ABU DHABI // Thousands of people enjoyed the final weekend of the 10-day water sports festival in Mirfa.
The Al Gharbia Watersports Festival opened its doors to 5,500 participants over the 10 days, while 60,000 watched the action.
Now in its eighth year, the annual event, which had total prize money of Dh4 million, was organised by Abu Dhabi Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee (CPHFC) and Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club.
“We had very good wind in the last two days, ideal for both the 60 feet race [on Friday] and the 22 feet one [on Saturday], which made the races even more exciting,” said Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, festival director and director of the heritage competitions at CPHFC.
Competitions ranged from rowing boats to traditional sailing boat races, as well as stand-up paddle boarding and kite surfing.
On the beach at the far western town, volleyball and football matches took place and there was also a heritage village with 45 traditional souq huts, an open air museum, children’s play area and a stage for live evening shows.
“The Marawah Dhow Sailing Race, which is one of the highlights of the festival, attracted 105 participating boats this year, nearly double from last year’s 68 boats,” said Mr Al Mazrouei.
“Year after year, with festivals such as this one, Al Gharbia is becoming an ever more popular destination, particularly for the heritage seeker.”
newsdesk@thenational.ae
NBA Finals so far
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Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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