My professional relationship with Ed Sheeran’s UAE concerts over the past decade has been one of successful avoidance. In the period that saw him graduate from amphitheatres and arenas to mammoth stadium shows, I often engineered ways not to be there.
Dubai Media City Amphitheatre in 2015 – sorry, I had to report on a music festival abroad. In 2017 at Dubai’s Autism Rocks Arena – how could I deny my colleague’s request to cover it, especially when his young son was a fan? As for last year’s twin dates at Dubai’s Sevens Stadium, where more than 60,000 people poured in to see the Galway Girl singer perform across two nights? Well, I was busy preparing for a wedding – ditto, my colleague in the audience again.
Now, as for last night’s headlining performance at Offlimits, Sheeran’s debut concert in Abu Dhabi, I finally took the plunge – realising the Sheeran phenomenon wasn’t fading any time soon.
That said, I found my way to Etihad Park more curious than anything else. I wanted to understand how he continues to command stadiums worldwide as a literal solo act – no backing band, just a guitar and a loop pedal. How does he pull it off?
I found the answer during Sheeran’s rather moving take on The A Team, the breakthrough hit turning 15 years old in June. It wasn’t so much in the loving performance or the heart-wrenching lyrics – inspired by Sheeran’s visits to UK homeless centres – but rather in the way he prefaced the song, recalling the hopes he had pinned on what he believed would be a career-changing moment.
"I still remember playing this song at open mic nights across the United Kingdom and hoping it would catch people's attention – but it didn’t," he said. "But I kept playing it four times a week until it started to build a little following. Then I signed a label deal with it, it became a hit in the UK, and I got to tour the world with it, travelling to places like here."
More than a rags-to-riches story, the anecdote best explains Sheeran’s approach to his craft. Behind the songwriting nous and refreshingly casual attitude to fame lies a seemingly relentless drive to keep people’s attention.
Perhaps this also explains the whole one-man-band setup of his shows. It’s the ultimate high-wire act, allowing stadiums to echo those tough evenings when Sheeran played to uninterested crowds – a reminder to him, and to us, that even the most dour career moments can change.
And across two hours, Sheeran did his thing – delivering an unassuming yet beguiling, career-spanning set that was as earnest as it was virtuosic. You can't help but be impressed by how quickly he builds each song on stage – like a chef whipping up a dish in a lightning-round television contest – layering acoustic guitar riffs, hand-made beats and backing vocals into fully-formed tracks in less than a minute.
The move also allows us to see what's under the hood of Sheeran's immaculately produced hits, particularly in the more electronically laced tracks such as Shivers and the R&B-driven Don't, where these dancey productions perhaps began with some simple and rhythmic guitar strumming at home or in the studio before the studio wizardry was added.
As for the folk-driven sounds – as heard in the tender Lego House and the stark Boat – Sheeran had the crowd swaying along, before occasional sing-along bursts with Thinking Out Loud, the new single Azizam and a rapturous one-two closer of Shape of You and Bad Habits.
More impressive, perhaps, is that Sheeran pulled off a minimal show in front of a crowd, withstanding a humid evening and a festival stage that differed greatly from the eye-popping 360-degree set-up he employed during his previous Dubai visit. That said, the Offlimits festival made the affair as dynamic as possible, with sky-scraping LED screens both at the centre and flanking the main stage, displaying a variety of visuals and live footage of Sheeran.
It did just enough to keep me attuned to the full set, although at times I found myself wishing for a backing band to add more dynamism to the performance. But this is Sheeran’s shtick – I may not love all of it, but I couldn't leave the gig without respect for one of this generation’s singular musical talents.
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
Afghanistan squad
Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
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 biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
