It's for this reason Semi Permanent Middle East offers a gamut of experiences, from musical performances and film screenings to exhibitions and a restaurant pop-up, featuring some of the most innovative names in their respective fields.
Self-dubbed as the region's first creativity festival, the event’s key sessions take place from Thursday to Saturday in Abu Dhabi's Manarat Al Saadiyat.
The line-up includes Grammy Award-winning music producer and DJ Mark Ronson, experimental artist Daniel Arsham and Lebanese illustrator Nourie Flayhan.
Speaking to The National, festival curator Mitchell Oakley Smith says the aim is to provide both an intimate and inspiring experience.
“We’ve gone from being able to have 5,000 people in a room to having less than 500, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make something that’s exciting and memorable,” he says.
“We discovered quite the opposite: that we could craft a series of incredibly intimate experiences that bring audiences even closer to the talent, and offer a range of touchpoints and a dynamic mix of programming.”
Here are five things you need to know about Semi Permanent Middle East.
1. There will be insightful discussions
Get inside the minds of some of the world's most successful creatives through a series of In Conversation sessions.
The opening day features a top line-up of discussions, with Ronson providing an insight into his hit-making formula and collaborations with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Bruno Mars.
US graphic designer and creative director Brian Roettinger will also be on hand that day to shed light on his work designing album artwork for pop stars Jay-Z, Florence + The Machine and Kesha.
Friday will have sessions by acclaimed US photographer Ryan McGinley whose show-reel includes shoots with celebrities Beyonce, Billie Eilish and Brad Pitt.
Closing the second day is a discussion with Arsham, whose work in sculpture, architecture, drawing and film had him collaborate with the likes of fashion brands Adidas and Dior Men, in addition to car manufacturer Porsche.
2. It will feature edgy and immersive artworks
Semi Permanent will feature a number of exhibitions throughout the event.
The La Rosa Social Club is a pop-up space by filmmaker and artist Aaron Rose.
Premiering in 2016, the exhibition has toured both Europe and the US with an "art bar" concept featuring custom furniture, visual art lining the walls and various objects including paintings and sculptures.
Turkish-American visual artist Refik Anadol will bring his epic digital installation Quantum Memories to Manarat Al Saadiyat.
Shown on a large LED screen, the exhibition utilises cutting edge Google AI technology and features up to 200 million processed images of nature and landscapes.
The last day of the festival is dedicated to the screening of Mau, a documentary on the career of renowned Canadian designer and visual artist Bruce Mau. The sessions begin at 11.30am.
3. Mark Ronson will play a DJ set
The festival will feature DJ sets by two seasoned acts.
On Thursday night, Ronson will perform a sold-out show at the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island featuring hits, vintage funk and soul tracks.
He will be joined by Danny Greenpeace, the UK spinner and Dubai resident who is a veteran of the UAE music scene with various festival performances including Sole DXB.
4. You can eat Michelin quality food
Get ready for a slice of contemporary US cuisine with the acclaimed New York City restaurant The Flower Shop making its regional debut with a pop-up at the festival.
Known for its modern take of comfort food, including fried buttermilk chicken, bucatini and meatballs, and fish and chips, the restaurant appeared in New York City's Michelin Guide for three years running.
5. Health and safety measures will be in place
In addition to social distancing and mandatory wearing of face masks, entry to Semi Permanent Middle East requires attendees over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated, and provide a negative PCR test result taken within 48 hours of the event.
Semi Permanent Middle East will take place from Thursday to Saturday, October 14 to 16, at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Doors open at 9am. Tickets are from Dh200 available at semipermanent.com
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Age 26
Born May 17, 1991
Height 1.80 metres
Birthplace Sydney, Australia
Residence Eastbourne, England
Plays Right-handed
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$5,761,870 (Dh21,162,343.75)
Wins / losses 312 / 181
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
