Things to do in the UAE this week, yoga in the desert and archery in the mountains

Update: The Jo Koy show that was due to take place on Saturday has been postponed to May 26

The annual Dubai Fitness Challenge kicks off this week. And, in keeping with the annual citywide exercise initiative, The National pulls together some of the many ways to keep active – as well as a couple of events for culture enthusiasts.

Here's what's on across the Emirates from October 23 to 28.

Monday

Ahead of Dubai Fitness Challenge, which starts on Saturday, residents over the age of 16 can sign up for a Les Mills x adidas class, which will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for “largest high-intensity interval training class”.

The high-octane 30-minute session itself begins at 5am on November 12, led by Les Mills trainers Ben Main, Caley Jack and Kaylah Blayr, but registration is open now via the adidas app and booking is recommended to not miss out.

Tuesday

The camp at Ras Al Khaimah is offering a discounted package for its survival course. Photo: Bear Grylls Adventure Camp

Take the family on an outdoor adventure at the Bear Grylls Explorers Camp in Ras Al Khaimah.

The nature-focused venue on Jebel Jais is offering a half-term package for three people, inclusive of a two-day adventure that features a survival course crafted by Bear Grylls and his team. The course covers essential survival skills in the wild, as well as activities such as high ropes and archery. The package also includes a one-night stay at the venue's cabin area.

Those who want to experience the survival course alone can sign up for the individual package at Dh290 per person (down from Dh350).

Tuesday and Wednesday; Dh950 for three people; Ras Al Khaimah; 056 501 5831

Wednesday

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan often takes part in Dubai Run. Photo: faz3 / Instagram

Register for the limited-capacity Dubai Run, where participants take over the 14-lane Sheikh Zayed Road for a few hours. This year's event on November 26 is free to attend and is open to participants of all ages and fitness abilities.

Participants can choose between a 5km or 10km route, with the first run starting at 4am as the event must finish by 8.30am so the roads can reopen.

Register at www.dubairun.com and then collect the Dubai Run bib, without which you will not be allowed to participate. Bibs can be collected at Fitness Village: Run and Ride Central at One Central.

Thursday

World-renowned violinist David Garrett is performing at the Dubai Opera, as part of his world tour.

The German musician is known for his genre-defying artistry, pioneering the crossover trend where he blends traditional sounds with popular music. He has a long track record of multi-platinum and gold albums. He released the album Iconic this year, which is also the moniker for his world tour. Concertgoers can expect a night of tunes and virtuosic showpieces.

Thursday, from 8pm; from Dh295; Dubai Opera; dubaiopera.com

Friday

Join a wellness weekend retreat in the Liwa Desert.

Organised by Samadhi, the three-day affair will be held at the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, and is designed to encourage participants to set out on “a journey of renewal” via yoga, meditation and other mindfulness practices. The retreat will be led by Estefa Pastor.

The first day focuses on self-reflection with a vinyasa flow in the afternoon and restorative yin yoga in the evening. Yoga sessions continue the next day, plus a brunch, sound bath and cacao ceremony. The last day starts with an early pranayama and vinyasa flow session, followed by brunch before checkout.

Friday to Sunday; price on request; Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, Al Mirayr, Abu Dhabi; samadhi-wellness.com

Saturday

Jo Koy is famous for his jokes about his Filipino heritage. AP

Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy is performing at the Etihad Arena on Saturday.

The comic is known for his funny quips about his Filipino heritage, as well as parenthood and other observations about family life and pop culture. He has a number of Netflix specials under his belt, and the Abu Dhabi show marks the stand-up's second performance in the UAE.

Saturday, 7.30pm; from Dh180; Etihad Arena, Yas Island; etihadarena.ae

Sunday

Riders during last year's Dubai Ride, which is part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge. Photo: Ruel Pableo

Dubai Fitness Challenge, which started on Saturday, will be in full swing today. The annual event encourages residents to complete 30 minutes of exercise each day for 30 days.

While you can sign up for one-off events, there is a massive fitness village at Kite Beach, which has 24 zones, offering courts for padel, cricket, football and basketball, plus yoga sessions and circuit training.

Various fitness villages across the city, where you can rent courts for everything from padel to badminton as well as circuit training. This year these are located at places such as Danube Sports World Fitness Hub, Al Mamzar Beach Park and Inspiratus Sports District Fitness Hub.

More information about events, bookings, courts and activities can be found online.

Until November 26; 3pm-10pm from Monday to Friday; 7am-10pm on Saturday and Sunday; dubaifitnesschallenge.com

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

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Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: ARDH Collective

Based: Dubai

Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi

Sector: Sustainability

Total funding: Self funded

Number of employees: 4

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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