This month, Disney fans in the Middle East will get access to the Disney+ Originals catalogue, showcasing new work from the entertainment giant via its streaming platform.
The content will be available in the region for the first time with OSN from Thursday, April 9. It will cost $9.50 (Dh35) per month, but will offer a seven-day free trial.
It will be available in 17 markets regionally, including the UAE, as well as Egypt, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, across OSN's box and streaming services.
From the evening of Thursday, April 2, OSN customers will have access to a limited selection of Disney+ content, which they will be able to access by subscribing to a package through their box and OSN streaming service. The full regional selection will be available from Thursday, April 9.
OSN chief executive Patrick Tillieux said of the agreement: "Adding Disney+ Originals to our boxes and streaming services is a huge milestone for us and reinforces our commitment to offering premium content to our regional audience from only the most exceptional brands.
"By making the OSN streaming service available across all our platforms – TV, mobile, laptops, tablets, games consoles, and streaming boxes – the whole family can enjoy uninterrupted world-class entertainment unrivalled by any other platform."
Which Disney+ Originals will you be able to watch in the UAE?
The region's Disney+ offering will not be the exact same as international selections.
But regional audiences will have access to old favourites and new original work. Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian is a Disney+ exclusive show, as are Marvel Hero Project, Pixar in Real Life and Disney Family Sundays.
There is also a selection of original movies available through the streaming service. The 2019 live-action version of Lady and the Tramp is available to stream, along with Noelle, One Day at Disney, Togo and Timmy Failure.
There will also be offerings from ABC, Marvel, Fox, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic available on OSN to stream. Disney favourite franchise Toy Story will be available to watch exclusively on OSN.
The Walt Disney Company's Amit Malhotra explains: "Given that we currently do not plan to launch Disney+ as a standalone service in the region in the near future, we are pleased to work with OSN to bring Disney+ Originals to viewers in the Middle East.
"This unique distribution strategy, designed specifically for this region, will provide fans and families the opportunity to enjoy world-class original content and amazing storytelling from our extensive portfolio of brands right now in these difficult times.”
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
