As we enter the final month of Expo 2020 Dubai, the world fair's performance programme continues to please crowds.
Music and dance fans still have a lot to forward to with another jam-packed four weeks that will feature everything from Arabic pop concerts to Syrian folk.
Access to each event comes free with an Expo 2020 Dubai pass, unless otherwise specified.
Here's the best of what the last few weeks have to offer:
1. SB19
What it is: Beloved OPM boy band SB19 are in Dubai ahead of a concert on Wednesday at DEC Arena in Expo 2020 Dubai. The band, which consists of members Josh, Pablo, Stell, Ken and Justin, made their debut in 2018 and are known for hits Bazinga and Mapa, and were the first Filipino and South-East Asian act to be nominated in the Billboard Music Awards. They were nominated in 2021 in the Top Social Artist category alongside Blackpink, Ariana Grande, Seventeen and K-pop megastars BTS, who won the award.
This is a paid-for event. Tickets are on sale for Dh50. The gold category has sold out, but silver tickets are still available from Platinum List.
Venue: DEC Arena
Time: 8.30pm
Date: Wednesday, March 16
2. Sher Oston and His Orchestra
What it is: This jazz symphonic orchestra, led by jazz artist Sher Oston, will perform a repertoire of covers from stars such as Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, plus 19th and 20th-century composers.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 6pm
Date: Wednesday, March 16
3. Googoosh
Country Pavilion: Iran
What it is: With a career spanning 60 years, the singer and actress is one of Iran's biggest celebrities. Expect a set featuring her biggest hits such as Hejrat and Man-O Gonjeshk-Hayeh Khouneh.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 8.30pm
Date: Thursday, March 17
4. Saed Abu Tayeh
Country Pavilion: Jordan
What it is: For the official closing party of the Jordan Pavilion, the singer will lead a traditional band and perform classic tracks showcasing the breadth of Levant folk music.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 9pm
Date: Thursday, March 17
5. Parokya ni Edgar
Country Pavilion: Philippines
What it is: Celebrating their 30th anniversary next year, Parokya ni Edgar is known for their brash novelty songs that poke fun at popular Pinoy pop culture. Expect to also hear some new tunes from their latest album Borbolen.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 8pm
Date: Friday, March 18
6. Havasi Symphonic Concert Show
Country Pavilion: Hungary
What it is: Popular European artist, Havasi — full name Balazs Havasi — is renowned for spectacular performances fusing classical music and rock with a blinding light show.
Such an approach has made him a global drawcard, with the pianist and composer performing sell-out shows in New York's Carnegie Hall, Barbican Centre in London and the Sydney Opera House.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 7.30pm
Date: Saturday, March 19
7. Noep
Country Pavilion: Estonia
What it is: One of Estonia's biggest acts, Noep — real name Andres Kopper — is a man of many talents. In addition to making waves at home with a stream of electropop singles such as last year's Head Out Of The Water and Differences, he also directed the 2012 Estonian comedy Bad Hair Friday.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 10pm
Date: Saturday, March 19
8. This Bandang Magnus
What it is: Three Filipino bands will take to the streets to entertain the masses in an event as part of Expo Street Music. OPM stars Bandang Lapis, five-member alternative rock band Magnus Haven and the six-piece This Band will perform.
Venue: Sustainability Plaza
Time: 9pm
Date: Saturday, March 19
9. Davido
What it is: Nigerian-American Afrobeat star, singer-songwriter and record producer Davido will perform singles such as Fall, If and others during a one-off concert. He's known for blending traditional African beats with mainstream pop elements.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: Saturday, March 19
Date: 9pm
10. Ali Yasini presents Young & Connecting Minds
What it is: Iranian music star Ali Yasini is performing a concert under the theme of youth and connecting minds. The young singer-songwriter will play several instruments, including the guitar and piano, and perform some of his most popular hits.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 8pm
Date: March 20
11. The moments of love and peace by Reza Sadeghi
What it is: Popular Iranian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Reza Sadeghi is bringing his silky vocals and songs of love and peace to the Expo stage.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 8.30pm
Date: Tuesday, March 22
12. Isaac Hernandez Expressions
Country Pavilion: Mexico
What it is: This will be the UAE debut performance of one of Mexico's biggest dance stars. Hailed by the press as a "ballet rock star", Hernandez will show the skill and charisma that's helped him to become the lead principal dancer of the English National Ballet.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 5pm
Date: Wednesday, March 23
13. Ameli Paul
Country Pavilion: Germany
What it is: The German electronic music duo are known for their ethereal sets that combines relaxed vocals with synth, analogue effects and field recordings.
Venue: Auditorium, German Pavilion
Time: 8pm and 9.30pm
Date: Wednesday, March 23
14. Hamza Hawsawi
Country Pavilion: Portugal
What it is: The 2015 winner of The X-Factor Arabia has helped shine the spotlight on Saudi Arabia's music scene. Expect a multilingual combo of solo tracks and hit covers in what should be a crowd-pleasing set.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 10pm
Date: Thursday, March 24
15. Noon & Friends
What it is: Describing their approach as "experimental Oriental," the trio’s sound is distinctly global with its shades of funk, African and Indian percussive rhythms and electronic effects.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 7pm
Date: Friday, March 25
16. Voices of the Andalusian Gardens
Country Pavilion: Morocco
What it is: A concert celebrates traditional Andalusian and Gharnati Arabic music and showcases how its influences have seeped into other genres from the Middle East and North Africa. The evening will feature the Orchestra of Fez and the singer Nabyla Maan performing separate and joint sets.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 9pm
Date: Friday, March 25
17. Giovanni Sollima: 100 Cellos Live in Dubai 2022
Country Pavilion: Italy
What it is: Talk about a massive string section: 100 performs will take part in a performance of classical music standards and pop hits. Led by conductor and cellist Giovanni Sollima, 100 Cellos have performed to sell-out crowds across Italy.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 9pm
Date: Friday, March 25
18. Sounds of Africa
What it is: The event will feature a series of performances using authentic instruments from the continent such as the balafon, a gourd-resonated xylophone, and the kora, a stringed instrument widely used in West African folk and pop music.
Venue: Sun Stage
Time: 6.30pm and 7.30pm
Date: Saturday, March 26
19. Apo & The Apostles
What it is: The group is made up of members living in Jerusalem and the Palestinian West Bank. Apo and the Apostles boasts an eclectic and multilingual sound that fuses, pop, rock, soul and a dash of dabka.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 9pm
Date: Wednesday, March 28
20. Takkat
What it is: This folk band is heading to Expo 2020 to entertain visitors with a medley of Syrian folk songs, celebrating Levantine traditions.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 9pm
Date: Tuesday, March 29
PRISCILLA
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
- Ensure the food is well wrapped in foil or cling film. Even better, store in fully sealable, labelled containers or zip-lock freezer bags.
- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More coverage from the Future Forum
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
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
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.
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
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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 one: how cars came to the UAE
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C108hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C340Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%20(front%20axle)%3B%20two-speed%20transmission%20(rear%20axle)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh928%2C400%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOrders%20open%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
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
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
