There is more to the UAE's dining scene than Dubai's longest dining table.
The country has become something of a culinary heavyweight in recent months, as chefs and restaurateurs dish out ingenuity, meal after meal.
It helps that residents come from many different countries, spanning a multitude of cuisines, and these are showcased in special meals taking place in the next few weeks.
Here are some to check out.
Krasota immersive meal, served with love
A romantic, multisensory dining experience awaits guests at Krasota in Address Downtown Hotel.
The immersive restaurant, which serves its dishes alongside an awe-inspiring blend of lights, colours and sounds (think table animation and theatrical music), has changed its usual programming to a Valentine's Day special, which runs throughout February.
Michelin-lauded chef Vladimir Mukhin sets the eight-course menu and includes love-themed dishes such as bonbon with passion fruit and mango.
After the meal, in the projection room, diners can have a fun session with a perfume tarot on the terrace, courtesy of French fragrance house Liquides Imaginaires.
Throughout February; 2pm, 6pm and 9pm; from Dh1,200; Address Downtown Hotel, Dubai; krasota.art
Michelin mishmash at Moonrise
Moonrise, chef Solemann Haddad's Michelin-starred restaurant in Dubai, is hosting a 14-course four-hands dinner, featuring chef Tris Farmer, who previously worked at three-Michelin-starred Zen in Singapore.
The duo share a passion for premium Japanese produce and will serve new creations as well as twists on their best-known dishes. Guests can expect to sample aged shima-aji (striped jack), kuruma ebi (Japanese tiger prawn), kegani (horsehair crab), Saroma A5 Wagyu and Japanese husk melons and strawberries.
Given Moonrise's penchant for incorporating Middle Eastern ingredients into its menu, there are also Saudi dates, Sidr honey, Palestinian olive oil and tomatoes from Al Ain thrown into the mix.
February 26 and 27; Dh1,600; Eden House, Dubai; 050 697 2946
Jumeirah Al Qasr's power of eight
Eight acclaimed chefs from different restaurants are coming together for a one-of-a-kind Saturday brunch at Jumeirah Al Qasr.
On March 2, the Big Gourmet Brunch will feature dishes from Kim Joinie-Maurin of French Riviera Beach, Ali Fouad of Al Nafoorah, Remy Marquignon of French Riviera and Aniket Chatterjee of Atrangi by Ritu Dalmia.
Alongside them, Eric Turgeon of The Hide is bringing some of his finest butcher's cuts to the party, while Amara Mahayothee of Pai Thai is supplying South-east Asian flair.
Beatrice Segoni of Pierchic will serve Italian dishes, while desserts will be whipped up by the hotel's executive pastry chef Dimitri Esposito.
March 2, 1pm to 4pm, from Dh450. www.jumeirah.com
Ko by 99 Sushi Abu Dhabi
Jam-packed tasting menus aren't exactly new, but Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara is jumping on the fine-dining bandwagon in a partnership with Ko, a modern izakaya and a concept by Michelin-starred 99 Sushi Bar and Restaurant.
Diners can choose from two tasting menus: a 10-course meal at Dh800 per couple or a 12-course option at Dh1,200 per couple. The dinner takes place at Suhail, the resort's rooftop restaurant starting on Friday and taking place every last weekend of the month until June.
The 10-course menu includes caviar hosomaki, cayenne king crab, hamachi maki and Wagyu robata. The 12-course option includes special dishes such as 99 Jewel Maki and A5 Queen Nigiri.
This is a good prelude to Ko's permanent takeover of Suhail, from September.
More information on anantara.com
Spice fest by Muchachas x La Barra
Latin flavours will shine through in a one-time four-hands dinner at Muchachas on Thursday.
Gabi Hernandez, head chef of the Mexican Cantina, is teaming up with chef Roberto Segura of La Barra fame. The duo promise a spice-filled evening featuring a fusion of Mexican and Peruvian cuisines. Diners can sample six dishes, including short-rib birria quesadillas; Peruvian ceviche with Mexican avocado and serrano chili; and alfajor con dulce de leche y helado for dessert.
February 22; 7pm onwards; Dh269; Holiday Inn Express Safa Park; 050 109 0314
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
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Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
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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
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.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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