An ensemble of 100 cellos and a concert by soprano Tiziana "Tosca" Donati are some of the Expo 2020 Dubai events planned by Abu Dhabi’s Italian Cultural Institute.
Open to the public from Thursday in Al Bateen, the venue aims to be a hub serving both the UAE’s Italian community and culture lovers.
Speaking to The National, director Ida Zilio-Grandi expresses as much satisfaction as relief at the institute's opening, saying it was a long time coming.
“We were supposed to open in March last year. We had the venue ready and everything in place, but then the world turned upside down with the pandemic happening,” she says.
“But everything happens for a reason and it just feels great and a blessing that we are finally able to do so.”
That good fortune also extends to the centre opening with an exhibition by Fabrizio Plessi.
The renowned multimedia artist brings his Digital Wall exhibition to the institute, a series of searing images that meditate on the great force of nature.
“He was also set to come to the initial opening last year,” Zilio-Grandi confirms. “So it truly feels like we are just picking up where we left off.”
Making connections
While its doors were closed for more than 18 months, the institute has not been idle.
The Abu Dhabi launch comes on the back of an extensive online programme of events signalling its intention to be a catalyst for genuine cultural exchange.
In June, the organisation worked with the Sharjah Museums Authority on the exhibition Drop by Drop Life Falls from the Sky: Water, Islam and Art, a collaboration with the Fondazione Torino Musei museum in Turin, Italy.
Last October, the centre collaborated with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi for a digital arts event featuring illustrators from the UAE and Italy.
While the online format was far from ideal, Zilio-Grandi says it illustrated to global viewers the close cultural links between Italy and the Arab world.
“It is something perhaps that some people don’t know because what has been discussed more, and for good reason, is the historical ties between the region and Spain,” she says.
“While it is true that, historically, Arabs stayed in Spain longer than Italy, they left so many traces in Italy in everything, from their poetry to food and language.”
The ties that bind
When it comes to language, Zilio-Grandi, formerly a professor of Arabic Language and Literature at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, cites the Middle East's influence on Dante’s seminal 14th-century poem The Divine Comedy, considered one of medieval Europe's pre-eminent literary works.
Zilio-Grandi is one of several scholars who argue that The Divine Comedy is heavily influenced by an Islamic text known as Kitab al-Miraj (The Book of Ascension), which was translated into Latin and Spanish a century before Dante's work.
“That influence is there in the structure of Dante’s work and how it moves through various scenes and environments,” she says.
“But generally, Italian poetry was influenced by Arabic literature in the themes. The beginning of Italian poetry is called The Sicilian School and it has various themes such spiritual love and divinity.”
It is a fascinating subject the institute aims to explore in February with a symposium on ancient Arabic texts and European literature.
This is in addition to the aforementioned Expo 2020 Dubai shows by singerTosca and 100 Cellos Live in Dubai in February and March.
“Really, we are just getting started,” Zilio-Grandi says. “While the centre will be arranging and consulting on events across the UAE and the GCC, it is really here, our place in Abu Dhabi, that is the heart of what we do.
“We want to do film screenings, book readings and art exhibitions and collaborate genuinely with artists from the UAE. I want them to know that this is also your place.”
A home away from home
It’s a message Zilio-Grandi also extends to the UAE’s 10,000-strong Italian community, with children’s language classes planned as well.
“There will be a focus on connecting with Italian children because at school and with their siblings all they speak is in English and they rarely read Italian,” she says.
“Italian families are not only looking forward to our opening but there is also a sense of expectation. That will be the challenge for us, to strike that balance of having a programme of Italian culture dedicated to Italians and the international public.
“It’s not a choice of picking one over the other. We will do both.”
The Italian Cultural Institute is located at 537 Al Qasbah Street, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, and opens to the public from Thursday. More information is available at iicabudhabi.esteri.it
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kasabian%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EColumbia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
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
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
