When The Palm Fountain plays the latest composition by Ihab Darwish on National Day, it will be a triumph of technology and will.
On the evening of Wednesday, December 2, all 128 super shooters of the fountain – officially classified as the world's biggest by the Guinness Book of World Records – will dance along to the latest piece by the Emirati composer.
Created especially for the occasion, Darwish said the three-and-a-half-minute song, Aim for the Sky, will pay homage to the UAE's culture as well as capture Dubai's cosmopolitanism.
The task, Darwish says, was no easy feat. With the project commissioned three months ago, he describes the compositional process as painstaking and intensive owing to what was at stake.
"This was a different way of creating music as there were a lot things to consider," he says. "The first thing I needed to do was be familiar with the fountain and understand its capabilities. I also had to look at the location in general and see how it could all work together with the music."
A fusion of cultures
With the fountain located in the picturesque leisure hub of The Pointe, Darwish felt the music had to be both vibrant and aspirational.
“The UAE has so many cultures and nationalities and is always looking ahead,” he says. “I wanted the piece to really drive that message home but do it in a way that is musically universal.”
To achieve that, Darwish used a host of instruments from the region and beyond. Aim for the Sky fuses classical elements such as string sections and soprano vocals with Emirati rhythms, such as the flutters of the oud and wistful sounds of the ney – an instrument known as the Arabic flute.
When it comes to contemporary influences, Darwish says the piece uses electric guitars, keyboards and an attitude straight out of the pop music songbook.
"This is not just a song, but a sonic brand for the fountain," he says. "This song will be played frequently so it needs to be catchy. I wanted the opening four or five notes of the song to not just trigger people's imagination, but to also have them remembering the fountain whenever they hum it."
A new way of conducting
Such a piece would be challenging to produce under normal circumstances.
With Darwish unable to travel to Poland to work with his preferred ensemble, the Beethoven Academy Orchestra, he had to be resourceful when it came to rehearsals and recording.
"I conducted the orchestra on Zoom," he says, with a laugh. "I would be with them in the rehearsals and give them notes and advice. Then another conductor on the ground with the orchestra would carry out the suggestions."
The same process was followed when it came to seeing the technical rehearsals at the fountains. Since he lives in Abu Dhabi, Darwish would receive dozens of videos of the fountains gliding along to his notes, leaving him to fire back suggestions via video conference.
“To be honest, I didn’t need to provide too many notes because the people working on the fountain are absolute professionals,” he says. “They practically nailed the choreography from the first time and it just looks so beautiful.”
It may have not been the usual way of doing things, but Darwish says the whole experience has been creatively fulfilling. He is now using that energy to complete his new album, which will be out next year.
Darwish says the release will continue the themes first explored in his debut record, Waves of My Life, which he premiered during an Abu Dhabi Festival performance in 2017.
"It will be cinematic, expressive and symphonic," he says. "Some of the genres I am playing with include opera and even hip-hop. I think it will be a bolder release and I am looking forward to people hearing it."
‘Aim for the Sky’ by Ihab Darwish will be performed regularly at The Palm Fountain at The Pointe, Dubai, from Wednesday, December 2.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
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
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
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)
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
WIDE%20VIEW
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