The filmmakers behind the Dune trilogy, starring Timothee Chalamet, will give insights into how the films were made at Abu Dhabi masterclasses. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures
The filmmakers behind the Dune trilogy, starring Timothee Chalamet, will give insights into how the films were made at Abu Dhabi masterclasses. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures
The filmmakers behind the Dune trilogy, starring Timothee Chalamet, will give insights into how the films were made at Abu Dhabi masterclasses. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures
The filmmakers behind the Dune trilogy, starring Timothee Chalamet, will give insights into how the films were made at Abu Dhabi masterclasses. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures

Oscar-winning Dune team to host masterclasses in Abu Dhabi in November


William Mullally
  • English
  • Arabic

Leading Hollywood filmmakers behind the Dune franchise will host masterclasses in Abu Dhabi in November, offering insights into the art and logistics of big-budget film production.

The Creative Media Authority has announced two full-day sessions on November 1 and 2 at Sandstorm Studio in Yas Creative Hub, organised in collaboration with Creative Lab and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission.

The workshops will be led by Dune’s Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette, alongside Legendary Entertainment executives Herb Gains, executive vice president of physical production, and Sam Kozhaya, executive vice president of operations and corporate development.

Topics will range from creative and physical production to film finance and budgeting, with sessions exploring how set design and production intersect, the role of a producer, and how large-scale films are greenlit. Each masterclass will accommodate 100 participants, beginning at 10am.

Director Denis Villeneuve, seen here with actress Rebecca Ferguson, is returning to Abu Dhabi to film Dune: Part Three. AP
Director Denis Villeneuve, seen here with actress Rebecca Ferguson, is returning to Abu Dhabi to film Dune: Part Three. AP

Mohamed Dobay, acting director general of the Creative Media Authority, said the initiative was part of continuing efforts to strengthen the local screen sector. “As the custodian of Abu Dhabi’s creative industries, we look for our production partnerships to stretch as far as possible for the benefit of our creative ecosystem,” he said.

Gains said he looked forward to “discussing the complexity of filmmaking with the Abu Dhabi creative community, including how we brought the world of Dune to life in the Liwa Desert”.

Abu Dhabi is a principal filming location for the upcoming third instalment of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction saga. The new chapter will again transform Liwa’s vast golden dunes into the planet of Arrakis, with production support from the CMA, Abu Dhabi Film Commission and ImageNation.

More than 180 international productions have filmed in the emirate, from Mission: Impossible and Star Wars to F1 The Movie and Fast & Furious, attracted by Abu Dhabi’s 30 per cent cashback rebate and diverse landscapes.

Registration for the masterclasses is now open through the CMA website.

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Like a Fading Shadow

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez

Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)

GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

2021 World Triathlon Championship Series

May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Plan to boost public schools

A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.

It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.

Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.

Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.

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Updated: October 22, 2025, 10:29 AM