From Welsh crooner Tom Jones, to military-grade tanks and majestic falcons, the stars who have appeared at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) are eclectic to say the least.
The city’s premiere events venue is making headlines again this week as it hosts the biennial International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex 2023), the region’s biggest arms and defence technology sales exhibition.
See images of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's visit to Idex
This comes on the back of a host of events ranging from the International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex), the international get-together of educators Najah Abu Dhabi and the oil exhibition and conference Adipec.
The business events will soon make way for a legion of superstar actors and fans dressed in their favourite superhero costumes as part of the Middle East Film and Comic Con from March 3 to 5.
Such an eclectic calendar is the point.
Ever since opening in 2005, Adnec has fulfilled its promise of being a state-of-the-art centre, catering to events big and small.
From conferences to concerts, it has brought some of the world’s leading thinkers and pop stars to Abu Dhabi, while forming a meeting point for UAE residents.
That growth has been rapid.
Adnec staged just 14 events in its first year, but in 2010 hosted 119, as previously reported in The National.
According to its 2019 annual report, it staged a record number of 496 events, comprising 235 conferences and 11 exhibitions attended by more than 2.3 million people.
While many events are generally industry specific, the venue's biggest impact was arguably its pivotal role in Abu Dhabi’s response to the pandemic.
In 2020 it was transformed by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi into a state-of-the-art field hospital treating Covid-19 patients free of charge.
The 31,000-square-metre space had 1,000 beds staffed by 150 medics.
Adnec also led the recovery of Abu Dhabi’s events and cultural sector in the wake of the pandemic in 2021 by hosting occasions such as VidCon, the Emirates Skills National Competition and the UAE Muaythai Championship successfully under health and safety measures.
With plenty of events yet to come, including hundreds of authors and publishers for the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in May, the next chapter of this remarkable venue looks as bright as ever.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
