Expo 2020 Dubai New Year's Eve celebrations will feature dance music, a ball drop at midnight along with fireworks. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai New Year's Eve celebrations will feature dance music, a ball drop at midnight along with fireworks. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai New Year's Eve celebrations will feature dance music, a ball drop at midnight along with fireworks. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai New Year's Eve celebrations will feature dance music, a ball drop at midnight along with fireworks. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

13-hour Expo 2020 New Year’s Eve party to feature DJs Armin Van Buuren and Dimitri Vegas


Saeed Saeed
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Dance music stars Armin Van Buuren and Dimitri Vegas will perform as part of Expo 2020 Dubai New Year’s Eve celebrations on December 31.

Fresh from performing in front of more than 100,000 people at the Soundstorm festival in Riyadh, the DJs will take to the UAE stage as part of an epic 13-hour party ending at 4am.

Follow the latest updates on Expo 2020 Dubai here

Vegas's set will take place on the Jubilee stage from 11.30pm GST, while Van Buuren will take over the decks from 1.30am.

Organisers say, both artists will lead an international line-up of DJs hailing from the Mena region, India and the Philippines.

The event is accessible to those with an Expo day pass.

When it comes to midnight, the new year will be marked by a “ball drop” at Al Wasl Plaza and a fireworks display.

The evening is also shaping up to be a treat for foodies, with more than 70 restaurants and 120 exclusive outlets, from kiosks to food trucks, operating on site.

A majority of these venues will be located at Festival Garden, the newly opened communal space in Jubilee Park.

More New Year’s Eve concerts in the UAE

The news comes as the UAE prepares for lively New Year’s Eve celebrations featuring concerts held with strict Covid-19 health guidelines in place.

These include performances by Robbie Williams at Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm.

British singer Robbie Williams will perform at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai on New Year's Eve. Getty Images
British singer Robbie Williams will perform at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai on New Year's Eve. Getty Images

Known for hits Feel and Angels, the British singer will take to the stage at the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner in the Asateer tent in the run-up to midnight.

In Abu Dhabi's Al Maryah Island, Lebanese singer Elissa will be joined by Emirati artists Hussain Al Jassmi and Balqees for a concert at the promenade venue.

In Ras Al Khaimah, the RAK NYE 2022 celebration will feature a Guinness World Record attempt for the biggest fireworks display and a performance by Indian singer Guru Randhawa.

Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
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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

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 290hp

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Jawan
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The five pillars of Islam
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Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Jetour T1 specs

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Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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

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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

F1 The Movie

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Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Retail gloom

Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.

It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.

The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.

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

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: December 22, 2021, 12:27 PM`