In the UAE, mall-crawling can easily be considered a favourite pastime. Over the years, malls in the country have developed from shopping destinations to modern marvels. From being home to an indoor ski slope to a roller coaster, there’s no dearth of remarkable and awe-inspiring attractions to check out. Here’s a look at the ones to try.
The Storm Coaster, Dubai Hills Mall
You don't have to go far if you fancy a ride on the world's “fastest indoor rollercoaster". Dubai Hills Mall, which opened earlier this month, is home to plenty of Instagrammable backdrops (think giant teddy bears and design installations) as well as The Storm Coaster. Described as a “multivehicle inversion coaster wrapping its way throughout the entire building”, this is a perfect thrill ride for adrenalin junkies. A single ride lasts a little more than two minutes and costs Dh55.
Open daily, 10am-10pm; Dh55; Dubai Hills Mall; www.entertainment.emaar.com/attraction/the-storm
Velocity Slide, WTC Abu Dhabi
Unleash your inner child at World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi. The mall recently introduced Velocity, which appears to be the tallest and longest indoor slide in the capital. The slide features a transparent section as well as a coloured-lights one, to make this a fun, one-of-a-kind experience that will have you zipping through the mall in a new way.
Open daily; Dh15 for one round, Dh25 for two rounds; WTC Abu Dhabi; www.wtcad.ae
Zero Latency Abu Dhabi, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
Bored with shopping and fancy shooting up some zombies instead? Zero Latency is a free-roam virtual reality game located right within The Galleria Al Maryah Island that allows you to play with (or against) your friends in virtual worlds. There are a number of cool games to try out, from Outbreak Origins, which has you killing zombies, to Engineerium, a “puzzling virtual reality walking journey”.
Open daily; Dh150 onwards; Level 3 at The Galleria Al Maryah Island; www.zerolatencyvr.ae
Rolling Wheels, various Abu Dhabi malls
Roller skating is an activity that boomed during the pandemic. If you’ve been thinking of dabbling in the sport — which combines fun with exercise and skill — Rolling Wheels is the skating rink to do it at. It aims to raise awareness on the benefits of rolling skating while also trying to raise its popularity. Rolling Wheels has three branches, all in Abu Dhabi malls, so you can take your pick, too. They also conduct professional training. For those aged five and older.
Open daily; Dh65 onwards for an hour; Delma Mall, Al Wahda Mall, Yas Mall; www.rollingwheels.ae
Dreamscape, Mall of the Emirates
It feels like there's no shortage of cool virtual reality experiences to partake in within UAE malls. Dreamscape offers free-roaming experiences that "transport visitors into new worlds". There are a number of adventures to choose between, from the daring and immersive Curse of the Lost Pearl: A Magic Projector Adventure (featuring an Atlantis-like lost city, majestic landscapes and wild rollercoaster rides) and the deep-dive yet soaring experience of The Blu: Deep Rescue (an underwater swim-with-the-whales outing) to MIB: First Assignment a trippy, fast-paced and edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Open daily; 11am-midnight; Dh78.75 onwards; Mall of the Emirates
The Virgin Mary, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
UAE malls have so many interesting and unique food concepts, that it’s almost impossible to pick favourites. But The Virgin Mary Bar or TVM in The Galleria Al Maryah Island is especially exciting as it’s the first-of-its-kind alcohol-free bar in the region and the first international outpost of the famous Irish bar.
On the drinks menu are concoctions such as upbeet (Borrago paloma blend, beetroot, watermelon and soda), pink preacher (Stillers Celtic Myst, Muscat grape, yerba mate herbal tea, raspberry, cucumber and lime) and Tiki st (pomegranate molasses, hibiscus, pimento, Syrah grape, lime and black cardamom).
Open daily; The Galleria Al Maryah Island; www.thevirginmarybar.com/pages/tvm-abu-dhabi
Infinity des Lumieres, The Dubai Mall
Infinity des Lumieres is a digital art museum that offers a one-of-a-kind experience. Located in the Dubai Mall, it is spread over 2,700 square metres. The venue has more than 130 projectors, 58 speakers and 3,000 HD digital images working together to create moving artworks which you can step into and be a part of. There are a variety of exhibitions being showcased, from Van Gogh’s artistic world to its latest exhibit Destination Cosmos: The Ultimate Challenge, which pays tribute to the UAE’s achievements in space exploration.
Open Monday to Thursday, 10am-9pm; Friday to Sunday, 10am-11pm; tickets are Dh75 for children aged 3 to 13, Dh125 for visitors 14+ if booked in advance, Dh150 for visitors over 14+ on-site; www.infinitylumieres.com
Clymb Abu Dhabi, Yas Mall
How often do you get to step into a mall and wind up at an adventure hub which is home to the world’s widest indoor skydiving flight chamber and the region’s tallest indoor climbing wall? Clymb Abu Dhabi, which is connected to Yas Mall, is an adventure lover’s paradise, offering cool new experiences. For climbers, there are five walls ranging in height to choose from, but if you really want to challenge yourself, try The Summyt which is 42 metres. Meanwhile, the indoor flight chamber allows visitors to “skydive” like never before. They even have a Junior Flying Club for children ages 3 to 14.
Wednesday to Sunday; noon-9pm; prices from Dh100 onwards for a half-day climbing pass; Yas Island; www.clymbabudhabi.com
Ski Dubai, Mall of the Emirates
The Middle East’s first indoor ski resort comes with bragging rights. Ski Dubai, which opened in 2005, features five ski slopes, a family-friendly snow park and also a number of fun activities. This includes the Penguin Encounter, where visitors can spot a colony of King and Gentoo penguins, to the Snow Cinema, where you can watch a movie in sub-zero temperatures with a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
Open daily, 10am-midnight; prices start at Dh200 for two people at the Snow Cinema and Dh220 for two hours at the slope; Mall of the Emirates; www.skidxb.com
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, The Dubai Mall
Undoubtedly a highlight within The Dubai Mall, the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is currently home to 140 species of marine life, with more than 400 sharks and rays. It can be enjoyed from outside (selfies with Dubai Aquarium are almost a must) but if you happen to venture within, there are a number of experiences to choose between — from a King Croc Encounter to diving with sharks — if you’re brave enough.
Monday to Thursday, 10am-10pm; Friday to Sunday, 10am-midnight; Dh169 onwards; The Dubai Mall; www.thedubaiaquarium.com
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
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Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
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Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
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RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
