The capital has multiple options for those who want to experience a traditional iftar in terms of food, ambience and music, as well as a host of others that will serve up classic dishes with a modern twist, and some truly decadent desserts. Here's our pick of iftars to try:
Sofra Bld
What: Iftar buffet with Arabian stuffed whole lamb, ouzi, dolma, mousakhan, and desserts such as lugaimat and kunafa.
When: Sunset until 8pm
How much: Dh205 per person not including tax, plus a 20 per cent discount for the first 10 days if you book before Ramadan begins.
Where: Shangri-La Hotel Abu Dhabi
Contact: Call 02 509 8555 or email restaurantreservations.slad@shangri-la.com
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Layali Al Baraka
What: A traditional iftar buffet with juices, dates, ouzi, mixed grills, fresh saj bread and Arabic coffee, plus an oud performance every day, excluding Sundays, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
When: 7pm to 9pm
How much: Dh175 per person
Where: Jumeirah at Etihad Towers
Contact: Call 02 811 5666 or email JADRestaurants@jumeirah.com
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Ramadan at the Palace
What: Custom-built Ramadan pavilion with an extensive buffet, featuring live cooking and carving stations, plus continental dishes. Don't miss the ouzi reggag, a 12-hour marinated baby lamb with homemade spices and khanen (local ghee), covered with reggae bread and served on a bed or rice. Desserts include assida bouber (sweet pumpkin cooked with roasted flour and topped with khanen), date pudding cake, khabessa (Emirati dessert of roasted flour, cashews, sultanas and saffron), hallwa and Umm Ali.
When: Sunset to 9pm
How much: Dh320 per person
Where: Emirates Palace
Contact: Call 02 690 7999 or email restaurants@emiratespalace.ae
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Urban Kitchen
What: A traditional Arabian ambience and an iftar buffet that includes hot and cold mezze, kibbeh, lamb ouzi, live shawarma and falafel stations, mixed grills and Arabic breads. Signature dishes by chef Kunal Kapur will be served at the iftar ti introduce guests to his upcoming restaurant Namak.
When: 7pm to 10pm
How much: Dh145 per adult and Dh73 per child, plus tax
Where: Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi
Contact: Call 02 698 8137 or email reservation.table@dusit.com
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Butcher & Still
What: Set three-course menu at the 1920s-inspired Chicago steakhouse by chef Marshall Roth. Choose from garden greens, truffle poutine and Caesar salad for starters; Kansas City Strip steak, grilled prawns and mushroom Wellington for mains; and key lime pie, New York cheesecake and chocolate cake for dessert.
When: 7pm to 9pm
How much: Dh250 per person
Where: Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island
Contact: Call 02 333 2444 or email dining.abudhabi@fourseasons.com
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Hala Ramadan tent
What: One of the capital's most popular Ramadan tents, which seats 150 people, includes a buffet featuring traditional Arabic delicacies, such as lamb ouzi, kofta, shorba soup and shawarma, as well as chicken moghrabieh, fish moussaka, lamb makloubeh and Dawood basha. Desserts include kunafa, Umm Ali and mahalabiya.
When: 7pm followed by suhoor
How much: Dh210 for adults and Dh85 for children between 6 and 12 years; children under 5 eat free
Where: Hilton Abu Dhabi
Contact: Call 02 692 4247
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Sevilla
What: Iftar buffet with hot and cold mezze, salads, barbecue stations for lamb and beef, meat platters and a handful of Asian dishes, and pastries.
When: Sundown to 11pm
How much: Dh196 on weekdays and Dh245 on weekends, with a 50 per cent for kids between 6 and 12 years; kids below 5 eat free
Where: Al Raha Beach Hotel
Contact: Call 02 508 0431 or email fbsecretary.alraha@danathotels.com
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99 Sushi
What: A Japanese-flavoured menu that includes tuna maki; miso soup with seaweed, truffle, leeks and tofu foam; baby lamb gyozas with caramelised onion, arzu cheese and chestnut infusion; tiger prawn tempura; fried eggplant with sweet miso; butterfish nigri with truffle; and salmon flambe nigri with lime; plus mochi for dessert.
When: Sunset to 9pm
How much: Dh199 per person
Where: The Galleria, Al Maryah Island
Contact: Call 02 672 3333
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Flavours
What: Iftar buffet with Arabic, Indian, Italian and Asian dishes, such as okra with lamb, baked samke harra fish in tahini sauce, lamb ouzi, Dawood basha meatballs in tomato sauce, garlic-coriander shrimps, kung pao chicken, chicken siu mai dim sum, chicken satay, vegetable dumplings, Goan fish curry, lamb chops, chicken tawook, beef brisket, whole roasted turkey, and oven-baked salmon. Beverages include jallab, a rose-flavoured date syrup; kamarudin, dried apricot orange blossomed water; tamar hindi tamarind syrup; and laban; while for desserts there's Umm Ali, baklava, kunafa nabulsiya, muhalabia, tiramisu, crème caramel, cheesecake, and mango sago.
When: Sunset to 9pm
How much: Dh174 for adults and Dh87 for children between 6 and 12 years; kids below 5 eat free. Book for 10 adults or more to get 15 per cent off.
Where: Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
Contact: Call 02 677 3333 or email Irene.vilches@sheraton.com
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Todd English’s Olives
What: Iftar menu that includes starters such as spiced chick pea soup and olives mezze platter; plus feta cheese, smoked eggplant purée and ground lamb flatbread. Mains include chicken and pappardelle, grilled skirt steak tandoori, seafood risotto with seasonal vegetables; and for dessert a vanilla gelato with fresh berries and raspberry sauce. The Iftar menu is just 120++ AED with the restaurant opening for business lunch from 12.30 PM until 12 AM.
When: 7pm onwards
How much: Dh120 plus taxes
Where: Venetian Village, Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi
Contact: Call 050 315 0770
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
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HAJJAN
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DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
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Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
