It's been a busy November for Dubai's culinary scene, specifically building on many other developments within the city's bustling restaurant industry.
The most recent of which is global recognition of two Dubai-based chefs, Tresind Studio's Himanshu Saini and Gregoire Berger, of the underwater seafood restaurant Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm. Both were named in the top 50 of this year's Best Chef Awards list announced last week.
It seems there is no stopping this culinary momentum, evidenced by a handful of new dining spots that opened this month. Here are some to check out.
Berenjak
Cuisine: Persian
Serving authentic Iranian dishes in London was the original motivation of chef-founder Kian Samyani when he opened Berenjak in Soho in 2018. After five years of success, the kebab house launched its first international outpost at Dar Wasl Mall in Dubai.
On the menu are traditional Persian meze, but with the chef's own inventive take. For example, the hummus is made of black chickpeas. The restaurant also avoids using yeast in its bread resulting in a crispier version of the side dish. There is kashk bademjoon, mast-o-khiar and baal-e-morgh on the menu too. The main event are the kebabs, which are from Samyani's own family recipes.
Sunday to Thursday, noon-4pm, 6pm-11.30pm; Friday to Saturday, noon-4pm, 6pm-12.30am; Dar Wasl, Al Wasl Road; 04 295 3644
Brix Cafe
Cuisine: All-day breakfast, baked goods and desserts
From the restaurant portfolio of The Lab Holding, which also oversees 3 Fils and Brix Desserts, comes another spin-off that will serve an all-day breakfast menu, as well as baked desserts.
Aside from coffee and tea, dishes include scrambled eggs and avocado on a croissant roll, sauteed Brussels sprouts topped with poached egg, as well as other morning favourites such as eggs benedict and avocado toast. There is also a yuzu bowl with yoghurt, banana, raspberries and other toppings. The dessert bar features classic carrot cake and vanilla mascarpone with lychee gel, vanilla mousse, rose and berry gel topped with a hazelnut crunch.
Open daily, 8am-10pm; Jumeirah Fishing Harbour; 04 548 4322
Moli by Shi
Cuisine: Chinese
Moli translates to Jasmine in Chinese, which in Asian culture is often associated with purity, grace and femininity. This is what the new restaurant in Dubai Hills Business Park is aiming to channel.
The interior of the space has walls adorned with traditional carvings while the ceiling is embellished with large Jasmine flowers hanging overhead. On the menu are caramelised sea bass with black truffle, sea cucumber with magi yaki sauce and cornfed chicken with morel mushroom. Guests can also sample different kinds of dim sum, from lobster and Angus beef kimchi to the popular chicken xiao long bao. The duck, which is a staple meat in Chinese cuisine, also makes an appearance on the menu.
Aside from a la carte dining, the restaurant is also planning to introduce a set lunch menu and a weekend brunch.
Sunday to Thursday, noon-1am; Friday to Saturday, 1pm-2am; Dubai Hills Business Park; 04 276 3338
Local
Cuisine: International
Meant to be a social dining spot, the restaurant is located at The First Collection Waterfront and overlooks the Business Bay canal.
The menu features dishes such as truffle burrata, veal osso bucco, Gulf tiger prawns and beef brisket nachos to name a few. A la carte dining aside, the waterfront venue hosts weekly themed social dining experiences, such as a surf and turf night every Friday.
Open daily, 6.30am-11pm; The First Collection Waterfront, Business Bay; 04 542 6630
Elia
Cuisine: Mediterranean
On the ground floor of Al Wasl's Galleria Mall is a Mediterranean restaurant spanning the cuisines of Greece, Italy and France, spotlighting coastal flavours.
The menu features an array of hot and cold tapas, pizzettas and pastas, as well as a selection of meat and seafood dishes. For starters, there's the smoked aubergine dip and the spicy melon salad, while main courses consist of cepe mushroom risotto, black Angus rib eye and a different take on the classic moussaka, served with Spanish Manchego cheese.
Dessert options include madeleines served with Chantilly cream and Greek-style choux doughnuts with rosemary and lemon cream. There is also a classic creme brulee, as well as a baked vanilla cheesecake.
Monday to Friday, noon-midnight; Saturday to Sunday, noon-1am; Galleria Mall, Al Wasl, Dubai; 052 571 1429
Xu
Cuisine: Cantonese, Southeast Asian
The Asian dining spot at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates serves Cantonese cuisine, additionally inspired by south-east Asian flavours.
Dishes include crispy lemon grass chicken, buttermilk prawn and chargrilled Wagyu beef rib eye with spicy peanut sauce for appetisers. There is also a selection of dim sum including har gow with tiger prawn and chicken siu mai with truffle and foie gras sauce. For mains, the restaurant serves dishes such as osmanthus plum baked Chilean sea bass and grilled rack of lamb with Asian-style gravy and chilli sauce. Scallops and lobster are available on request.
Xu is under Rikas Hospitality Group, which also has La Cantine, Ninive and Tagomago under its belt.
Sunday to Wednesday, 6pm-1am; Thursday to Saturday, 6pm-3am; Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates; 04 394 6252
Roadster Diner
Cuisine: American
Classic American cafe dishes, from hamburgers to chicken wings, are what's on the menu at the Mirdif City Centre restaurant.
Roadster Diner originated in Lebanon where it has 18 outlets. Customers can order barbecue or buffalo chicken wings and strips, mozzarella sticks and potato dippers. There are a variety of burgers too that include Swiss truffle burger, double crunch chicken burger and chilli shrimp avocado sandwich.
Pizzas, tacos and salads are also on the menu, with desserts including cheesecake sundae explosion, marbled mud pie and brownie temptation.
Open daily, 11.30am-midnight; Mirdif City Centre; roadsterdiner.com
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
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Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
More on Quran memorisation:
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
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
