With only 10 days to go until the end of Expo 2020 Dubai, the world's fair is bowing out in spectacular fashion, with a jam-packed calendar full of events.
From concerts featuring pop stars from the US, the Arab world and the Philippines and street food festivals, to children’s and fitness activities, Expo has plenty to offer for everyone.
To help with your planning, here are 10 things to do in the last 10 days of Expo 2020 Dubai ...
1. Get your groove on at the 80s 90s Night
Dress up in sequins or your favourite loud shirt for the 80s 90s Night at the Chilean Pavilion on March 24.
Located in the Mobility District, expect a festive atmosphere featuring back to back vintage tunes blaring from the speakers.
The fun will take place from 8pm until midnight.
2. Dance away to the hits of Jason Derulo
While the US RnB star makes regular UAE visits for club shows, this is a rare chance to see Derulo as part of a large concert.
Performing at the Jubilee Stage from 9.30pm on March 25, expect a greatest hits set including chart toppers Wiggle, Talk Dirty and In My Head.
3. Get fit by joining the Expo Run
Experience the enormity of the Expo site with the Expo Run on March 26.
Taking place from 6am to 10am, each participant will receive three Expo 2020 passes for that day, F&B discounts, custom made T-shirts, plus a medal and a drawstring bag.
4. Take your children to the Expo Kids' Camp
Fancy some free time to explore the world's fair without the children?
The Expo Kids' Camp is offering a three-hour "drop and play experience" where children can learn about the different countries involved in Expo 2020.
Available for those aged between 6 and 12 years old, the camp runs on March 26 and across the Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity districts.
Three-hour sessions begin at 10am with the last starting from 6pm.
5. Listen to the best of Arabic and Khaleeji pop
In what could be the last of the Infinite Nights concert series on March 28, Syrian singer Assala Nasri leads a strong line-up of regional stars including Saudi singer Abadi Al-Johar and veteran Kuwaiti singer Nabil Shuail.
With performances beginning from 7pm at the Jubilee Stage, expect an epic night featuring up to three decades worth of hits.
6. Test your taste buds with unusual dishes at Expo
From Brazil’s Pato no tucupi, duck meat served in a yellow sauce extracted from wild manioc root found in the Amazon jungle, to Luxembourgish dumplings called Kniddelen, Expo 2020 is full of colourful and quirky dishes to satiate the most curious of foodies.
Want to know where to begin? Check out our guide to offbeat culinary treats available at the world fair.
7. Get your fill at the Street Food Festival at the Festival Garden
Running until March 31, the foodie hub offers options for everyone, from meat-lovers to vegans and more adventurous palates.
There are 10 food stalls offering a range of cuisines, from Silk Road-inspired dishes to Hawaiian bites, alongside live entertainments, activities for children and the inflatable park.
The festival runs each day at Festival Garden from 3pm to 11.30pm.
8. Experience Children’s Day at the Poland Pavilion
Located in Mobility District, the pavilion dedicates March 27 to children with activities ranging from 3D printing and playing music instruments to coding and robot racing. The fun will take place from 10am until 6pm.
9. Check out the thrilling FIBA 3x3 and Slam-Dunk Competition
Watch some of the world's most acrobatic basketballers reach new heights in this full-throttled competition.
Running on March 30 at the Jubilee Zone's Field of Dreams, the event begins at 4.30pm.
10. See some of P-pop rising stars in a spectacular concert
A P-pop extravaganza, the Stronger Together: GMA Pinoy TV at Expo 2020 Dubai, is a 90-minute spectacle set to take place on March 30, featuring an array of Filipino pop talents including Julie Anne San Jose, Xian Lim and Jessica Villarubin.
The show takes place at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre from 9pm.
A guide to P-pop: Filipino artists to listen to, from SB19 to Sarah Geronimo:
CREW
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aaron%20Horvath%20and%20Michael%20Jelenic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Anya%20Taylor-Joy%2C%20Charlie%20Day%2C%20Jack%20Black%2C%20Seth%20Rogen%20and%20Keegan-Michael%20Key%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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.”
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
