As temperatures start to soar in the UAE, it's safe to say that summer has officially arrived.
While this often means spending more time indoors, it doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of activities to enjoy.
Whether it's taking the family to Ski Dubai or Snow Abu Dhabi, or indulging in some pampering in the Snow Room at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray’s Talise Ottoman Spa, there is something for everyone.
Here’s a look at six quick ways to cool down in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Chillout Ice Lounge
Spread across 213 square metres and set at -6ºC, Chillout Ice Lounge is the Middle East's first sub-zero lounge. Located in Times Square Centre, Dubai, it is furnished with sculptures, seats and tables made out of ice. Visitors receive a complimentary welcome drink and snack upon entering. There is also tea, coffee and signature hot chocolate on sale. Food options include sandwiches, soups and cakes.
Dh89 for adults, Dh49 for children; 10am to 10pm daily; chilloutindubai.com
Ski Dubai
The indoor ski centre at Mall of the Emirates is one of Dubai’s most recognisable attractions and is popular with snow sports enthusiasts. Opened in 2005, Ski Dubai has five ski slopes, a family-friendly snow park and a waddle of resident penguins. The park offers temperatures of -4ºC and, in addition to skiing, the venue hosts events including an Ice Warrior Challenge and Festive Fun Run.
Prices vary; Monday to Thursday, 10am to 11pm; Friday, 10am to midnight; Saturday and Sunday, 9am to midnight; www.skidxb.com
Snow Room
For those looking for a more relaxing environment, the Snow Room at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray’s Talise Ottoman Spa offers a unique and invigorating experience and sub-zero temperatures. The frosty retreat, designed to simulate a winter wonderland with real snow, promotes health benefits such as improved circulation, muscle recovery and skin toning. Typically used after a sauna or steam room session, the Snow Room is said to enhance detoxification and offers a refreshing contrast to warmer spa treatments.
Prices vary with treatments; 9am to 9.30pm daily; www.jumeirah.com
Snow Abu Dhabi
The first snow park in the capital has 12 rides and 17 attractions spread across nearly 1,000 square metres. The park, located inside Reem Mall, is inspired by a whimsical enchanted forest. It maintains a temperature of -2ºC. The attractions include two huge slides called Ice and Floes Toboggan Race and Grauppel’s Summit Escape. Snow Abu Dhabi's rides include the Flight of the Snowy Owl, the Magic Carpet, the Polar Express Train and the Crystal Carousel.
Prices start at Dh215 for adults, Dh165 for children; 10am to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday; 10am to midnight, Friday and Saturday; www.skidxb.com
Ice skating at Zayed Sports City
Put on the skates and hit the ice rink at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi for a refreshing escape from the soaring heat. The rink is maintained at consistently low temperatures to ensure the ice stays frozen. It offers high-quality skates and safety gear for rent, ensuring skaters of all levels are well-prepared for the ice. Instructors are available for those looking to improve their skills, or learn the basics, through individual or group lessons. There's also a cafe that overlooks the ice, where spectators can relax and enjoy a warm drink while people-watching.
Prices start at Dh55 per session; noon to 9.30pm, Monday to Thursday; noon to 11.30pm, Friday; 10.15am to 10.30pm, Saturday, 10.15am to 9.30pm, Sunday; www.zsc.ae
Snow Cave at Al Wathba
Abu Dhabi's first snow cave, at Saray Spa at Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, is a room that’s covered in ice and snow with temperatures maintained at a chilly -2ºC. The Snow Cave builds on the age-old therapeutic concept of taking the body from hot to cold – to improve circulation and muscle recovery, for example – and is ideal for post-work relaxation in a serene, wintry setting.
Day passes start at Dh200; 11am to 10pm daily; www.sarayspaalwathba.com
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
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
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
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.”
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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