Eclecticism is the flavour du jour at the French-organised Fête de la Musique event in Dubai tonight. The yearly festival, also known as World Music Day, has taken place on June 21 in France every summer since 1982. Since then it has spread to more than 120 different countries around the world and the UAE wasn't a late starter - this year will see the 11th edition of the festival in Dubai.
This year's line-up boasts music from various different traditions, including Arabic, Irish, jazz, blues, pop and classical and the event will take place at the Souk Madinat Jumeirah.
Fête de la Musique aims to allow all people with a love for music to gather, listen or take part in performances. This year, Dubai Drums will play in the amphitheatre and visitors with a spontaneous streak will be encouraged to get involved. Like all Fête de la Musique events throughout the world, admission is free.
Acts of spontaneity will also be on offer Dubai's B21 Gallery, with an exhibition of works by the Iranian artist Farshid Maleki. However, this time members of the public will not be asked to contribute. Now in his sixties, the artist is known for his explosive graffiti-style streams of consciousness, created with brightly coloured pens and markers. The scribbled pieces are largely abstract, but do contain recognisable characters and forms. Entitled (No) Improvisation the exhibition's first full day begins tomorrow.
More musical globe-trotting later in the week with a show from the solo violinist Mohamad Hamami and Sharq Orchestra, presenting their playfully titled Sharq at the Ballroom show.
The concert, which will take place at Dubai's First Group Theatre on Saturday will feature a fusion of Arabic music and western ballroom movements such as the waltz, tango, bolero and salsa.
The group takes its inspiration from early meetings between eastern and western musicians and cites the introduction of European musical instruments into Egypt by Napoleon's military, or the interaction with the West after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, as early examples of these cross-cultural currents.
Hamami first performed live with the Sharq Orchestra, which includes 60 musicians from 22 countries, in June 2008, so this show is also an anniversary of sorts.
Finishing up the week is a recently launched comedy night at the Hilton Abu Dhabi. The not-so-imaginatively named Comedy Club, will feature the British stand-up Eddy Brimson. A regular on the London circuit, Brimson has shared the stage with plenty of big-name acts, although it's his extra-curricular activities that make this man stand out.
Brimson worked as a sports writer and has seven books and a documentary to his name. He has also had a taste of pop success, playing bass for mid-1990s indie band The Morgans, co-created a board game, qualified as a hypnotherapist and acted as press officer for the UK anti-fox-hunting campaign. Let's just hope he's funny too.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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"
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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.
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Armen Sarkissian
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Results
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
