After noticing various blog posts reporting that Rihanna will be performing in Dubai next month, we did a little snooping of our own and found that the rumour has spread. Both MTV and Hollyscoop websites report that the R&B star's first performance since the February arrest of Chris Brown, her boyfriend at the time (though it was reported this week that they are back together), will indeed take place in Dubai.
Though the venue is as yet undisclosed, word is that 25,000 tickets will be on sale soon, and that Rihanna's comeback is scheduled for May 28. We suggest you keep your ears tuned, because knowing the singer's popularity, there's little chance that tickets will be easy to snag.
It has been 19 years since indie festival favourites The Charlatans went to No 9 on the UK charts with The Only One I Know, catapulting them to fame. More than 20 hit records later, The Charlatans are bigger than ever, performing alongside the likes of The Who and the Rolling Stones. And now, following the launch of their 10th studio album, the group are due to rock Dubai. The concert will be held next Friday night at Chi at The Lodge. Tickets are Dh150 in advance, Dh175 at the door, and Dh250 for a VIP package. The concert will also include sets by international DJs, so for those too young to appreciate the step back in time with one of the most popular bands of the 90s, there's still something to look forward to.
Exactly 47.59 seconds: that's all it took for Deepthi Rathakrishnan to make history at the recent UAE National Rubik's Cube competition - Dubai Open 2009, where this fifth-grade Gems student from The Kindergarten Starters won the 3x3 Rubik's Cube Championship in record time. Deepthi was also the runner-up in the 2x2 Rubik's Cube contest, and is the first and the youngest Indian girl to win the championship. "She is a quiet, unassuming young lady," said Lawrence Hartnett, principal at The Kindergarten Starters. "Deepthi's special skills have brought a unique recognition for her and for our school. She is a great encouragement to many others with hitherto unrecognised skills."
The Farjam Collection, the first art venue of its kind in Dubai, recently opened in the International Financial Centre to present a series of rotating exhibitions drawn from Farhad Farjam's extensive collection. The opening show, Highlights of Islamic Art from the Farjam Collection, covers the history of Islam up to the 19th century, bringing together items from Andalusia to Mughal India. It includes Qurans, manuscripts, illustrated books on science, mathematics and poetry, paintings and miniatures, finely decorated metalwork, glasswork, tiles, pottery, woodwork, coins, jewellery, carpets and much more. Admission is free and the Gallery is open from 10am to 8pm, Sunday to Thursday, and from noon to 8pm on Saturdays.
The British artist Sacha Jafri will today share his considerable talents with the younger generation at a children's painting workshop in Dubai for pupils from Scholars International Academy and other schools. The resulting creations will be auctioned for children's charities. Mr Jafri has quite a celebrity following: the ruling Al Maktoum family of Dubai, Bill Gates and the actors Kevin Spacey and Jude Law own some of his works.
* The National
