Top 10: See the winners of the UAE 46 art competition, get coffee for Dh1 at Tub of Butter, enjoy a poetry and prose performance by Zia Mohyeddin at Madinat Theatre

Your essential guide to what's happening in the Emirates

Swiss Art Gate and Wanna Read? present the winners of the UAE 46 art competition, including the first-place entry by Eduardo V Yap Swiss (a detail of UAE 46, pictured). Art Gate UAE

Abu Dhabi

National Day

Swiss Art Gate UAE and the Wanna Read? initiative present winning artwork from the UAE 46 art competition. More than 60 international artists submitted images, and Eduardo Yap Jr of Al Ain won with an acrylic work of heritage preservation and the country’s economic growth (pictured). The runner-up was Zahra Goulamhoussen of Dubai with her clock and skyline silhouettes. The original artwork will be auctioned but 46 limited edition prints are for sale, with some of the proceeds donated to Wanna Read?, that provides children in hospital with an enriching reading environment.

Daily until December 15, lobby, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, to bid or purchase prints call 050 225 1783 or email [e-mail]

Abu Dhabi

Baby signing

Register to join a baby signing workshop led by Silvia Sopkova at Bodytree Studio. Learn to use simple signs and gestures with pre-verbal children, helping them to understand and communicate before they can talk, which can reduce tantrums and fussiness, and also stimulate learning.

December 9, 9.30am to 11am, Dh75 per person or Dh120 per couple, Bodytree Studio, Abu Dhabi, 02 443 4448, [e-mail]

Register to take part in a baby signing course to help your child communicate. Bodytree Studio

Abu Dhabi

Kids’ fun

National Day celebrations have already kicked off at Orange Wheels, the family educational entertainment venue at Al Wahda Mall, where children can make silly faces in the photo booth, hear heroic tales at storytime, decorate cupcakes in UAE colours, take part in sack- and camel races, add art to the Flag Wall and enjoy more games and activities. On Friday, there will be henna, Arabic lessons, a falconry show, face-painting and Arabian hospitality.

Daily until Friday, 10am to 9pm today; 10am to 10pm tomorrow and Friday, Orange Wheels, Al Wahda Mall Extension, Abu Dhabi, 02 667 4411, www.facebook.com/orangewheelsuae

Abu Dhabi

Tennis event

Get tickets for the 10th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, featuring top players from around the world including Rafael Nadal, Milos Raonic, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Pablo Carreno Busta and Dominic Thiem. The Tennis Village will also offer fun and games, refreshments, autograph sessions and player coaching clinics.

December 28 to 30, from noon daily, from Dh100, International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, www.ticketmaster.ae

Abu Dhabi

Exhibition

Attend the opening of A Touch of Heritage, a group exhibition of paintings, photographs, sculptures, digital images and other contemporary art by emerging and established artists who highlight the UAE's rich natural beauty and diversity, as part of this year's National Day celebrations.

Opens today, 10.30am, then runs daily until January 7, 9am to 8pm daily, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 02 657 5800, www.saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae

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Dubai

Performance

Enjoy an evening of prose and poetry by Pakistani actor, producer, director and broadcaster Zia Mohyeddin, known for his cultural and literary credentials and his command of languages, including Urdu, English and Punjabi. With his on-point delivery, Mohyeddin will illustrate why he is a lauded public speaker among his contemporaries.

Tonight, doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm, from Dh150, Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, madinatjumeirah.etixdubai.com

Dubai

Theatre offer

Get tickets to see Amazing Dubai, The Musical at a discounted price of Dh46 for select shows this weekend in honour of National Day. In the show, an Emirati family takes the audience on a journey through time, from the city's beginnings as a small fishing community in the 1800s to one of the world's great metropolises.

Tomorrow until Saturday, 2.30pm on Thursday; 7.30pm on Friday; noon, 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, Dh46, Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, 04 366 6546, madinatjumeirah.etixdubai.com

Dubai

Coffee offer

Celebrate the first birthday of Tub of Butter with coffee for just Dh1 today and tomorrow. The casual dining restaurant and gourmet grocer invites customers to enjoy a cup of joe for a discounted price from the usual Dh20. The shop is known for its ambitious coffee art. There will also be a number of other surprises and treats for visitors, for the birthday celebration.

Today and tomorrow, 7am to 11pm, Dh1 for coffee, Tub of Butter, next to Metropolitan Hotel, Al Thanya Street, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, www.tubofbutter.com

Tub of Butter offers Dh1 coffee today and tomorrow to celebrate its first birthday. Tub of Butter

Dubai

Film screening

Catch a screening of Easy Rider as part of the #DXBExperiments cult movies series – a pop-up open-air cinema at Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort and Spa Dubai. The 1969 film starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson examines American society in the 1960s, its tensions and issues. Set menus from Dh120, are also available.

Tonight, from 8pm, free entry on a first-come, first-served basis; from Dh120 for a two-course set menu that will guarantee seating, 21+, Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort and Spa Dubai, Dubai, book at www.leroyalmeridien-dubai.com/thecinema

Dubai

Writing class

Register to take part in a 10-week creative-writing programme for adults that focuses on short stories. Learn how to pen a story ready for publication, then see it in print. Courses for ages 7-11 and 12-16 focus on vocabulary, grammar and writing techniques.

Starts January 9, from 6.30pm to 8pm on Tuesdays, Dh1,600 for the adult course; starts January 7, 5pm to 6.30pm on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for ages 7-11; 6.30pm to 8pm on Wednesdays for ages 12-16, Dh1,200 for students, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, register at 056 745 1511, [e-mail]