With the mercury rising, it’s easy to think of the UAE live music scene as temporarily muted.
While the major concert calendar is lighter than usual, the eclectic options available prove the local concert scene is not only alive and kicking but also representing the diverse communities of the UAE.
To see and feel it, visit the lower-profile gigs and venues. Not only are they the lifeblood of the country’s live event sector but achieve what organisers and musicians strive for on stage in creating cherished moments of community bonding.
While social media and billboards plug the coming concert by Spanish pop star Enrique Iglesias at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena in September, the venue hosted a smaller and relatively little-known gig last weekend that was as impactful as any blockbuster show.
The singer Teddy Afro may be familiar only to discerning fans of world music, but to those from Ethiopia, he is their Taylor Swift. So when the show was announced, news spread on the Ethiopian community’s social media channels and WhatsApp groups. Restaurants and hair salons proudly displayed concert posters on windows and even church groups from Abu Dhabi and Dubai mobilised to hire minivans to bring fans to the arena.
The end result was one of the most joyous concerts experienced in the UAE. With the size of the arena adjusted to resemble a cosy 5,000-seater hall, it reverberated with the sounds of fans finally seeing their proud culture displayed on the stage.
Ale, an Ethiopian taxi driver from Dubai, told me the concert meant more to him than the music. “Like everyone here, you miss your homeland,” he said on the arena concourse. “So to see somebody from my country doing big things in the UAE makes you proud. There are Ethiopians here I met for the first time, so I feel happy I can also come dance and make some friends.”
These kinds of community-enriching experiences are readily available in the UAE on different scales and sounds. They not only provide respite from the rigours of everyday life but also a temporary balm for the trauma of being far away from home.
This has been the case for the UAE’s Sudanese community whose cultural gatherings took on greater resonance after their homeland descended into armed conflict last year. The sweet melodies of Sudanese pop music heard at Sudan in the Heart of the UAE Festival at Dubai World Trade Centre in May provided catharsis for a community on edge. I saw women in tears during a rendition of a classic folk song by the late Mohammed Wardi and families dancing to the peppy rhythms of the evening’s headliner Nancy Ajaj.
A similar effect will surely be experienced on Saturday when UAE’s vibrant levant communities come together to celebrate Palestine's folk music tradition at the Theatre of Digital Arts in Dubai.
Lebanese singer Rita Mikhael will provide a timely reminder of Palestine's history and heritage as she performs songs inspired by its greatest composers and poets. Sometimes, these lesser profile shows are a gateway to discovering new genres. Once again, the Theatre of Digital Arts is an ideal place to begin those journeys with an ongoing programme of concerts ranging from Cuban mambo and French chansons to New Orleans jazz and mystical Sufi chants.
And those who didn’t know of the Philippines' storied rock history should check out Eraser Heads when they make a rare appearance here at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in December, while UAE’s major clubs are the best avenue to hear the latest electronic sounds from Africa.
This all shows how the local music scene is not only vigorous but embodying the cosmopolitan and tolerant characteristics defining the UAE.
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
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Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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