Over the years, my work has taken me to plenty of places, each offering unique sights and venues – from surreal to breathtakingly beautiful.
While Las Vegas has always been a destination for conferences and tech meet-ups, the city's Sphere has truly captivated me on recent visits. Adjacent to the Strip, the city’s famous entertainment and casino district, it is part of The Venetian Resort complex.
I will admit, that when the venue was initially announced, I couldn’t help but wonder what another dazzling display of colour, in a city synonymous with bright lights, could possibly add.
Cut to November 2023, just two months after its grand debut, I stood in my suite at The Venetian ready to take in the familiar cityscape. As I pulled back the curtains, I was greeted by something unexpected – a massive, smirking emoji staring right at me. It took a moment to realise that I was looking at the Sphere and not witnessing a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Sphere Las Vegas has since become a must-visit for all my trips to the city, and I can confidently say that this awe-inspiring digital globoid is one of the most transformative spaces I have ever encountered.
Sphere Abu Dhabi, which was announced on Tuesday by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and Sphere Entertainment, is destined to be just as incredible. As The National reported, the UAE's version will retain many of the original’s features, including the shape from which it takes its name and its exterior and interior surfaces.
Visiting Las Vegas Sphere is about more than its status as the world’s largest spherical structure. The splendid exterior, known as the Exosphere, is not merely a screen; it consists of a metal grid with 1.2 million baseball-sized LEDs, which shine in synchrony to create stunning images across its expansive 580,000-square-foot surface.
Beyond the remarkable visuals, the true magic lies in the experience it creates by blending a visual, sonic and spatial symphony that empowers a space to bring art to life. For example, during a performance, the dome’s screen can transport you from countryside to smart cities, while offering subtle sensory effects, such as wind or temperature shifts, making you feel as if you have truly entered another world.
On the Las Vegas skyline, the Sphere stands out as a remarkable contrast to its towering neighbours, The Venetian and Wynn Las Vegas. With dimensions equal to almost two city blocks and a height greater than the length of a football field, it has an arena-like seating capacity while exuding jaw-dropping beauty from every angle. Its striking presence is visible from almost all corners of The Strip.
On the inside is the Atrium, a long, amorphous space that rises four levels high, bathed in an icy blue light. It sparkles with digital art and buzzes and the space is decked with humanoid robots, each named Aura.
The venue has the power to transport you to an entirely different realm. Akin to a colossal cavern, its vastness strikes you like lightning, and attending a concert there will remain etched in your memory for years to come.
Sphere Las Vegas represents a "quantum leap" for live events. It isn’t just another Instagrammable landmark for your social stories; it’s a journey that elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Considered to be the largest spherical structure on the planet and the world's largest highest-definition LED screen both inside and outside, It will be an apt addition to Abu Dhabi’s futuristic landscape. With its promise of immersive experiences and breathtaking visuals, it will undoubtedly captivate audiences and redefine the possibilities of entertainment in the UAE and the GCC region as a whole.
I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement for the Abu Dhabi version. I eagerly await the chance to experience this spectacular venue first-hand when it’s ready. Here’s to the future, and to the extraordinary experiences that await us all at Sphere Abu Dhabi.
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
