With Australia's National Day taking place on January 26, a number of restaurants across the UAE are launching limited-edition menus or one-off events to ensure it’s a very g’day.
Whether you want to learn more about the country’s cuisine, get a taste of home or sample new treats with your mates, here’s where to go.
Enjoy a special Australia Day brunch at PJ O’Reilly’s
The casual hangout spot in Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi will be hosting Great Australia Day for the seventh year in a row – so you can be guaranteed plenty of fun at the annual brunch, held in partnership with Aussies Abroad.
Inspired by the country's love of all things grilled, there will be an all-you-can-eat poolside barbecue serving a variety of meats while DJ Sonya Mac will be on the decks.
Friday, January 29; 1pm-4pm; prices start at Dh149 per person (Dh50 extra for pool access); Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi, 800 101 101; restaurants.lrmad@lemeridienhotels.com
Sink your teeth into limited-edition burgers and bites from Jones the Grocer
The restaurant chain and gourmet retail store is turning up the heat with a selection of sweet and savoury dishes, available from Friday, January 22, to Tuesday, February 9.
Sink your teeth into the True Blue Aussie burger, with Australian wagyu, roasted beetroot, grilled pineapple and a fried egg; Out Crabbin’, a tempura-battered soft shell crab with mango and pomegranate salsa; the Barbie Beef burger, with pulled beef brisket with barbecue sauce, battered onion rings and grilled pineapple; or the Chook-o-dile Dundee, a lemon-pepper crumbed chicken burger with spiced labneh. For dessert, there are lamingtons, with strawberry or raspberry jam, or the “Luv the old Pav”, a meringue with lemon curd and fruit.
The brand has also launched special Australia Day hampers online that are great for gifting.
Friday to Tuesday; January 22 to February 9; available across all Jones the Grocer stores in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, and online; jonesthegrocer.com
Enjoy a fair dinkum Australia Day menu at Grove Road by Bystro
The Australian restaurant at The Pointe is celebrating National Day with a limited-time menu of popular dishes from Down Under. For one week from Friday, January 22 onwards, visitors will be able to sample some classic Aussie favourites such as chicken parma, gourmet meat pies and Melbourne fish & chips (with dimmies and potato cakes) and Bunnings-style hot dogs. For dessert, tuck into treats such as the vanilla slice or lamingtons. A choice of Australian '80s and '90s tunes will also keep the vibe into the evening.
Friday to Saturday, January 22 to 30; opening hours; a la carte menu; The Pointe West on Palm Jumeirah; 04 564 9874; groverd.com/
Aussie favourites from three renowned Dubai restaurants
Those craving classic Australian comfort food can also head over to any of Bull&Roo’s venues between Sunday, January 24, and Saturday, January 30. That means The Sum of Us, Tom&Serg and Common Grounds (which has branches in JLT, Mall of the Emirates and DIFC) will be serving up dishes designed to transport you straight to Australia. On the menu are jam doughnuts, lamingtons and the ever-popular chicken parma.
Sunday to Saturday, January 24 to 30; a la carte dishes; multiple locations and timings; bullandroo.com
Try the Aussie menu at The Blacksmith
Hungry blokes and Sheilas can head over to the barbecue joint for Australian favourites, available for a limited-time only, starting from Tuesday, January 26. From the chicken parma to the Aussie meat pie, and a lamington dipped in chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut, there’s plenty to tantalise the tastebuds. Guests can choose to sit indoors or on the terrace as they take in Aussie tunes by UAE singer Dan Batchelor.
Tuesday to Saturday, January 26 to 30; a la carte with prices starting at Dh49; Wyndham Dubai Marina Hotel, Dubai Marina; 04 407 8873
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Hot%20Seat
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
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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
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site