in a rush.
It might take a little more time to choose what you’re getting, though, as Cafe by Ikea Al-Futtaim has some exclusive dishes, not served anywhere else.
During a visit, we spotted some dishes such as a guacamole wrap, pulled salmon burger, Mexican taco salad and slow-cooked rib-eye sandwich.
There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available, easily accounting for about 70 per cent of the menu. Ikea’s chicken pie has been rehashed as a spiced vegetable pie and this branch has seen the return of the plant balls and vegetable hot dog.
We ordered the baked portobello mushrooms (Dh29), an Expo 2020 Dubai exclusive, and were served two large pieces covered in cheese, with a generous side of vegetables, and a vegetable medallion, another new entree featuring potato, cheese and broccoli.
Even the desserts seem slightly elevated. Instead of the usual almond cake or Daim cake we’ve come to expect, here you’ll find options such as the vegan carrot cake, apple crumble with blueberries and almond cake with Daim.
It's also good spot to pick up a cappuccino, cafe latte or hot chocolate, all priced at a very reasonable Dh12.
One of the main calling cards for Ikea's cafe at Expo 2020 is its central location. It's merely a five-minute walk from Al Wasl Plaza, close enough to the action to be lively, but far enough away that you don’t feel crowded or rushed.
The cafe also has an upstairs seating area, accessible by stairs or lift, that can accommodate 60 to 70 diners. A hidden gem of sorts, this relaxed space features a geometrical patterned ceiling, a variety of seating options, plush black leather couches and lovely views of the Expo site in the background to boot.
It’s almost hard to leave it's been made so comfortable, but once you’re ready to go, do remember this is self-serve, so be sure to clear up after yourself.
Open Saturday to Wednesday, 10am-11pm, Thursday and Friday, 10am to midnight
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Honeymoonish
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Know your cyber adversaries
Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.
Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.
Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.
Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.
Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.
Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.
Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.
Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.
Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
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
