You can't limit creativity.
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
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Teaching in coronavirus times
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1
Man City: Agüero (25', 35', 75'), Jesus (31'), Silva (48'), Kongolo (84' og)
Huddersfield: Stankovic (43')
Specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%20train%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20and%20synchronous%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E800hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E950Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E25.7kWh%20lithium-ion%3Cbr%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%203.4sec%3Cbr%3E0-200km%2Fh%3A%2011.4sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E312km%2Fh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20electric-only%20range%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2060km%20(claimed)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Q3%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1.2m%20(estimate)%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
