On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me … one of these wonderful advent calendars, hopefully.
They're an enjoyable accessory (and worthy gift) to build festive anticipation in the run-up to Christmas.
Here, The National pulls together an array of advent calendars to suit everyone in the family, from budget-friendly to luxury options featuring gifts that can be used long after the Christmas tree has come down.
For beauty mavens
Bloomingdale's 30 Days of Self-care
Eschewing the traditional 24 days of gifts, the Bloomingdale's 30 Days of Self-care calendar (Dh1,500) goes that little bit further to fill the whole of December with daily treatments.
This double-fronted calendar features pull-out drawers filled with travel and small-sized versions of some of the beauty world’s most popular products.
Find Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream; Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, Nars Bronzing Powder Laguna, Philip B Peppermint Avocado Shampoo, YSL Libre EDP Intense and Armani Luminous Silk Foundation.
There are also products from Mac, Gucci, Lancome, Diptyque, Rodial and more.
Bloomingdale's 30 Days of Self-care, Dh1,500, bloomingdales.ae.
Asos Face and Body 25 Day calendar
Stay pampered from top to toe with this calendar of goodies from Asos (Dh505).
The calendar contains 25 products including a mix of beauty, skincare and body care.
There’s eyeshadow, foundation fixing spray, lip oil, illuminating cream, a scented candle and even a night-time pillow spray from brands including Caudalie, Neom, Elemis and Mac.
Asos Face and Body 25 Day calendar, Dh505, asos.com
LookFantastic Men's Grooming calendar
Meeting the growing rise of men's grooming, LookFantastic has put together a month of treats for him.
The pull-out drawers offer skincare, haircare and body treatments.
Products include Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cleanser, Avant Dual Response Pullulan Tightening & Firming Eye Cream, Bulldog Styling Cream, Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil and This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray.
The calendar is priced at Dh390, although the company says the products are valued at more than Dh1,500.
LookFantastic Men's Grooming calendar, Dh390 (Dh320 for subscribers), lookfantastic.ae
Charlotte’s Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets
The acclaimed celebrity make-up artist has released this year’s advent calendar (Dh800), which features 12 of her most popular and best-selling items.
Charlotte's Magic Lip Oil Elixir, Magic Cream, Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, Beauty Light Wand and the Hollywood Complexion Brush Hair are among the items included.
They're presented in a gorgeous box to keep.
Charlotte’s Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets, Dh800, cultbeauty.com
For children
Pokemon 2023 Holiday Calendar
If you’re looking for an advent calendar that is fun, keeps children entertained even after the window has been opened and doesn't cost the Earth, the Pokemon 2023 Holiday Calendar (Dh195) might be the way to catch 'em all.
They are filled with 25 surprises including Pokemon cards, boosters, foil cards and fun packs hidden behind the doors. There are also two Pokemon coins, two sticker sheets and a sidekick dangler featuring Pikachu and Glaceon.
Pokemon 2023 Holiday Calendar, Dh195, amazon.ae
Usborne Advent Calendar Book Collection
Turn December into story month with this literary calendar (Dh83) from children’s books publisher Usborne.
Behind each door, children will find a classic story, from fairytales such as Pinocchio and Cinderella, to the enduring classic The Twelve Days of Christmas.
The 24 books come together to form your little one’s own mini library.
Usborne Advent Calendar Book Collection, Dh83, amazon.ae
Lego Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel's third Guardians of the Galaxy film came out earlier this year wrapping up the adventures of Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot and the gang, and children can recreate their favourite scenes with this calendar (Dh159).
There are 24 elements from the franchise to build, including characters, spaceships, a drone, accessories and, of course, Peter Quill's beloved Walkman.
Lego Guardians of the Galaxy, Dh159, lego.yellowblocks.me
For foodies
Selfridges 12 Days of Panettone
Make this year a buon Natale indeed by swapping out the traditional chocolate calendar for a panettone-filled one (Dh572).
