Learn all about cheese and try more than a dozen varieties from France, Germany and Italy at The Park Bar & Grill on Saaidyat island. Courtesy of Farmer’s Garden
Learn all about cheese and try more than a dozen varieties from France, Germany and Italy at The Park Bar & Grill on Saaidyat island. Courtesy of Farmer’s Garden

5 things to do: Learn about different types of cheeses or visit the Hermès exhibition Coup de Theatre



Learn all about cheese and try more than a dozen varieties from France, Germany and Italy at The Park Bar & Grill. You'll also get to sample four dishes incorporating cheese as a main ingredient. The finale of the hotel's special master's series is hands-on, with a guided tour and expertise on the cheese trolley provided by Audrey Daly from Classic Fine Foods and Guillaume Joly, the Park Hyatt's executive chef. From 7pm; only cheese trolley Dh80; set menu Dh250 per person, Dh350 with beverages, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, reservations at 02 407 1138 or restaurants.parkhyattabudhabi@hyatt.com

Visit the Hermès exhibition Coup de Theatre. The travelling showcase created by Dutch designer Kiki van Eijk features classic Hermès timepieces in theatrical displays, including Time to Dream. The exhibition allows guests to rediscover the most celebrated collections, including Cape Cod, Dressage, Clipper and Arceau, in a lighthearted way. From 10am to 10pm, Al Manara International Jewellery, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, 02 674 3444, www.thegalleria.ae

Get tickets to attend the UAE National Day Polo Cup at Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club. Watch eight teams compete, including top UAE teams. Plus there will be shows, entertainment, food and activities to honour the country's equestrian heritage. Friday, 12.30pm, Dh50 for adults; Dh25 for children ages 6 to 12, Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Al Qudra Road, Dubai, 04 361 8111, www.poloclubdubai.com

View Al Ain Emirates Natural History Group's annual photo competition, showcasing original images, taken by group members, of flora, fauna, culture and scenery of the UAE and Oman. At 7.30pm, Islamic Institute (formerly the UAEU Men's Campus), Al Ain, 050 112 1637, www.enhg.org/AlAin

Watch the Yann Arthus-Bertrand documentary Human as part of Take 21. Ahead of COP 21, the December global-environment summit in Paris, Alliance Française Dubai and the French Embassy present their monthly programming under the theme of climate change. The screening is free and the film is subtitled in English. At 6pm, The Yard, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 04 335 8712, www.afdubai.org

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Pathaan
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
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