Whether you want to grab some limited-edition vegan doughnuts or groove along to K-pop hits at the much-awaited Blackpink concert in Abu Dhabi, there are plenty of things to enjoy this week in the UAE.
Here, The National rounds up seven things you can do from January 23 to 29.
Monday
If you are participating in Veganuary, or you are actually vegan, perhaps the plant-based doughnuts by Tres Marias and Here-O Donuts are for you.
The limited-edition creation, made with oat milk, is available across several locations in Dubai, including Tres Marias Coffee in Al Quoz, Nakheel Mall and City Centre Mirdif.
They are available until the end of January.
Tuesday
Renowned regional chefs Mohamad Orfali of Orfali Bros and Maksut Askar of Istanbul’s Neolokal are teaming up for a special 14-course menu, available for one night only.
The chefs are promising a selection of innovative dishes inspired by modern Anatolian cuisine as chef Askar's Neolokal is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Istanbul that focuses on using Turkish heritage produce.
The dinner is taking place at the Orfali Bros Bistro in Jumeirah, with two seating options, one at 6.30pm and another at 9pm. Bookings can be made at orfalibros.com.
Wednesday
The newly opened Gamebox by Majid Al Futtaim has seven interactive rooms that have been launched across Magic Planet outlets at City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah.
The game rooms are equipped with touch screens, 3D motion tracking and surround sound and can accommodate groups of two to six players.
Several games are available, including those with Angry Birds and Squid Game themes.
Thursday
A three-course early-bird set menu for Dh150 is on offer from 6pm at 53 Restaurant & Lounge at Sheraton Grand Sheikh Zayed Road, which has also launched a new show called Divine, which starts at 10pm.
The show, which runs daily until March, features choreographed acrobats and live performers, including singers, saxophonists and percussionists.
On the Mediterranean and Asian-inspired menu are dishes such as miso Ceasar salad, chicken tsukune or kisu tempura for starters; corn and truffle risotto, salmon or supreme chicken for main course; and either black sesame flan tart or chocolate truffles for dessert.
Dinner starts at 8pm; from Dh150; Sheraton Grand Sheikh Zayed Road; 056 253 5353
Friday
Catch a dinosaur-themed parade at Dubai Parks and Resorts. The new attraction brings the prehistoric world to life with a series of life-like animatronic dinosaurs, including a T-Rex, triceratops and raptors.
The parade features special sound effects, music and even fog to entertain families.
The parade takes place from Friday to Sunday at 8pm at Riverland Dubai.
Saturday
Global K-pop sensation Blackpink are performing at Etihad Park, as part of their Born Pink world tour. General admission tickets cost Dh350 and are available at ticketmaster.ae.
The girl group peaked globally in 2020, with their hit Ice Cream reaching No 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also reached No 2 on the Billboard 200 with the smash-hit debut The Album, which was released in the same year.
In October last year, the group released their second album, Born Pink, which reached No 1 on the UK Albums Chart and Billboard 200. It marked the first time a Korean girl group had ever topped the Billboard 200, with Blackpink becoming the first female group to do so since Danity Kane in 2008.
Some of their top hits include How You Like That, As If It's Your Last and Boombayah.
Sunday
Head to artsy Alserkal for the last day of the Quoz Arts Fest, a cultural event that aims to showcase emerging talent in the UAE and the wider region.
Bu Kolthoum, a soul and funk-influenced music producer from Damascus, is hitting the stage to show his work.
The weekend festival will also feature a market-style pop-up with food trucks, as well as other activities such as exhibitions, talks and workshops.
General admission tickets cost Dh50 on dubai.platinumlist.net.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
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
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Andor
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Company%20Profile
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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
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
