Liwa Village will host a 24-day festival in the desert this month, with food, music and family-friendly fun. Photo: Liwa Village
Liwa Village will host a 24-day festival in the desert this month, with food, music and family-friendly fun. Photo: Liwa Village
Liwa Village will host a 24-day festival in the desert this month, with food, music and family-friendly fun. Photo: Liwa Village
Liwa Village will host a 24-day festival in the desert this month, with food, music and family-friendly fun. Photo: Liwa Village

Things to do in the UAE this week, from Cop28 to winter festivals


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This week is full of events, with Cop28 kicking off in Dubai and outdoor festivals taking place in Abu Dhabi as the weather cools down.

Food fans can head to the Michelin Food Festival at Louvre Abu Dhabi while those looking for a unique way to spend the weekend can register for the Festive Fun Run at Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates.

Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates, from December 4 to 10.

Monday

Ikea is hosting a climate change-themed exhibition throughout December. Photo: Ikea
Ikea is hosting a climate change-themed exhibition throughout December. Photo: Ikea

Start the week by visiting a climate change-themed exhibition at Ikea in Festival Plaza at Jebel Ali Village.

The interactive A Day in the Life of Climate Change, hosted in co-ordination with Emirate Nature-WWF, highlights how people's daily living choices impact the environment, particularly when it comes to water security.

Visitors of all ages can interact with household items to find out how much water they consume, and learn how to make more eco-friendly decisions at home.

Until December 30; 10am-11pm on weekdays, 10am-midnight on weekends; free; Jebel Ali Village; 800 4532

Tuesday

Continue learning about climate change and the environment at Cop28 at Expo City Dubai.

A portion of the high-level climate conference, attended by world leaders and other dignitaries, is also open to the public. The green zone has several workshops and talks until December 12.

On Tuesday, there is as an interactive workshop, open to all ages, about soil and its crucial role on Earth. There are also discussions about empowering youth in the fight for sustainability, as well as the challenges of the energy transition.

Workshops and talks aside, the green zone also features dozens of food and drink pop-ups with unique menus and experiences centred around a pro-environment theme.

Until December 12; 10am-10pm; free registration; Expo City Dubai; cop28.com

Wednesday

The yoga session includes a day pass to Summersalt Beach Club
The yoga session includes a day pass to Summersalt Beach Club

Summersalt Beach Club in Jumeirah is hosting a morning session of yoga followed by healthy breakfast.

The yoga session takes place at Jumeirah Al Naseem beachfront with Burj Al Arab as the picturesque background. Afterwards, participants will be treated to dishes such as avocado toast, poached eggs, smoked salmon and an acai bowl.

The package comes with a day pass to the beach club, meaning guests can stay by the pool or the beach post-yoga and breakfast.

Every Wednesday; 9.30am onwards; Dh500 per person; Jumeirah Al Naseem; 04 366 7680

Thursday

Gateway Park South on Yas Island will host a family-friendly winter festival with games, entertainment and other Christmas-themed fun.

The five-day Yas Winter Fest will feature a daily tree lighting ceremony, plus mini musicals that feature songs from Disney film Frozen such as Do You Want to Build a Snowman? and Let It Go. There will also be appearances by a magician, a juggler and a visit from Santa. Visitors can enjoy the carnival with rides, or an artificial snow park with a maze and a slide.

Entertainment aside, the festival will have a handful of artisanal vendors, such as Queen Bee Honey and Merika Cafe.

Until Sunday; 2pm-11pm; from Dh15 per child, from Dh25 per adult; Gateway Park South, Yas Island; yaswinterfest.com

Friday

The first Michelin Food Festival opens on Friday and will run through the weekend.

Taking place on the grounds of Louvre Abu Dhabi, the event has chefs from 16 restaurants around the world that have been recognised by the Michelin Guide. They will offer curated menus, exclusive dishes and culinary masterclasses.

The participating chefs include Lee Kok Hua of Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, celebrity chef Alvin Leung from Bo Innovation in Hong Kong and Heidi Bjerkan from Credo in Norway.

The festival will also host six masterclasses, each focused on a flavour, from sweet and savoury to bitter, sour, umami and spicy. There will also be a bar and a pastry area, as well as a marketplace with Michelin products and local farm produce.

Until Sunday; noon-midnight; from Dh100 per person; Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island; Abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net

Saturday

Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates is hosting its second Festive Fun Run. Photo: Ski Dubai
Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates is hosting its second Festive Fun Run. Photo: Ski Dubai

The second Festive Fun Run at Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates returns on Saturday.

The unique race takes place in the venue with temperatures at -4ºC and comes with a visit from Santa Claus. People of all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to participate, with three categories available. Participants with the best festive costumes will win prizes.

Registration for the fun run closes on Wednesday.

Saturday; 8am onwards; from Dh31.50 per person; Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha 1; premieronline.com

Sunday

Head to Liwa Village, which has been transformed into winter festival grounds with retail and food offerings, cultural activities as well as performances from local and regional artists.

The desert festival spans seven zones, each offering a family-friendly experience. The Oasis, for example, will host dining and retail concepts such as pop-ups of BB Social Dining, Slaw and The Uncommon. For shopping, visitors can check out Emirati brands such as Odela & Co for skincare and Feathers for luxury goods.

The Carnival area features an array of games as well as activations, such as a 5D cinema and racing simulators. The main stage is set to host Arabic artists such as Bandar Bin Oweer and Ali Bin Mohammed.

Until December 31; 4pm-midnight on weekdays, 2pm-2am on weekends; from Dh15; Liwa Village, Abu Dhabi; abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns

Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins

Food of choice: Sushi  

Favourite colour: Orange

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Stage results

1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep  4:39:05

2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08

3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time 

4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t  

5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t  

6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t 

7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t

8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t     

9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo  s.t

10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t

Where to buy

Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com

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A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Leaderboard

63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)

64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)

66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)

67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)

68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)

Leaderboard

63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)

64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)

66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)

67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)

68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)

LOVE%20AGAIN
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Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

New schools in Dubai
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia

Three Penalties

v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)

v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)

v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)

Four Corners

v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)

v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)

v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)

v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)

One Free-Kick

v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)

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UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
'The Sky is Everywhere'

Director:Josephine Decker

Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon

Rating:2/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD

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RESULT

Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')

 

Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

MATCH INFO

Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')

Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')

Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Mobile phone packages comparison
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Name: Colm McLoughlin

Country: Galway, Ireland

Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free

Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah

 

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

What is Genes in Space?

Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.

It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration. 

The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make

When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.

“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.

This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).

Age

$250 a month

$500 a month

$1,000 a month

25

$640,829

$1,281,657

$2,563,315

35

$303,219

$606,439

$1,212,877

45

$131,596

$263,191

$526,382

55

$44,351

$88,702

$177,403

 

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi

Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi

Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni

Rating: 2.5/5

Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk


Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)

Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)

Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)

Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule

Thursday December 27

Men's quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm

Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm

Women's exhibition

Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

Friday December 28

5th place play-off 3pm

Men's semi-finals

Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm

Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm

Saturday December 29

3rd place play-off 5pm

Men's final 7pm

Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
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Updated: December 04, 2023, 3:50 AM