• Visitors to Kite beach wear jumpers as the colder weather sets in. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Visitors to Kite beach wear jumpers as the colder weather sets in. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Hoodies are a popular choice of attire when temperatures drop in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Hoodies are a popular choice of attire when temperatures drop in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A man wraps up warm on the beach in Dubai as the cold snap bites. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A man wraps up warm on the beach in Dubai as the cold snap bites. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • While a t-shirt is usually enough in sun-baked Dubai, there is a need for more layers during a particularly cool winter. Pawan Singh / The National
    While a t-shirt is usually enough in sun-baked Dubai, there is a need for more layers during a particularly cool winter. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A member of the public wraps up warm in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    A member of the public wraps up warm in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Sales of winter clothing such as jackets, coats and hoodies have surged in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Sales of winter clothing such as jackets, coats and hoodies have surged in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Traders have seens sales go up as temperatures drop in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Traders have seens sales go up as temperatures drop in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • One Dubai shop reported an increase in sales of 25 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. Pawan Singh / The National
    One Dubai shop reported an increase in sales of 25 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Shorts are still the order of the day, but residents are slipping on hoodies and jackets before stepping out. Pawan Singh / The National
    Shorts are still the order of the day, but residents are slipping on hoodies and jackets before stepping out. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Dubai residents have been stocking up on winter clothing. Pawan Singh / The National
    Dubai residents have been stocking up on winter clothing. Pawan Singh / The National

Coat and hoodie sales surge as temperatures drop in Dubai and UAE


Kelly Clarke
  • English
  • Arabic

As thousands of visitors descended on the UAE for the festive period, many were left reaching for their jumpers and coats as a cold snap set in.

While daytime temperatures have remained in the twenties for the past few months, residents and visitors have felt a distinct chill in the air during the early morning and late-night hours.

Lows of 7°C were recorded in the Northern Emirates last week, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi had morning lows of 12°C as children set off for school.

Cool mornings and cold nights are set to continue in the coming days, weather forecasters say, and shops have had increased demand for winter wear.

Demand for coats and jackets is on the rise given the cool weather

"The Custom Shop New York has seen a spike in sales in heavier cloths for sports jackets over the last three months," a representative for the men's tailors in Dubai told The National.

“With more people not travelling this past winter due to the global pandemic and the weather being much cooler, a lot of our customers chose to custom tailor heavier sports jackets and blazers as they didn’t feel cold enough for an overcoat.

“Fabrics such as lambswool and tweed have been far more popular this year than in previous for [those that want] something a little warmer for the Middle East winter.”

Sales staff at Centrepoint in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, said medium-padded sports jackets were proving a popular choice with customers in store.

At Max, a fashion retail store under the Landmark Group, cosy loungewear was flying off the shelves.

“December definitely spiked in terms of winter wear, nights, and some days, are getting cooler and people definitely need an additional layer of warmth,” said Hans van den Broecke, apparel buying head at Max.

“It is the time of the year for jackets, coats, sweaters, sweatshirts and all kinds of cosy loungewear products.

“Popular items have been puffa jackets, PU jackets, chunky sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies, fleecy jumpers and PJs.”

Shops have been selling more heavy clothing over the past few months. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National
Shops have been selling more heavy clothing over the past few months. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

Mr van den Broecke said there had been a “very strong double-digit increase from last year, both online and in stores”, despite customers being unable to travel to colder destinations this season.

On Sunday, the National Centre for Meteorology issued a weather warning as rain lashed parts of the country.

While cold mornings and evenings are not unusual in the UAE, temperatures have dipped slightly over the past few months. The weather has been changeable with sandstorms and downpours sighted a little more often than usual.

As a result, shops have reaped the rewards as customers fill their wardrobes with warmer clothing.

“Demand for coats and jackets is on the rise given the cool weather,” said Maria Akil, founder of Nomadic Camel, a luxury retailer in Dubai.

“In addition, scarves, shawls, ponchos and gloves have also seen an increase.

“We sold out 25 per cent more items starting December compared to the same time last year.

“While coat sales were up by 20 per cent, scarves and shawls have seen a 10 per cent increase.

“The cost [of items] varies depending on the style, fabric and design and can range anywhere from Dh150 to Dh500.”

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
%3Cp%3EMercedes-Benz's%20MBUX%20digital%20voice%20assistant%2C%20Hey%20Mercedes%2C%20allows%20users%20to%20set%20up%20commands%20for%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Navigation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Calls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20In-car%20climate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Ambient%20lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Media%20controls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Driver%20assistance%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20General%20inquiries%20such%20as%20motor%20data%2C%20fuel%20consumption%20and%20next%20service%20schedule%2C%20and%20even%20funny%20questions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThere's%20also%20a%20hidden%20feature%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20pressing%20and%20holding%20the%20voice%20command%20button%20on%20the%20steering%20wheel%20activates%20the%20voice%20assistant%20on%20a%20connected%20smartphone%20%E2%80%93%20Siri%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%20or%20Google%20Assistant%20on%20Android%20%E2%80%93%20enabling%20a%20user%20to%20command%20the%20car%20even%20without%20Apple%20CarPlay%20or%20Android%20Auto%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results

2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)

3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi

3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel

4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar

5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud

RACE SCHEDULE

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm

Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm

Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The%20Killer
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How will Gen Alpha invest?

Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.

“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.

Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.

He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.

Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The Lowdown

Kesari

Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

 

RACE CARD

6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m