As schools in the UAE close for the summer, many families take off on holiday. However, if you’re among those staying put, there’s still plenty for you – and your children – to do.
Summer camps offered across the Emirates span arts and crafts, sports, academics, nature and wildlife adventures, so young holidaymakers are spoilt for choice.
Indoor sport camps
Bounce
Campers can take flight in the Bounce Summer Camp by learning cool trampoline tricks and playing games that encourage social interaction, collaboration and healthy competition. Plus, campers can refuel with snack and lunch options available on-site.
Prices range from Dh190 per day to Dh750 per week.
July 10-August 25; 8am-1.30pm (half-day camp), 8am-5pm (full-day camp); from Dh190; Marina Mall; bounce.ae
Raha International School
The school’s Summer Multi-Sports Camp welcomes all sport enthusiasts aged 4 to 15, who can enjoy an action-packed schedule with a variety of sports on each day. Activities include swimming, water polo, indoor tennis and bike riding, interspersed with arts and crafts sessions.
Prices range from Dh180 per day to Dh750 per week.
July 10-August 4; 8am-2pm; from Dh180; Khalifa City; 056 440 9418; sportscampad@gmail.com
Arts & culture
Manarat Al Saadiyat Art Studio
The studio’s Summer Art Camp lets children get creative across a range of themed exploratory art activities such as clay making, printmaking and sculpturing, led by qualified instructors. Participants will also be treated to dance and musical performances in collaboration with Berklee Abu Dhabi. The seven-week camp is open to children aged 6 to 12 years old.
July 10-August 25; 10am-3pm; Dh1000 per week, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District; 02 657 5807, masartstudio@dctabudhabi.ae
Heritage Gems camp
Enrich your child’s summer with a fun-filled and educational experience at themed, heritage-focused camps that are taking places across three cultural sites: Al Ain Palace Museum (Zayed and Sustainability), Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa (Homes and Families) and Qasr Al Muwaiji (Discover History). Children aged 7 to 10 can take part in an array of workshops and activities specific to each campsite.
July 10-13 (Al Ain Palace Museum), July 17-20 (Bait Mohammed bin Khalifa), July 24-27 (Qasr Al Muwaiji); 9am-noon; Dh200 for four days; 03 711 8388; aapm@dctabudhabi.ae
Abu Dhabi Pottery
Budding artists from 5 to 15 years old are encouraged to dig in at the pottery studio’s summer camp where they will learn various techniques, including hand-building, pinching and how to fire and decorate their finished work. Campers need only bring their creativity as all material is provided.
Choose from sessions between 60 and 90 minutes, with prices ranging from Dh120 for an hour-long session with 350g of clay and Dh580 for three 1.5-hour sessions with 500g of clay, to Dh1,400 for nine 1.5-hour sessions with 1kg of clay.
June 27-August 26; 10.30am-8.30pm; from Dh120 for one-hour session, No 29 Dabbas St Building; 02 666 7079; abudhabipottery.com
Adventure
Al Forsan International Sports Resort
The recreational complex welcomes children aged 4 to 14 to choose their summer adventure across a range of activities including kayaking, horse riding, carting, archery, cooking, trampolining and laser shooting to name a few. Plus, campers get a free T-shirt.
June 19-August 25; 8am-2pm, Monday to Thursday, 8am-noon, Friday; Dh850 for one week, Dh1,385 for two weeks, Dh1,895 for three weeks, Dh2,440 for four weeks; Khalifa City; 02 656 5656; alforsan.com
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
The hotel’s Summer Kids Camp is where luxury meets fun. The five-star venue offers children aged 3 to 12 a range of activities driven by the camp’s five principles: connection, flow, growth, sustainability and health. Kids can take part in arts and crafts classes, water sports, yoga, Zumba and football sessions hosted by Manchester City Football, plus experience animal encounters and attend movie screenings. Prices are Dh455 per day, Dh1,700 per week and Dh5,900 per month.
The Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Teen Hub pop-up space, meanwhile, welcomes children aged 13 to 16, and offers activities such as escape room challenges, dance competitions and arcade games. Prices are Dh355 per day, Dh1,350 per week and Dh4,700 per month.
Both camps offer a 10 per cent discount for siblings.
July 3-September 3; 8am-3:30pm; from Dh355; Corniche Road West, 02 690 7910; eqauh-beachclub@mohg.com
Adventure Zone
The recreational centre by Adventure HQ has a summer camp with a host of thrilling activities for children aged six and above. Campers can experience the trampoline park, obstacle and ropes course, a climbing wall, biking and skateboarding.
Prices range from Dh199 per day and Dh599 per week to Dh999 per month.
July 3-August 18, 8am-noon; from Dh199; Dalma Mall, Mussaffah; Dhabi, 02 445 8903; adventurehqonline.com
Nature-inspired
National Aquarium
The Al Qana aquarium launches its first summer camp, offering a variety of marine-based activities. Kids aged 5 to 13 will learn how to grow their own beans, observe tiny creatures under microscopes and sort trash into recyclables and non-recyclables through fun games. Additionally, campers will get to engage with resident animals and birds and receive Animal Training 101 taught by qualified trainers.
Prices range from Dh199 per day to Dh795 per week, with a 10 per cent discount for siblings.
Weekdays until August 26; 8:30am-2pm; from Dh199; Al Qana; 054 996 1960; info@thenationalaquarium.ae
Emirates Park Resort
The resort’s on-site zoo welcomes children aged 4 to 14 for a wild adventure. Campers will learn about animal welfare, conservation and habitat protection from certified educators, plus experience wildlife encounters, animal feedings, cooking classes and classic camp games.
Prices range from Dh160 per day and Dh800 per week to Dh3,200 for four weeks, and include a camp shirt, personalised water bottle, lunch and certificate of participation. Optional transportation is available.
July 3-August 25, 9am-1:30pm; from Dh160; Al Bahyah; 02 501 0000; info@emiratespark.ae
Academic
Ivy Camps USA
Promising to help kids combat “summer brain drain”, the Ivy Camps programmes span two age groups: 3-5 and 6-14. All sessions will be taught by instructors and teaching assistants from top universities in the US using the Ivy Camps USA curriculum.
Each programme is a week long and ends with a comprehensive final project. The Harry Potter-themed session, for example, will teach older children about storytelling and comic book design, and have them create their own story set in a fictional world. Other sessions for the older age group includes: personal finance, Earth and space, teamwork in business, speech and debate, as well as art and illustration.
The younger age group will do sessions on music, birds and bugs, arts and crafts, and space exploration.
July 10-August 11; 8am-3pm; Dh1,550; Repton Abu Dhabi, Reem Island; ivycampsusa.com
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
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Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
More on Quran memorisation:
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
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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
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
