Abu Dhabi & Dubai
Comedy show
Gather your friends and colleagues and treat yourself to a night of fun as The Laughter Factory returns to the capital with three top international stand-up performers: comedian and columnist Markus Birdman (pictured), Carey Marx, who is known for his bleak sense of humour, and Irish storyteller Andrew Ryan. This month’s tour ends tomorrow night at Grand Millennium in Dubai.
Tonight, 8pm, Park Rotana, Abu Dhabi; tomorrow, 9pm, Grand Millennium, Tecom, Dubai, Dh140, ages 21+, www.platinumlist.net
Sharjah
Exhibition
Sharjah Art Museum presents Lasting Impressions: Thuraya Al Baqsaami, the eighth in the series that pays tribute to the region's most influential artists. Al Baqsami is an award-winning Kuwaiti artist whose displayed paintings, posters, drawings and illustrations date back to the 1960s, and take visitors on a journey through her life in Cairo, Moscow and Dakar. Pictured: Sultan's Daughter
Opens today, then runs daily until December 16, 8am to 8pm, Saturdays to Thursdays; 4pm to 8pm on Fridays, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, www.sharjahmuseums.ae
Abu Dhabi
Family fun
Get tickets now to attend WWE Live in Abu Dhabi and see Superstars including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Finn Balor, Cesaro and Sheamus. The event blends in-ring athletics and dramatic entertainment with all the energy of a rock concert in a fun atmosphere the whole family will enjoy.
December 7, 8pm, from Dh250, Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium, Abu Dhabi, www.platinumlist.net
Abu Dhabi
Filmmaking talk
Register to attend a talk on The Business of Film and meet Mark Gill, the president and CEO of Solstice Studios and former president of Millennium Films, where he was credited for reviving the brand with big hits including Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, Mechanic: Resurrection and Hitman's Bodyguard. Learn the ins and outs of filmmaking from an expert who has 30 years of experience.
Monday, 6pm, Vox Cinemas, Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi, register at events@brandmoxie.com
Nationwide
Charity cookie
Buy a chocolate-chip Smile Cookie from Tim Hortons for only Dh6, and the full amount will go to Farah, the paediatric initiative of the Al Jalila Foundation, which provides life-saving treatment and funds cutting-edge research, offering hope to children with illnesses and their families.
Available until October 29, Dh6, at participating Tim Hortons nationwide, www.timhortons.com
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Read more:
Community theatre group to stage exclusive show for blue-collar workers in Dubai
Harry Potter set to come alive at Dubai Opera
'Art should attract and confuse': Mario Testino auctions million-dollar art collection
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Dubai
Exhibition
Paws Trails Explorers presents The Mara Trails, a photography exhibition showcasing moments from Maasai Mara, Kenya, photographed by Shafi Rasheed, a Dubai-based artist who has practiced wildlife photography for the past three years. Rasheed feels that his visit to Africa changed him from a hobby photographer to a serious wildlife enthusiast. Pictured: An image of King Notch and his son Caesar by Shafi Rasheed
Opens tonight, 7.30pm, runs daily until Monday, 10am to 7pm, Saturdays to Thursdays (closed Fridays), The Cartoon Art Gallery, 4B Street, Al Quoz, Dubai, 04 346 6467, www.cartoonartgallery.org
Dubai
Film screening
Alliance Francaise Dubai presents a screening of the French film Cairo Station by Youssef Chahine as part of its Egyptian cinema series. This 1958 film is about Qinawi (Youssef Chahine), a peddler who makes his living selling newspapers at the central Cairo train station, where he is obsessed with Hanuma (Hend Rostom), a woman who sells drinks. She is sweet to Qinawi, but is in love with Abu Siri (Farid Shawqi), a porter who is trying to unionise his fellow workers and combat their abusive boss.
Today, 10am, Alliance Francaise Dubai, Oud Metha, Dubai, 04 335 8712, www.afdubai.org
Dubai
Performance
Get tickets to see Mandela Trilogy, a musical tribute to Nelson Mandela presented by Cape Town Opera with a cast of more than 30 performers including three incarnations of Mandela and featuring diverse styles of music – Xhosa choral, jazz and jive, struggle songs and liberation music – while dramatising the defining moments of his life.
November 9 to 11, 8pm, from Dh150, Dubai Opera, Dubai, www.dubaiopera.com
Dubai
Concert
Get tickets to attend the Modigliani Quartet as part of the World Classical Music Series. The group has a reputation for lively, playful performances tuned to perfection.
October 28, doors open at 7pm, concert starts at 8pm, from Dh250, Royal Ballroom, One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai, www.platinumlist.net
Dubai
Fashion
Mall of the Emirates presents its annual event World of Fashion, featuring celebrity appearances, pop-up workshops, fashion shows and more. Shop the latest fashion trends and catch highlights of the event, including a talk today with designer Roksanda Ilincic at Central Galleria from 7.30pm to 8pm.
Daily until Saturday, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, www.malloftheemirates.com
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
*Streaming: Jio Live
*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
