Hot yoga in Abu Dhabi this summer
Sign up for a series of hot-yoga classes at a discounted rate this summer. The sessions, led by the instructor Sasha Quince, run from 7pm to 8pm on Sunday and Wednesday evenings at the Al Maqta Hotel (formerly Rocco Forte Hotel) on Airport Road. Quince’s classes will take you through yoga poses while you sweat in a heated room, which helps weight loss, improves fitness and detoxifies the body. From July 3 to July 30; register before Friday (June 28) to pay only Dh250 for all five classes. Email letsgoyoga@yahoo.com.
Physique 57 fitness studio opens in Dubai
Physique 57, a fitness company that has attracted celebrities in New York and Los Angeles, will be launching a new studio next month in Jumeirah. Workouts offered combine isometric exercises and orthopaedic stretches, which tone muscles and burn fat. Meanwhile, the instructors Nora Hickman and Neva Cockrell from New York are on their way to the UAE. Visit www.physique57.com.
Give ME 3000
Grant Goes, who won the 2012 Dubai’s Fittest Man contest, will be participating in the Give ME 3000 event at 9.30am on Saturday at the X-Fit gym in Knowledge Village to raise awareness of the importance of exercise. The challenge involves 300 reps of 10 tough exercises such as a 32kg kettle bell swing, bar pull-ups, 60kg dead-lifts, burpees, box jumps and more. Although Goes will be completing them all, participants can see fit to attempt as many as they can. Visit www.fitnesslink.me for more details.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
More on Quran memorisation:
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
FOOTBALL TEST
Team X 1 Team Y 0
Scorers
Red card
Man of the Match
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
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
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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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
