Lebanese-French composer Ibrahim Maalouf will perform songs from his new album. Photo: Sife Elamine
Lebanese-French composer Ibrahim Maalouf will perform songs from his new album. Photo: Sife Elamine
Lebanese-French composer Ibrahim Maalouf will perform songs from his new album. Photo: Sife Elamine
Lebanese-French composer Ibrahim Maalouf will perform songs from his new album. Photo: Sife Elamine

Ibrahim Maalouf, Rigoletto and more in Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi’s 2025 season


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

Lebanese-French trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf leads the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi's 2025 performance season, running from September until December.

The eclectic programme spans the venue's auditorium and outdoor amphitheatre, with events ranging from Chinese acrobatics and Maltese folk chant to a children's film festival, as well as a showcase by London's Science Museum and a staging of Verdi's Rigoletto.

Here are some of the shows confirmed for the season.

1. Mid-Autumn Festival: A Moment to Remember, September 27

Mid-Autumn Festival show brings Chinese acrobatics to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
Mid-Autumn Festival show brings Chinese acrobatics to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi

Traditional Chinese acrobatics meet contemporary circus when the Dezhou Acrobatic Troupe from China brings 25 performers to Abu Dhabi. The energetic 90-minute show splits across 12 acts including hoop diving, aerial sequences and choreography.

Auditorium, 8pm; tickets from Dh150

2. Edith par Jil Aigrot, October 11

The singer behind Piaf’s voice in La Vie en Rose brings her songs to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
The singer behind Piaf’s voice in La Vie en Rose brings her songs to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi

French singer Jil Aigrot, the singing voice of Edith Piaf in Oscar-winning biopic La Vie en Rose, takes the stage herself to perform some of the chanteuse's most celebrated songs. Backed by three musicians, the set includes La Vie en Rose and Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

Auditorium, 8pm; tickets from Dh150

3. Shakespeare for Kidz: A Midsummer Night's Dream, October 19-21

Shakespeare 4 Kidz bring A Midsummer Night’s Dream to young audiences. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
Shakespeare 4 Kidz bring A Midsummer Night’s Dream to young audiences. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi

Theatre company Shakespeare 4 Kidz brings the bard's most celebrated works to a new generation in this family-friendly production. Staged over three mornings, the show is set between ancient Athens and a forest where feuding fairies, music and humour come together in a story about friendship and magic.

Auditorium, 9am; tickets from Dh135

4. Schlingel Abu Dhabi, October 23–25

Germany’s Schlingel festival brings international children’s films to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Marc Reimann
Germany’s Schlingel festival brings international children’s films to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Marc Reimann

Germany's Schlingel Festival, founded in 1996 and dedicated to children's films and teenagers, arrives in Abu Dhabi with screenings of international films. Meet-and-greets with filmmakers offer opportunities to discuss the works. A full programme will be revealed closer to the date.

Auditorium and amphitheatre; timings to be revealed soon; tickets from Dh25

5. Faces and Voices of Malta: A Mediterranean Odyssey, October 26

Voices of Malta perform at the Cultural Foundation. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
Voices of Malta perform at the Cultural Foundation. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi

Malta's traditional folk music form of ghana – pronounced “ana” – comes to the outdoor amphitheatre in its first UAE staging. Two vocalists and three guitarists present the tradition, combining narrative lyrics with guitar accompaniment to highlight the island's intangible heritage.

Amphitheatre, 7pm; tickets from Dh75

6. Ibrahim Maalouf & The Trumpets of Michel-Ange, October 31

The Lebanese-French trumpeter presents songs from his latest album, Trumpets of Michel-Ange, with a five-piece trumpet ensemble. The suite of songs traces a life cycle beginning from marriage proposal to the children departing home as adults. Laced by Maalouf's signature quarter-tone trumpet, built specifically to capture Arabic scales, the show weaves jazz improvisation and traditional Arabic melodies in what should be a life-affirming performance.

Auditorium, 8pm; tickets from Dh250

7. Mellowing by Christos Papadopoulos, November 8

Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos’s Mellowing, with Berlin’s Dance On Ensemble. Photo: Jubal Battisti
Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos’s Mellowing, with Berlin’s Dance On Ensemble. Photo: Jubal Battisti

A collaboration with Berlin company Dance On Ensemble, Mellowing by Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos presents a cast of professional dancers over the age of 40 in a show dubbed as an “exploration of movement”.

Auditorium, 8pm; tickets from Dh150

8. Science Museum Live, November 14 to 16

London’s Science Museum brings interactive family shows to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
London’s Science Museum brings interactive family shows to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi

London’s Science Museum brings demonstrations and experiments to Abu Dhabi in an interactive production designed for families. Scientific concepts are broken down through live performance and multimedia, making the stage show accessible to younger audiences.

Auditorium, 8pm; tickets from Dh150

9. Rigoletto, November 22

St Petersburg Opera stages Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Cultural Foundation. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
St Petersburg Opera stages Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Cultural Foundation. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi

St Petersburg Opera stages Verdi’s Rigoletto, directed by Yuri Alexandrov. Based on Victor Hugo’s play Le Roi s’Amuse, Verdi’s 1851 opera follows a jester at the court of Mantua whose cruelty rebounds on his daughter Gilda, leading to betrayal and tragedy.

Auditorium, 8pm; tickets TBA

10. Ars Nova Napoli, December 12

Italian group Ars Nova Napoli closes the season. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi
Italian group Ars Nova Napoli closes the season. Photo: Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi

Italian group Ars Nova Napoli close the season with southern folk songs and original works. Known for their viral street performances in Naples, the ensemble mixes guitars and percussion to create a nostalgic and soulful sound.

Amphitheatre, 7pm; tickets from Dh75

Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars

Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BRAZIL SQUAD

Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).

Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Profile of Foodics

Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani

Based: Riyadh

Sector: Software

Employees: 150

Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing

Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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Score

New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs 

New Zealand win by 47 runs

New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0

Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday

Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Milkman by Anna Burns

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Circe by Madeline Miller

GRAN%20TURISMO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neill%20Blomkamp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Harbour%2C%20Orlando%20Bloom%2C%20Archie%20Madekwe%2C%20Darren%20Barnet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Power: 160hp

Torque: 385Nm

Price: Dh116,900

On sale: now

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush

Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”

A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.

“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”

Sunday's fixtures
  • Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
  • Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
If you go

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.

The car

Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.

Parks and accommodation

For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

Ways to control drones

Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.

"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.

New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.

It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.

The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.

The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.

Racecard

7pm: Abu Dhabi - Conditions (PA) Dh 80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.30pm: Dubai - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m

8pm: Sharjah - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m

8.30pm: Ajman - Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,200m

9pm: Umm Al Quwain - The Entisar - Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m

9.30pm: Ras Al Khaimah - Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m

10pm: Fujairah - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Fast%20X
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Updated: September 02, 2025, 7:02 AM`