Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP
Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP
Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP
Al Sultan Sweets, founded by Syrian immigrants in the UAE, is among the places that will deliver during Ramadan. AFP

Bring out the dessert: the traditional Arabic sweet shops delivering across the UAE this Ramadan


Samia Badih
  • English
  • Arabic

While Ramadan is a month of many rituals, one thing you can't miss is a little post-iftar treat after a long day of fasting. And considering the majority of us fasting will experience Ramadan in quarantine this year, we probably all deserve it. Here is a list of places that can deliver to your doorstep.

Ibsais Sweets

Ibsais Sweets is arguably the best kunafa place in town. With shops across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this kunafa specialty shop will continue to deliver for free throughout the month of Ramadan, either by calling them directly or through apps such as Talabat and Carriage. The store's current opening hours are 12pm to 11pm.

Al Sultan Sweets

Located in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this Arabic dessert shop was founded by Syrian immigrants, and offers a variety of sweets. You don't know what you're missing until you've tried their baklava. All branches deliver, but charges apply based on location. Opening times vary, so check with your nearest branch.

Al Baba Sweets

This sweets shop, which first opened in 1950 in a small town in Lebanon, today operates shops across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You can never go wrong with their wide range of Arabic sweets. Their assorted baklava boxes are great to gift as well, but if you're interested in something a little different, we highly recommend their chocolate sable cookies. Delivery is available through Talabat only in Abu Dhabi. The store currently opens from 10am to 9pm in Abu Dhabi.

Al Samadi Sweets

Located across Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Al Samadi Sweets is another Lebanese staple that has ventured out into the world. The shop, which first started in 1872, has been in the UAE for more than 30 years. Delivery is available by calling the shop directly and a Dh5 charge applies. Its current opening hours are 10am to 10pm.

Qwaider Al Nabulsi

This is a local gem. Located only in Abu Dhabi, the place has the best of everything – their halawet el-jibn and t mafroukeh deserves a special mention. The store, with its two branches, offers free delivery and is currently open from 10am to 10pm on Defence Road and until 12pm in Khalidyah.

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

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The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

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Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Have you been targeted?

Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:

1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.

2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.

3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.

4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.

5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.

How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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  • 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
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UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

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Director: S Shankar

Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films

Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

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1. Fasting 

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5. Zakat 

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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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now

Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.

The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.

1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):

a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33

b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.

2. For those who have worked more than five years

c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.

Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.

Cracks in the Wall

Ben White, Pluto Press 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.