Five years ago, the Shanghai World Expo was coming to an end, and with it the last chance for visitors to check out one of the most-talked-about pavilions, the huge, bronze sand dunes representing the UAE.
Except, it was not the end of the UAE Pavilion, which was designed by Foster + Partners in celebration of the country’s desert heritage.
After the closing of the 2010 Expo, the building was carefully dismantled and shipped to a new home on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island.
This photo shows the structure being rebuilt in 2011 in Abu Dhabi, getting it ready to host an exhibition to mark National Day and the 40th anniversary of the UAE.
For the next two years it was a centrepiece of Abu Dhabi Art, until heavy rains in 2013 revealed that the structure, while imposing, was too prone to leaks for it to house valuable works of art.
While the future of the building, which sits next to the Manarat Al Saadiyat exhibition centre, is not clear, Abu Dhabi will soon add another expo pavilion to its collection when the UAE Pavilion from Milan arrives.
That pavilion will be rehoused, this time, as a visitors centre, at Masdar City.
* James Langton
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
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
