Malls in the UAE offer much more than only shops and food courts. They have transformed into entertainment complexes, complete with different activities for all ages and energy levels.
From a snow park to a roller coaster, there are plenty of things to check out if you fancy high-adrenalin indoor fun, especially during hot summer months.
Here, The National rounds up some of the in-mall attractions in the UAE to check out.
Snow Abu Dhabi, Reem Mall
Brought to the UAE capital by the makers of the popular Ski Dubai, Snow Abu Dhabi is sub-zero indoor park that opened recently at Reem Mall.
The 9,732-square-metre facility is on the second level of the new mall, and features a number of snow-themed activities, such as the Troll Bowl, where visitors get inside an inflatable ball that rolls down a snowy slope, as well as the Flight of the Snowy Owl, a suspended rollglider that travels around the park.
Unlike Ski Dubai, Snow Abu Dhabi does not offer a skiing experience. There are restaurants and cafes inside the enchanted forest-themed snow park.
Open daily; 10am-10pm, Sunday to Thursday, 10am-midnight, Friday to Saturday; from Dh215; Reem Mall, Al Reem Island; skidxb.com
Play DXB, Dubai Mall
Being the largest mall in the UAE, Dubai Mall has plenty of indoor attractions, one of which is a virtual reality-theme park called Play DXB.
It's a cross between an arcade and an amusement park with rides, but all the activities are modernised by VR. The two-storey venue is ideal for a family day out, with rides and games for all ages.
Open daily; 10am-10pm, Monday to Thursday; 10am-midnight, Friday to Sunday; from Dh200; Downtown Dubai; entertainment.emaar.com
The Storm Coaster, Dubai Hills Mall
One of the newer shopping centres in the emirate, Dubai Hills Mall houses the world's “fastest indoor roller coaster”.
Perfect for adrenalin junkies, The Storm Coaster is described as a "multivehicle inversion coaster wrapping its way throughout the entire building”. A single ride lasts about two minutes.
Open daily, 10am-10pm; Dh55; Dubai Hills; entertainment.emaar.com
Immersive Gamebox, City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Al Zahia
The UK gaming company has brought its Immersive Gamebox concept to the UAE earlier this year.
Located inside the Magic Planet outlets of both City Centre Mirdif in Dubai and City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah, the gaming zone uses high-tech rooms equipped with patented touch screens, 3D motion tracking and surround sound.
The experience is similar to playing virtual reality games, but promise an almost gearless experience.
The games, which are also available in Arabic, are made for two to six players, with each player required to wear a visor. There are currently 12 titles to choose from, including the popular Squid Game and Angry Birds. They typically run for 15 to 30 minutes – but some titles last up to an hour.
Open daily; 10am-10pm, Monday to Thursday, 10am-midnight, Friday to Sunday; from Dh45; City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Al Zahia; immersivegamebox.com
Clymb Abu Dhabi, Yas Mall
Clymb Abu Dhabi, which is connected to Yas Mall, is home to the world's widest indoor skydiving flight chamber and the region’s tallest indoor climbing wall, The Summyt which is 43 metres.
Climbers can choose from five walls of different heights, and visitors can also try indoor skydiving.
Wednesday to Sunday; noon-9pm; from Dh100; Yas Island; www.clymbabudhabi.com
Glitch, Al Ghurair Centre Dubai
The indoor entertainment complex is located on the second floor of Al Ghurair Centre in Deira.
Spanning 3,716 square metres, the space is a cross between an arcade, a theme park and a playground. More than 30 activities are peppered across the space. Children as young as four can experience one of the main attractions at the park, Pandora's Peak, where there are cloud-shaped structures to climb through. They reach the top of a 10-metre-high slide, which loops back to the ground.
All the games and activities inside are individually priced, but there are deals on offer depending on the group activity. For example, there are packages for the roller glider starting at Dh35. Bowling starts at Dh30 per round, and games at the arcade start at Dh25.
Open daily; 10am-10pm, Sunday to Thursday, 10am-midnight, Friday and Saturday; from Dh25; Deira; glitcharabia.com
Rainforest Cafe, Yas Mall and Dubai Festival City Mall
Those looking for a more laid-back experience, the Rainforest Cafe is a good option.
The cafe is designed to mimic the environment of the jungle, complete with greenery, animal figurines and ambient nature sounds.
On the menu are American-style classics, such as the rainforest burger, lava nachos, chicken tenders and Amazon fajitas. The family-focused venue is also perfect for hosting birthday parties, which is one of the restaurant's main services.
Open daily, noon-10pm, Yas Mall. Open daily, noon-11pm, Monday to Thursday, noon-midnight, Friday to Sunday at Dubai Festival City Mall; rainforestcafeuae.com
Dubai Ice Rink, Dubai Mall
One of highlights within Dubai Mall is the Olympic-sized ice rink, located on the ground floor.
Aside from leisure ice skating, the venue also runs an academy that accepts students year-round. The rink can be rented for private events, such as birthdays or a corporate team building. It also runs a regular DJ night, a 90-minute ice skating experience coupled with dance music, topped off with falling faux snow.
Open daily, 10am-midnight; from Dh90 per person; Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai; dubaiicerink.com
Zero Latency Abu Dhabi, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
Another virtual reality-powered attraction, Zero Latency at The Galleria Al Maryah Island invites groups of up to eight players at once to “escape the restraints of the material world for a while”.
The free-roam VR space transports players to different virtual worlds, where they are either shooting zombies or running through a parallel space and time.
Open daily; 10-am10pm; Dh150 onwards; The Galleria Al Maryah Island; www.zerolatencyvr.ae
Velocity Slide, World Trade Centre Mall
Inside the World Trade Centre Mall, you'll find the Velocity Slide, described as the “longest and tallest stainless-steel slide in the Middle East". There are two slides within the attraction, one is 68 metres long and the other is 54 metres long.
With a sliding speed of two to three metres per second, the structure is a unique way for thrill-seekers to zip through the mall.
Open daily; 10am-10pm, Sunday to Thursday; 10am-midnight, Friday and Saturday; Dh25 for one round, Dh40 for two rounds; WTC Abu Dhabi; www.wtcad.ae
Ski Dubai, Mall of the Emirates
Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates was the first of its kind in the Middle East when it opened in 2005. It features five ski slopes, a family-friendly snow park and an array of other winter-themed activities, such as meeting penguins and Snow Cinema, where visitors can watch a movie in sub-zero temperatures under a cosy blanket, complete with a hot chocolate.
Open daily, 10am-midnight; ski lessons start at Dh255 per adult; Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha 1; www.skidxb.com
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Dubai Mall
About 140 species of aquatic animals are housed in the expansive Dubai Mall aquarium, including 400 sharks and rays.
They can be viewed from the outside, but entering the tunnel allows you to choose from and book other activities, such as feeding sessions and up-close encounters with several animals, including penguins, otters and sharks.
Open daily; 10am-11pm, Monday to Friday, 10am-midnight, Saturday and Sunday; from Dh199; Downtown Dubai; thedubaiaquarium.com
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Company%20profile
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Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
The Outsider
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
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Rating: 4.5/5
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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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.”
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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