From a new luxury five-star resort in the desert to a fun educational spot for children, there are a few Abu Dhabi openings worth talking about in 2019.
Radisson Blu takeover
After a 45-year run, the capital's iconic Hilton Abu Dhabi hotel, pictured in 1975, will undergo refurbishment by the Radisson Hotel Group and reopen as a Radisson Blu resort this month. The Hilton branch in Al Ain, which is thought to be the oldest hotel in the country, will also receive the same treatment, as part of the Radisson Club brand's expansion in the UAE.
www.radissonblu.com
Abu Dhabi Children’s Library
Families will be happy to know the new Abu Dhabi Children's Library is slated to open in March at the newly refurbished Qasr Al Hosn. Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, told The National that they're "designing it as a child would design his or her library". It'll span three storeys and include everything from fiction to graphic novels and audio-books. Different programmes will explore art, film and music, and a children's museum will be included as well. Different areas will be aimed at three age groups, and each will be themed. "You get the opportunity to choose the environment for the book," Al Mubarak adds. That means children could be surrounded by plush camels and sand dunes or sat on top of a dinosaur.
Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort & Spa
The first guests will start checking in to Jumeirah Al Wathba Desert Resort & Spa from February 1. The 20,000-square-metre luxe desert resort, located 50 kilometres south of the capital, imbues a sense of Emirati culture across its 103 rooms and suites, 13 villas with private plunge pools, five restaurants and a Talise Spa.
www.jumeirah.com
Al Maryah Central
The opening of Abu Dhabi's long-awaited Al Maryah Central has been set for August 2019. Housed inside will be more than 400 international brands and 100 different restaurants, according to the official website. This ranges from high-street fashion stores to higher-end designers and fast-food giants to gourmet bakeries. Originally, it was supposed to welcome the first Macy's store outside of the United States, but the upscale brand, along with Bloomingdale's, pulled out last year.
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Read more:
21 new Dubai hotspots to open in 2019
The new restaurants, food trends and culinary controversies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Sean Connolly at Dubai Opera is closing its doors – here is what it may be replaced by
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Scoreline
Syria 1-1 Australia
Syria Al Somah 85'
Australia Kruse 40'
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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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)
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now