Emirati director Majid Al Ansari's thriller Zinzana is hard to forget. The 2015 film pits a man imprisoned in a remote police station for a minor offence against the sadistic ploys of an officer. Despite being the first of its genre produced in the UAE, Zinzana was a top-shelf thriller that was as suspenseful as it was unsettling. In short, it was the kind of film that made the heart race and the hairs at the nape of the neck stand.
Many have been eagerly waiting to see what Al Ansari would come up with next. Fast-forward five years and Dubai's thriller extraordinaire has taken up the role of director once again, this time for the series Paranormal.
The Netflix-produced show marks the first time Al Ansari has not spearheaded a project he has worked on. But that's not to say the Paranormal experience has been any less rewarding.
"With Paranormal, it was just about having the right team, the right people and the right story," says Al Ansari, who didn't want to give up the chance of being part of the team that bought the novels of Ahmed Khaled Tawfik to the screen.
Al Ansari says he and the show’s creator and co-director, Amr Salama, worked together on how to approach the show before filming began. “We had a great synergy,” Al Ansari says. The pair, who each directed three episodes, kept in regular contact to ensure there was cohesion across the series. "It was a very interesting experience and I loved it," Al Ansari adds.
After all, Paranormal was Salama's vision. "For me, it was more about discovering what was in Amr's head and how he wanted to portray character themes. Because he directed the first episode, [I was trying to figure out] how would I do the second, third and fourth before he steps in again. It was more about dissecting and going into the journey that Amr has pieced together in his head."
There were a number of things about the show that excited Al Ansari when he agreed to come on board, such as the six-episode format, a deviation from the usual month-long TV series trend in the region.
"I loved it because we get to pay more attention to the writing and the directing, and the image and the quality. I hope this route of giving quality over quantity is continued," he says of productions in the region.
This project also marks the first time Al Ansari worked with Netflix. “They’re give-and-take discussions,” he says of his relationship with the streaming giant. “We put a lot of energy into this project and we were all passionate about it – from Netflix to the crew.”
Al Ansari became part of the team after being approached by executive producer Mohammed Hefzy. "We had worked together on (vampire horror film) Bloodline in Romania," Al Ansari says. "Hefzy clocked that I'm a fan of genre films, mostly horror and thriller. Then he introduced me to Amr, who turned out to have seen Zinzana and it just went from there."
So why did it take so long for Al Ansari to jump back into the director’s chair? The Emirati director served in the military between 2017 and 2018, an experience, Al Ansari notes, that was the "highlight of my life".
His time in the military is set to inspire his future projects, with the director adding the experience "affected me in a positive way".
Al Ansari has a new project in the pipeline, though would not be drawn on what his upcoming directorial effort will be about. He did, however, tease that it would be a thriller.
“I’m not sure why but I’ve always been drawn to the thriller genre. I guess there’s something deep and dark inside me and I love it.”
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
RIDE%20ON
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Schedule for show courts
Centre Court - from 4pm UAE time
Johanna Konta (6) v Donna Vekic
Andy Murray (1) v Dustin Brown
Rafael Nadal (4) v Donald Young
Court 1 - from 4pm UAE time
Kei Nishikori (9) v Sergiy Stakhovsky
Qiang Wang v Venus Williams (10)
Beatriz Haddad Maia v Simona Halep (2)
Court 2 - from 2.30pm
Heather Watson v Anastasija Sevastova (18)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) v Simone Bolelli
Florian Mayer v Marin Cilic (7)
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
