A week after the capital launched its Abu Dhabi Summer Season concerts, this weekend, it was Dubai’s turn to bring stars to the stage for back-to-back shows at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
A big crowd turned out for the Thursday- and Friday-night shows – part of Dubai Summer Surprises – featuring five of the biggest-selling artists in the region.
The organisers pulled out all the stops to make the event a grand affair, with a large, neon-lit stage and each artist backed by an orchestra that was more than two-dozen strong and featured strings, horns, Khaleeji percussion and, on Thursday night, a baglama (oriental guitar) courtesy of a guest musician from Turkey. Here’s how the artists fared on stage.
The lady in green: Diana Haddad
Clad in a stunning emerald-green dress that she described as “simple”, the Emirati-Lebanese star kicked off the proceedings on Thursday with a crowd-favourite selection of Khaleeji and Levant tunes.
At about the 15-minute mark, the dancing began in the aisles and Haddad maintained the momentum by dropping the up-tempo Khaleeji folk track Bait Al Sha'er before following it up with the breezy pop of Bala Rouhi from last year's solid selling album Ya Bashar.
The Khaleeji-dabka fusion of Madri, Men Modah also went down a treat – however, the call-and-response hook of Mani Mani was rendered incoherent due to the overpowering orchestra. That aside, Haddad should be pleased with a set that strengthens her claim to the title of Princess of Arab Song.
The enchanting Nawal Al Kuwaitia
There is something about the 48-year-old Kuwaiti chanteuse that inspires a dash of awe and respect. Where Haddad was all girl-next-door smiles, Al Kuwaitia was a mix of steely determination and maternal love.
Her set was an enchanting affair, full of swooning strings and evocative lyrics. After the opener, Lawla Al Mahaba, showcased her soulful and husky voice, came the heart-wrenching Ya Fahemni, which arguably received the biggest cheer of the night. The track is a testament to the Khaleeji song at its best, where the lyrics are just as important as the instrumentation.
“And your love for me began before I was created,” Al Kuwaitia sang as she clutched her chest. “It was scrolled on the first page of a book already written.”
Abdallah Al Rowaished keeps the hits rolling
It’s a good thing Al Rowaished has a 30-year catalogue of catchy Khaleeji pop nuggets – it was the melodic kick needed for a crowd that was starting to get a little tired by the time the Kuwaiti took the stage at 1am, the last of Thursday’s acts.
Al Rowaished remains one of the more accessible acts in the Khaleeji music canon because of his trademark upbeat tracks, which are full of groove, thumping percussion and call and response chorus.
Kulu Al Shanik is a case in point – the rather downbeat lyrics were balanced by the boisterous orchestra, which immediately had the crowd, particularly the teenagers, on their feet. By the time the playful Ya Quluni Seebu arrived with its big hooks, the fatigue was well and truly gone. You only wish Al Rowaished had joined in the fun a bit more, too – he mostly observed the dancing crowd like a satisfied headmaster.
Kadim Al Sahir is the Arab world’s Leonard Cohen
The venue was a near sell-out for the Friday-night performances, featuring the Iraqi superstar Kadim Al Sahir and Emirati pop king Hussain Al Jasmi.
It was the former who took the stage first, with a near-identical set list to the one delivered at Sharjah’s Al Majaz Amphitheater in January. Still, it’s Al Sahir we are talking about, and the man delivered another near-flawless performance.
The 57-year-old holds a status in the Arab world similar to Leonard Cohen for lovers of western music, with songs steeped in passion and classical Arabic poetry. Akoun Aw La Akoun, with its minimal instrumentation and operatic vocal delivery, was hair-raising stuff and rightfully elicited a standing ovation.
Some levity was provided by a folk track that had the Iraqi fans on their feet to engage in traditional chobi dance (with dabka-like movements), snaking their away through the isles. Finishing the set with the grandiose Katheer Al Hadeeth – with its epic closing cry of "Baghdad" – Al Sahir told the crowd to prepare for "a surprise", before leaving the stage.
Hussain Al Jasmi keeps it pop
It was left to Al Jasmi to round off the weekend's performances with another hit-laden set. The Khor Fakkan singer dispensed with the mammoth string section and replaced it with three keyboard players. Nevertheless, the smaller set-up delivered solid backing to energetic tunes such Bahr Al Shouq and the anthemic Al Youm Bi Safir.
As well as his high tenor, Al Jasmi is a gifted composer, with an ear for hooks. For example, the key to one of his biggest hits, Al Tayer, is that nonsensical refrain of "dah-dum" in the chorus, which is straight out of the bubble-gum pop songbook. No wonder it's also a favourite of young children, who crowded the dance floor – a sight that gave Al Jasmi so much joy that he invited them to the stage for a group hug.
A new song by old friends
As Al Jasmi and Al Sahir are good friends, it wasn’t a huge surprise when the duo decided to perform a duet in the middle of Al Jasmi’s headline set. The real thrill, however, came in the form of a new song that Al Sahir wrote specifically for the event. The untitled track, Al Sahir explained, is “a gift to those people who maintain the traditions of their country and who work hard in making it better”. Sung in a Khaleeji dialect, the rhythmic piece was delivered in a Gulf-pop style in which the singers traded a verse each. It also featured a dozen Emirati crew clad in kanduras, delivering a traditional dance. It was a fine way to end a weekend of strong performances that satisfied the faithful.
sasaeed@thenational.ae
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
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
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
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Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
