There’s something so satisfying about wandering through Old Dubai’s souqs. While I don’t enjoy people constantly trying to sell me pashminas and perfumes I don’t need, I do love the vibrant atmosphere and the promise of new, quirky knick-knacks around every corner.
The noise, the bustle and the fragrant smell of spices that waft through Deira make me feel connected to this city's culture in a way that no five-star hotel or downtown excursion ever could.
The fact you have to walk through all this to get to the Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili is what makes it a must-visit in my books.
Enter the shaded marketplace of Grand Souq Deira and step off the main thoroughfare, making your way through winding, narrow alleyways. In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere shifts and there’s a sense of calm as it gets quieter and cooler. You can just imagine how this offered the ideal setting for a man now considered one of the most prominent classical poets in Khaleeji history.
Mubarak bin Hamad bin Mubarak Al Manea Al Oqaili was born in 1875 in Saudi Arabia but later moved to Dubai, where he lived until his death in 1954. The museum we see today was once his home, a traditional residence built in Al Ras in 1923 from materials such as coral stone, palm tree trunks and sarooj, a traditional water-resistant mortar essential to construction across the Emirates.
It also features ornately carved teak doors and wooden-beamed ceilings. Al Oqaili brought skilled builders from the Al Ahsa region in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province to construct the house, also incorporating artistic designs rooted in traditional Arabian architecture that give the structure a unique historical value.
It's bigger than you might imagine, despite its unassuming entrance hidden down Deira’s back alleys. It's set over two floors, each of the rooms surrounding an internal courtyard that, like the rest of the house, has been lovingly and carefully restored over the years by Dubai Culture, which now runs the museum. As I enter, one of the friendly staff members offers me gahwa (Arabic coffee), which I can sip while making my way through the rooms.
The museum is split into nine wings, where you can learn more about the poet’s life, his Nabataean-style poetry, his correspondence, his cultural and social life, and his manuscripts. There’s also a section dedicated to the restoration of the house, a couple of majlis areas and a room with walls covered with writings about Al Oqaili, in case you were in any doubt about his influence.
It’s light, cool and airy inside, and there’s only one other group of people exploring when I arrive, so I mostly have the place to myself. I take my time reading each of the plaques, which reveal more about the poet’s life and his importance in society. They also feature some of his poems, many translated into English. Display cases contain valuable objects, such as original poems in Al Oqaili’s handwriting, a quill, a gun, Persian rugs and even a collection of his china plates.
It takes me no more than 30 minutes to (slowly) make my way round, so this museum is perhaps not a destination in itself. But it makes a perfect pit stop when touring other attractions in the area, such as the nearby Gold Souq, Spice Souq and Bait Al Banat Women’s Museum. Overall, the Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili offers a tranquil respite in a busy area and a glimpse into the life of one of the region’s most popular 20th century literary luminaries.
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Results
Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)
Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Read more about the coronavirus
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-cylinder%202.0L%20TSI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20clutch%207-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320HP%20%2F%20235kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20400Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20%2449%2C709%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ashima%20Chibber%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rani%20Mukerji%2C%20Anirban%20Bhattacharya%20and%20Jim%20Sarbh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
