As sure as day follows night, sale season follows December’s festivities, allowing us to all pick up a bargain or two as the New Year rolls around.
The sales are well and truly underway across the UAE, with savings of up to 70 per cent currently on offer. From coveted luxury goods to electricals and home furnishings, now is the time to snap up the bits that have been on your wish list.
Here is the best of the UAE’s winter sales this year:
ONLINE
Ounass
Luxury fashion e-tailer Ounass’s autumn / winter sale has started, with up to 50 per cent off clothing, accessories, shoes and beauty. Alexander McQueen, Balmain and Givenchy are among the brands slashing prices.
Our pick: Jimmy Choo Madeline Leather Shoulder Bag was: Dh6,600 now: Dh3,300 saving: 50 per cent
Farfetch
Farfetch, the luxury online store, currently has up to 60 per cent off more than 6,000 items. Brands such as Off-White, Stella McCartney and Louis Vuitton are taking part in the price-slashing.
Our pick: Stella McCartney Button-up collared shirt was: Dh2,056 now: Dh822 saving: 60 per cent
Boots
Boots Middle East has launched a 60 per cent off sale across hundreds of toiletries and cosmetics, so it’s a great time to stock up the bathroom cabinet. There are savings on brands such as Soap and Glory, No 7, St Tropez and Real Techniques, as well as Boots own range products.
Our pick: Proactiv Solution 3-Step Acne Treatment System 60 Day was: Dh503 now: Dh201.20 saving: 60 per cent
Homecentre
If you are looking to update your home ahead of the New Year, Homecentre has savings of up to 70 per cent across furniture and home decor. Sofas and armchairs are on offer with up to 70 per cent off, while beds, nightstands and wardrobes all have up to 50 per cent off.
Our pick: Faith 3-Seater Fabric Sofa Bed was: Dh999 now: Dh299 saving: 70 per cent
Namshi
Namshi's winter season sale has started, with between 50 and 70 per cent off all discounted items. From beauty buys to sportswear that will help you kick-start those New Year goals, grab a bargain on big-name brands such as Adidas, Puma and Calvin Klein.
Our pick: Coach Perry Analogue Watch was: Dh645 now: Dh323 saving: 50 per cent
Amazon
Amazon.ae has slashed prices across thousands of its products for its winter shopping festival, with up to 20 per cent off laptops and accessories, up to 30 per cent off televisions and as much as 70 per cent off fashion.
Our pick: Samsung 65-inch TU8300 Crystal UHD 4K Curved Smart TV (2020) was: Dh3,387.50 now: Dh2,649 saving: 22 per cent
Noon
Noon's end-of-year sale features up to 70 per cent discounts across everything from toys, fashion and laptops to mobile phones and gaming accessories.
Our pick: Apple AirPods with Charging Case was: Dh679 now: Dh433 saving: 36 per cent
IN STORE
Dubai Shopping Festival
The 26th Dubai Shopping Festival runs for six weeks until Saturday, January 30, and will feature a host of activities across the city, as well as many hefty discounts across hundreds of stores. Expect to see prices slashed by up to 70 per cent at outlets across the city, as well as raffles and prize draws taking place daily at malls across the emirate.
Abu Dhabi Shopping Season
Abu Dhabi Shopping Season is underway, with eight weeks of sales and promotions in the UAE capital. The promotion is set to run until Sunday, February 14. This year marks the first Abu Dhabi Shopping Season. As part of the campaign, there will be reductions of up to 80 per cent in malls across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
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
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'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
