As Ramadan enters its first week, arts and culture spaces in the UAE are putting together events that place wellness and community at the core.
Every week, Alserkal Avenue is offering different activities, including zero-waste iftars and reading groups, while Jameel Arts Centre will teach the art of creating the ideal dining setting and will host a Ramadan souq with homegrown vendors at the end of the month.
Here are a few things to do at the UAE’s cultural spaces this month:
#ThisIsNotABuffet at Alserkal Avenue
Every Wednesday during Ramadan, Alserkal Avenue is hosting a programme focused on community care, including a donation drive with Stop and Help, a UAE platform that connects those in need with individuals who can extend a helping hand.
For those looking to be more mindful of their consumption habits, Chef Halawa, who specialises in Levantine cuisine, will host a zero waste iftar filled with Palestinian dishes from his hometown.
Using her novel Burnt Sugar as a springboard to discuss about care, familial obligations and community ties, author Avni Doshi will run reading sessions and discussions on Wednesday, at 8pm-10pm.
More information on alserkal.online
Ramadan Nights at Jameel Arts Centre
Jameel Arts Centre’s Ramadan programming, presented in collaboration with #MyDubai, features a tablescaping workshop led by designer Anoud Al Zaben, which guides visitors on how to create a nature-inspired table layout for suhoor.
The 90-minute workshop, which takes place on Monday, draws inspiration from the centre's third Artist's Garden commission, Desert is a Forest by Sunoj D and Namrata Neog, and includes a tour of current exhibitions before the event.
Other events include a family night, featuring drop-in workshops and educational activities for children at the Jameel Library, on Friday; an evening dedicated to Arabic literature with Emirati writer Sultan Al Ameemi on Monday, April 26; and a Ramadan Souq with local vendors selling vintage clothing, baked goods and gift-worthy items on Friday, April 30.
More information on jameelartscentre.org
Ramadan Nights at Al Seef
Al Seef has collaborated with Dubai Culture to present art along its waterfront promenade located close to the Al Fahidi Historical District. The outdoor art gallery includes drawings, paintings, sculptures and video installations by various local artists.
Works include Arabic calligrapher Mohamed Elagaty’s augmented reality animation and Ali Shawwa’s 3D-printed sculptures of everyday objects from the region that have become motifs, including sand dunes, coffee cups and abayas. There are also outdoor installations by Yara Manla and Raghad and Asma Ahmed Shikoh, alongside paintings by Masarra Fatima Sulaimani.
Al Seef has also installed Ramadan lights along the area. The works will remain on view until Eid Al Fitr.
Cinema Akil screenings
Cinema Akil, which focuses on showcasing independent and art house films, is presenting an exclusive Ramadan release of The Man Who Sold His Skin from Tunisian film director Kaouther Ben Hania, nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the coming Oscar awards.
The film tells the story of Sam Ali, a Syrian refugee living in Lebanon. Eager to move to Europe for his lover, he agrees to have his back tattooed by a contemporary artist, a decision that complicates his life as collectors become interested in acquiring the art.
New exhibitions to see
House of Artisans celebrates traditional weaving
House of Artisans at Qasr Al Hosn has reopened with a permanent exhibition honouring local artisans. The cultural centre explores the way the people of the UAE made use of the country's natural resources, specifically in the area of crafts with practices such as Sadu and Khoos weaving. The former refers to a weaving practice by Bedouin women in the UAE that uses wool of sheep, camels and goats to create intricate geometric designs that reflect on social identity. The latter is practised by men and women and involves braiding palm fronds to create functional objects such as food containers and fans.
The House of Artisans exhibition includes displays of different personal collections of woven objects, as well as the different materials used by craftsmen and craftswomen from the UAE.
Total Landscaping at Warehouse421
The latest in the Substructures: Excavating the Everyday exhibition series, which is curated by Murtaza Vali and which investigates the infrastructures that shape Gulf cities, Total Landscaping looks at the Gulf’s relationship with plant life, how it is understood and consumed in the area and across the global south.
Drawing from the research of Harvard professor Gareth Doherty, which explores landscape architectural theory and how human ecology is entangled with environmental issues, the show looks at how the local flora has been shaped by capitalism and politics, featuring participants such as Layan Attari, Iftikhar and Elizabeth Dadi, GCC, Mohamed Khalid, Ho Rui An, Hind Mezaina (with Todd Reisz), Farah Al-Qasimi, Stephanie Syjuco and Yee I-Lann.
Total Landscaping runs until Sunday, June 13.
More information on warehouse421.ae
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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.
Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
Company%20Profile
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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57%20Seconds
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'Will%20of%20the%20People'
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
