UAE residents are in for a busy week, as the country embraces events such as Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day.
The winter season also peaks with a mega outdoor music festival making its debut in Dubai and a major Hollywood star performing alfresco in the capital.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates from Monday to Sunday.
Monday
Start the week with an early Valentine's Day treat at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in Abu Dhabi. Couples can indulge in a curated spa package that starts with a 30-minute milk bath, with two flutes of champagne and chocolates. A 60-minute Anantara-signature treatment follows, and it concludes with a 60-minute facial care of Biologique Recherche.
Until Sunday; Dh3,400 per couple; Al Mirayr, Abu Dhabi; anantara.com
Tuesday
Head to Mott 32 restaurant at Address Beach Resort on Tuesday to catch a limited-run exhibition featuring Chinese New Year-themed pieces by Judith Leiber Couture.
The seasonal collection includes meticulously handcrafted evening bags themed around prosperity and abundance. Couture pieces such as the Chinese-take-out-box-shaped bag and another shaped like a dragon's egg will be on display.
The restaurant has also created a menu inspired by the couturier's Year of the Dragon collection, including steamed scallop with garlic vermicelli, sweet potato and scallion oil, as well as dragon egg with fresh blueberry lime compote, honey Greek yoghurt espuma, snap tulie and dried pineapple.
Until March 10; 6pm-1am; a la carte; Jumeirah Beach Residence; mott32.com
Wednesday
Who says Valentine's Day can't be about you and your pet? British pub The Duck Hook is hosting a unique celebration for guests and their pooches on Wednesday.
A limited-edition menu has been curated, with pet-themed beverages on offer. A Polaroid photo booth area is also set up, as well as a play zone with professional trainers.
Wednesday; 11am-8pm; free entry, a la carte menu; Dubai Hills Golf Club; jumeirah.com
Thursday
Untold, one of Europe's most popular music festivals, begins on Thursday.
Taking place at Dubai Expo City, the four-day event has dozens of artists lined up to perform on different stages across the venue.
The artists performing include Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren, British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, South Korean artist Psy and more. Big names aside, other niche artists are also set to perform, including English singer-songwriter Ama Lou, electronic music trio Arkadyan and Dubai's DJ Bliss.
Until Sunday; from Dh300; Dubai Expo City; untold.ae
Friday
A new food hall opens at Al Ghurair Centre in Dubai on Friday.
Set across 308 square metres in one of Dubai's oldest shopping malls, the Flayva brings together 23 street food concepts, predominantly representing Asian flavours. The brands include popular Lebanese eatery Allo Beirut, Emirati-owned boba shop Hubboba Tea Cafe and Indonesian concept Warung Bandung.
Filipino, Japanese and Thai cuisines are also present, with stalls by Salvis Junior, Tako Ichiban House and Siam Thai Food.
Open Sunday to Thursday, 10am-11pm; Friday to Saturday, 10am-1am; Al Ghurair Centre; flayvadubai.com
Saturday
Spend Saturday night on Saadiyat Island, listening to Alicia Key's heartfelt vocals live.
The 15-time Grammy winner is taking the stage of Saadiyat Nights, an open-air music series in Abu Dhabi, with past concerts by big-ticket names such as Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli.
The US singer and pianist is known for hits Fallin’, If I Ain't Got You and Girl on Fire. She has released nine studio albums and sold more than 90 million records worldwide.
Saturday; 5pm; from Dh295; Jacques Chirac Street, Saadiyat Island; ticketmaster.ae
Sunday
Book an educational tour of Dibba Bay's oyster farm in Fujairah on Sunday. The open farm weekend is part of a 10-day Oyster Festival that kicks off on Thursday.
The tour will allow guests to learn about the production process of the onshore facility, followed by a boat trip to see the actual oyster spot at sea. The package also includes oyster tasting with non-alcoholic wine pairings.
Saturday and Sunday; 10am-4pm; Dh350; Dibba, Fujairah; dibbabay.com
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
More on Quran memorisation:
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ENGLAND SQUAD
For first two Test in India Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson , Dom Bess, Stuart Broad , Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes. Reserves James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
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Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Scoreline
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')
Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
