On the third floor of the Museum of the Future, time stands still.
The recently opened venue’s preoccupation with how the UAE could look like in 2071 is serenely paused upon entering Al Waha, a zone dedicated to various therapies and meditation practices.
Chances are, you will need it.
Such is the heady nature of the museum’s information and eye-popping exhibits that Al Waha acts as a welcome reprieve for the senses.
"People can become overwhelmed if you introduce so much information in such little time," says tour guide Maryam Al Raeesi. "So this is a relaxing area for peace of mind. It is about forgetting all the technology of the outside world and just focusing on yourself.”
We are standing in the lobby of Al Waha, where visitors are invited to lean into what resembles a marble fountain which emanates a sweet and earthy scent.
“That’s the smell of tribulus omanense, the national flower of the UAE,” says Al Raeesi.
With the aroma acting as a mental palate cleanser, our journey into Al Waha begins.
1. The sand bath
Meaning "oasis" in Arabic, Al Waha resembles a mauve-coloured Moroccan Riad with an arched passageway leading to a central courtyard.
“It is an area designed to activate and relax all the senses,” Al Raeesi says.
The first of which is movement: I walk across a soft carpet resembling fine white sand, thanks to audiovisual effects. With each step leaving an imprint, I am encouraged to walk and breathe slower and focus on each stride.
"This is called the sand bath and the rhythms of your movement mimic the rhythm between sand and wind," the guide says. "Seeing that effect will make your movement slow and steady and ultimately has a calming effect."
2. Ultrasonic therapy
The courtyard is home to four adjoining rooms specialising in widely used treatments. No prior booking is required for any therapies and each room is able to hold between three and six people.
The ultrasonic therapy had me sitting on a stool and placing my hand over a humming copper plate. I close my eyes and feel a steady and delicate vibration slowly going up my arms and to my neck.
"We use our hands every day and it always interacts with technology, such as mobile phones. We do that so much that we forget that one of the most important senses is touch and that starts with our hands," Al Raeesi says.
"So this therapy is about relaxing those muscles and just feeling the waves."
3. Grounding therapy
While the pandemic has made us more aware of our body temperature, the museum’s grounding therapy area wants us to be attuned to our body's optimal frequency, which, according to Al Raeesi, should be 7.83 Hz.
To get on the wavelength, I am invited to stand between two large metal discs that somehow will recalibrate me to the level. After a minute, I confess I don’t know what I am supposed to feel.
“That’s fine,” Al Raeesi says. “You need to give it time, some people could be standing there for five minutes and they will leave when they feel ready to.”
4. Connections therapy
Not every treatment is a solitary experience.
Connections therapy is a group affair requiring six people to see its benefits. If you come with a smaller group, as we did, some of the museum’s staff will happily take part.
Upon sitting at a concave-shaped table, all participants are asked to lean into their respective small microphones and hum together. The joint effort will result in a series of six digitised rocks slowly coming together from all sides of the table and meeting at the centre.
"It's about promoting a sense of collaboration and connection with each other," Al Raeesi says. "It sounds simple but it’s actually what is needed right now as technology makes us feel busier, isolated and very lonely sometimes."
5. Meditation centre
The final feature of Al Waha is my favourite.
The circular meditation centre is brilliantly ethereal with comfortable seats arranged around a projector beaming water ripples and waves on the ceiling. Coupled by the droning sounds of the ocean and sea life, I sit in the dimly lit room for nearly half an hour, lost in the images above.
While Museum of the Future promises the best is yet to come from the UAE, Al Waha shows there is nothing wrong with also enjoying the present moment.
Entry to the museum costs Dh145, but is complimentary for children under the age of 3, people of determination and Emiratis aged 60 and older. More information is available at motf.ae
Scroll through the gallery below for pictures from the opening ceremony of Museum of the Future:
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
Victims%20of%20the%202018%20Parkland%20school%20shooting
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Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Last-16 Europa League fixtures
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Mobile phone packages comparison
Company%20Profile
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