The Italian sweet bread is traditionally served over Christmas and New Year, and this calendar contains 12 cakes and four delicious variations, including traditional fruit and candied orange with Belgian chocolate.
Selfridges 12 Days of Panettone, £124.99 (Dh572), selfridges.com
Pringles calendar
The company claims that once you pop you can’t stop and, for 12 days in December, you won’t have to.
The Pringles advent calendar (Dh126) could just be the ideal gift for the snack fan in your life, especially over Christmas when, as everyone knows, calories don’t count.
This fun option contains a dozen 40g tubes of various Pringles flavours.
Pringles, Dh126, desertcart.ae
Hot chocolate calendar
There’s no denying the festive season is perfect hot chocolate weather and this calendar means there are no excuses not to enjoy a sweet, steaming cup every day.
The calendar by Sedol (Dh161) contains 24 sachets of hot chocolate to be stirred into frothy milk, with flavours including mint, toasted marshmallow, gingerbread, salted caramel and cinnamon.
Hot chocolate calendar, Dh161, desertcart.ae
Quirky options
Hans Gruber from Die Hard
If you’re looking for something a little different this year, advent calendars don’t come more unique than this wooden option (Dh70) featuring Die Hard baddie Hans Gruber (played by Alan Rickman) falling off the Nakatomi Plaza in this unforgettable scene.
Finally putting to rest the ongoing debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, this calendar from LittleTouchesUK comes flat-packed for easy home assembly.
It can be filled with your own treats, perhaps a white vest in the style of Bruce Willis’s John McClane?
Hans Gruber calendar, £15.00 (Dh70), etsy.co.uk
Voluspa 12-Day Candle calendar
Fill your home with an array of festive scents with this advent calendar from luxury candle company Voluspa (Dh580).
It features 12 petite pedestal candles from the brand's Japonica Collection, along with a gold-plated wick trimmer, all packed in a smart box. Fragrances include spiced pumpkin latte, fig, apple blue clover and goji Tarocco orange.
Voluspa 12-Day Candle calendar, $158 (Dh580), voluspa.com
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
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO
Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke
Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke
Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO
Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision
Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO
Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)
Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision
Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke
Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO
Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
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
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20has%20been%20moored%20off%20the%20Yemeni%20coast%20of%20Ras%20Issa%20since%201988.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Houthis%20have%20been%20blockading%20UN%20efforts%20to%20inspect%20and%20maintain%20the%20vessel%20since%202015%2C%20when%20the%20war%20between%20the%20group%20and%20the%20Yemen%20government%2C%20backed%20by%20the%20Saudi-led%20coalition%20began.%3Cbr%3ESince%20then%2C%20a%20handful%20of%20people%20acting%20as%20a%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ae%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2OfUuKr4AhVBuKQKHTTzB7cQFnoECB4QAQ%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.thenationalnews.com%252Fworld%252Fmena%252Fyemen-s-floating-bomb-tanker-millions-kept-safe-by-skeleton-crew-1.1104713%26usg%3DAOvVaw0t9FPiRsx7zK7aEYgc65Ad%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Eskeleton%20crew%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20have%20performed%20rudimentary%20maintenance%20work%20to%20keep%20the%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20intact.%3Cbr%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20is%20connected%20to%20a%20pipeline%20from%20the%20oil-rich%20city%20of%20Marib%2C%20and%20was%20once%20a%20hub%20for%20the%20storage%20and%20export%20of%20crude%20oil.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%E2%80%99s%20environmental%20and%20humanitarian%20impact%20may%20extend%20well%20beyond%20Yemen%2C%20experts%20believe%2C%20into%20the%20surrounding%20waters%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%2C%20Djibouti%20and%20Eritrea%2C%20impacting%20marine-life%20and%20vital%20infrastructure%20like%20desalination%20plans%20and%20fishing%20ports.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jawan
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