Al Hosn Festival, one of Abu Dhabi’s most celebrated annual cultural events, is returning this month with a 10-day programme that celebrates the UAE’s heritage, craftsmanship and art.
The festival, which will take place at the historic Al Hosn site from November 25 to December 4, will feature film screenings, performances, art installations, culinary experiences, crafts and design.
The event is organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, and comes as part of the institution’s mandate to preserve and promote the emirate’s heritage, showcase its cultural scene, and provide a platform for artistic experimentation and public engagement.
“Al Hosn is a symbol of the emirate’s rich history and a source of enormous pride for our people,” Saood Al Hosani, undersecretary at DCT Abu Dhabi, said. “This annual festival serves as the ideal platform for celebrating both our vibrant Emirati heritage and creative, innovative contemporary art scene. We invite the community to come and experience a stimulating programme of cultural activities for all ages, which allow them to reconnect with the past, understand where we have come from, and look forward to the future.”
Al Hosn is the original urban block of the city and comprises the historic Qasr Al Hosn fort, the Cultural Foundation and the House of Artisans.
The festival will open with a parade of 50 classic cars in celebration of the country’s Golden Jubilee.
A thematic and chronological programme will then guide visitors across Al Hosn’s buildings and outdoor areas. A series of activities revolving around Emirati heritage, storytelling and crafts will take place around Qasr Al Hosn and House of Artisans.
Visitors will be able to experience what daily life at Qasr Al Hosn would have been like during the mid 20th century, at the A Day in The Palace exhibition, which will feature pictures, audio testimonials and interactive elements.
Elements of Abu Dhabi’s intangible heritage will also be celebrated at House of Artisans through the demonstrations of Emirati craftsmanship and artisanal techniques. Immersive experiences such as sensory tours and creative photography stations will also be offered.
The journey then continues through the Maker’s Village, which will feature artists and designers from local and regional concept stores, fashion designers, and culinary outlets. Open-air film screenings will take place throughout the festival, programmed by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, as well as the second edition of the Gahwa Championships. The competition, which pays tribute to Arabic coffee, will challenge participants across five categories, testing their knowledge of Gahwa’s heritage and their skills in selecting and roasting beans, as well as their preparation methods.
Creative workshops for all ages will also be offered at the Maker’s Village, including sessions in coral sculpture and Arabic calligraphy.
The festival will also showcase contemporary artistic works that interpret the ever-evolving urban landscape of Abu Dhabi.
The visual arts programme of the Cultural Foundation portrays the evolution of Abu Dhabi, from its traditional past to its modern and contemporary expressions. A centrepiece of this is the Al Mujamma exhibition, an interactive archival installation encapsulating memories of the UAE community. The venue is also holding a retrospective for the Moroccan artist Mohammed Chabaa and an exhibition, Food for Thought: Thought for Change by Karachi-born artist Rasheed Araeen.
Cultural Foundation will also present a special performing arts programme in its indoor and outdoor theatres, featuring renowned musicians and artists. Additionally, interactive installations and workshops will be available at the Courtyard and the Children’s Library.
The entry fee is Dh15 for children aged 5 to 12, and Dh30 for adults. The entry ticket includes a site pass with access to workshops and family courtyards; it excludes separately ticketed performances at Cultural Foundation.
More information is available at www.alhosnfestival.ae
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
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From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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EUROPE:
Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson
USA:
Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau ( 1 TBC)
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
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Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
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2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
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1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
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15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
PROFILE BOX:
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Founder/CEO: Rami Salman, Rishav Jalan, Ayush Chordia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Technology, Sales, Voice, Artificial Intelligence
Size: (employees/revenue) 10/ 100,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($800,000)
Investors: Eight first-round investors including, Beco Capital, 500 Startups, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Hala Fadel, Odin Financial Services, Dubai Angel Investors, Womena, Arzan VC
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
