Ramadan is here and there’s no shortage of things to do.
Whether it is taking the children to AstroLab at Nakheel Mall for a free science workshop or heading to Dubai Autodrome for the Kandura Rally, there is something for everyone. There are also plenty of themed events and pop-ups for the holy month in the evenings.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do in the Emirates, from March 27 to April 2.
Monday
Head to Al Ain for Ramadan at Hafeet, a three-week evening pop-up. Expect food kiosks, art, shopping and live entertainment at the Green Mubazzarah set against the backdrop of Jebel Hafeet. There is also a food experience called Jalst Ramadan that is located on an elevated platform and will allow guests to enjoy views from the mountain while dining. It is advised to book ahead of time.
Until April 11; 9pm to 3am; Dh10 for adults, free for children under five; Green Mubazzarah, Abu Dhabi al-ain.platinumlist.net
Tuesday
Louvre Abu Dhabi will hold guided art walks across its Islamic collection every Tuesday at 11am throughout Ramadan. The hour-long tours will trace the developments of the Islamic world's art. Tickets cost Dh100, including admission to the museum. There are also talks, performances and iftars happening, too.
Every Tuesday until April 18; from 11am; Dh100; www.louvreabudhabi.ae
Wednesday
AstroLab at Nakheel Mall is offering free space science-art workshops for children. Little ones can explore their creativity with activities such as making a galaxy from playdough and building a space rocket from water bottles. During the weekend, there will be a 45-minute Mad Scientist live show that includes levitating beach balls and flying toilet paper as children go on a journey with the titular character. The show runs from March 31 to April 2 at 5pm and 8.30pm.
Adults can also visit an exhibition by Emirati artist Azza Al Qubaisi that will be on display during Ramadan at Nakheel Mall.
Until April 16; 2pm to 10pm; free; www.nakheelmall.ae
Thursday
Al Seef is hosting its first Ramadan Arts Nights and Lights festival. Light projections will illuminate the sky every night from 8pm until 3am. On April 8, there will be fireworks after the light show at 10pm. Visit the main event area before sunset to catch the customary display of the firing of the cannon by Dubai Police that marks the breaking of the fast. There are also art-inspired zones spread throughout the area.
Until April 23; 8pm to 3am; free; www.alseef.ae
Friday
The Kandura Rally is returning to Dubai Autodrome. The free-to-attend motor show will showcase more than 100 supercars, and will also have modified vehicles and custom bikes on display. There will be a Car and Bike Show competition for the best customisations in categories such as sports car, modified truck, sports bike and sound system.
Friday; free; from 7.30pm; instagram.com/kandurarallydubai
Saturday
Marsana on Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi has a programme dedicated to traditional Arabic entertainment every weekend until the end of Ramadan. There will be a “hakawati” (Arab storyteller) who will share tales from the past while oud, qanun or a tarabish band perform live music. There is also an Instagram zone that uses an AR filter to create a special Ramadan-themed photo.
Every Friday and Saturday until April 21; 7pm to 10pm on Friday, 7pm to 11.30pm on Saturday; free; www.marsana.ae
Sunday
Yas Bay is hosting its second Waterfront Nights pop-up event during the holy month, beginning on Thursday. Running in the evenings, there will be live entertainment such as an oud player every night, as well as an outdoor market with more than 20 vendors. Expect everything from fashion to beauty and art and jewellery. The boardwalk is also set up with Ramadan decor.
Until April 23; 8pm to 1am; free; www.yasbay.ae
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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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.”
THE BIO
Mr Al Qassimi is 37 and lives in Dubai
He is a keen drummer and loves gardening
His favourite way to unwind is spending time with his two children and cooking
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
More from our neighbourhood series:
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
