• Indian film composer AR Rahman at the debut of the Firdaus Orchestra on the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/The National
    Indian film composer AR Rahman at the debut of the Firdaus Orchestra on the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/The National
  • Fans crowd the Jubilee Stage to watch and listen to composer AR Rahman. Khushnum Bhandari/The National
    Fans crowd the Jubilee Stage to watch and listen to composer AR Rahman. Khushnum Bhandari/The National
  • The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble, lights up the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
    The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble, lights up the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
  • The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble, lights up the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
    The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble, lights up the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
  • Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer AR Rahman leads the Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble, at the Jubilee Stage during Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
    Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer AR Rahman leads the Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble, at the Jubilee Stage during Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
  • The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble led by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, performs on the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
    The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble led by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, performs on the Jubilee Stage at Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
  • The Firdaus Orchestra's debut performance at the Jubilee Stage, Expo 2020 Dubai, drew followers of all ages. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
    The Firdaus Orchestra's debut performance at the Jubilee Stage, Expo 2020 Dubai, drew followers of all ages. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
  • The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble led by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, performs at the Jubilee Stage during Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
    The Firdaus Orchestra, an all-women musical ensemble led by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, performs at the Jubilee Stage during Expo 2020 Dubai with a tribute to space explorers. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
  • A visitor to Expo 2020 Dubai takes photos as AR Rahman, Indian film composer, leads the Firdaus Orchestra on its debut at the Jubilee Stage. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
    A visitor to Expo 2020 Dubai takes photos as AR Rahman, Indian film composer, leads the Firdaus Orchestra on its debut at the Jubilee Stage. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National

Expo 2020 Dubai: AR Rahman’s Firdaus Orchestra makes stellar debut


Ramola Talwar Badam
  • English
  • Arabic

Expo 2020 Dubai organisers may have to think about adding more Firdaus Orchestra shows – if demand for the opening night of AR Rahman’s ensemble is anything to go by.

Shows at Jubilee Park are not ticketed, so it was those who queued early who were able to see the all-women Firdaus Orchestra perform their space-themed repertoire.

Thousands of visitors queued for hours before the show, with dozens left outside behind barricades after the venue reached maximum capacity.

“I have been an AR fan for so many, many years and I love Bollywood,” said Dina Belise from Kazakhstan who found space on blue bean bags placed across the park.

“I will be coming for all his events at Expo.”

She stood in line three hours before the concert began.

“It is thrilling; fantastic to hear him and be so close,” she said.

Many speaking before the show hoped to hear Rahman classics like Vande Mantaram.

“Any AR hits will do. This is his first concert for us,” said Dubai resident Noumith Dhananjaya from Bangalore, India, who was with his family.

Yasmina Sabbah, the conductor, led the 50-strong women’s orchestra opening with the famous Star Wars theme and an iconic Rahman soundtrack Bombay, a Bollywood release from the 1990s.

Crowds flocked to see the performance at Expo 2020's Jubilee Stage. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Crowds flocked to see the performance at Expo 2020's Jubilee Stage. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

This was followed by a collection of haunting pieces, including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

Musicians on traditional Arabic instruments the qanun, buzuk and oud matched the beat and tempo of the western classical oboe, flute and violin.

The crowd clapped and cheered through the hour-long show as they gathered around the perimeter of the park that houses Expo's largest performance venue.

The Oscar and Grammy-winning composer thanked the Expo for making his first performance in Dubai possible this year.

This is the first of six concerts over the next five months with the orchestra he has mentored.

Introduced as the orchestra’s mentor and guide, Rahman commanded the stage after the first hour for his original finale piece.

The famous music director said he competed the composition two days before Saturday’s show, as he welcomed Hindustani classical vocalists from India and sopranos, in a legendary fusion of East and West.

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Brief scoreline:

Liverpool 5

Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'

Huddersfield 0

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
England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand

Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince

THE SPECS

GMC Sierra Denali 1500

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Price: Dh232,500

SPECS
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Results

2-15pm: Commercial Bank Of Dubai – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Al Habash, Patrick Cosgrave (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)

2.45pm: Al Shafar Investment – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Day Approach, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash

3.15pm: Dubai Real estate Centre – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Celtic Prince, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly

3.45pm: Jebel Ali Sprint by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Khuzaam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

4.15pm: Shadwell – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Tenbury Wells, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

4.45pm: Jebel Ali Stakes by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson

5.15pm: Jebel Ali Racecourse – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Rougher, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

The Year Earth Changed

Directed by:Tom Beard

Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough

Stars: 4

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

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Updated: October 24, 2021, 9:30 AM