After being shut for more than a month, popular Dubai restaurant Sticky Rice has announced it will be reopening its Jumeirah Village Circle branch on Wednesday.
For now, it will only be open for food pick-ups and deliveries.
It's a big step for the family-run home-grown restaurant that closed at the end of January because of the rise in Covid-19 cases.
Since then, its owners have announced that the virus “went through 95 per cent of our team and family, leaving us utterly devastated”.
In February, Amena Rakkuson, better known as the "mama" behind the restaurant, died after contracting Covid-19.
As the popular Thai spot opens for the first time since her death, Mo Abedin, Rakkuson's son, wants to thank the UAE community for their support during a very difficult time.
"Mama was the heart and soul of the business," he tells The National. "Everything was managed by her and, when she died, it was difficult for us to take over. She left some big shoes to fill."
He said that, at the time, the restaurant was struggling financially and they weren't sure if they could reopen at all. “Much of our staff were ill and isolating, we were closed for over a month with expenses only going up.”
That is when they started taking pre-orders for a plush toy inspired by Rakkuson's favourite mascot "Kew".
“Mama loved these cute yellow duckies and, towards her last months, we worked closely together to design the Kew plushie, which was to be released in March. We did a pre-order campaign and rolled out something that mama loved as a way to honour and pay respect to her.”
Abedin announced the sale of the 20-centimetre-tall plush toy on social media, and was amazed and grateful for the positive response.
“The entire community came together. There were some insanely generous contributions to say the least. The pre-orders allowed us to get back on our feet again.”
With the restaurant looking at ways to reopen completely in a safe manner, Abedin wants to remind people not to let their guard down when protecting themselves against Covid-19.
“You see some people with their nose sticking out of the mask or a chin strap mask, and you know these people are ignorant of the fact that there’s a pandemic. Your decisions might seem innocent, but days later you can put other people in serious risk – even shut down entire restaurants or resorts.
“If you want to continue eating in restaurants and having normal dining experiences, follow the rules and respect the people who are working day and night to feed you."
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
FOOTBALL TEST
Team X 1 Team Y 0
Scorers
Red card
Man of the Match
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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)
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
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
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
