Al Ain Oasis has launched a new weekend market called the Saturday Market Al Ain Oasis, which will run every week until March 25.
Set inside the peaceful surroundings of the Unesco World Heritage Site, it has been arranged as a colourful souq, with stalls, food trucks and entertainment happening within the 1,200-hectare site.
There are stalls offering a wide variety of locally designed fashion, jewellery and accessories, as well as henna painting, and children’s activities including balloon art and face painting.
There is a farmers' market, too, selling locally produced and sourced fruits and vegetables, alongside plenty of food and drink vendors on site, peddling everything from artisanal coffee to traditional Emirati food, such as dried yoghurt.
With live entertainment and activities scheduled each week, the market is suitable for all age groups.
The market, which started on January 28, is open from 3pm to 11pm every Saturday until the end of March, making the most of the cooler winter weather.
A regularly changing rota of stall holders each week will also keep visitors engaged and support small local businesses.
This is the latest market to join the bustling UAE scene, added to the list alongside the long-running Ripe Market, which recently also started a new weekly market in Abu Dhabi's Al Maryah Island. Other popular markets in the capital include The Park Market at Umm Al Emarat Park and Manbat Farmers' Market at Deerfields Mall.
Al Ain Oasis is a unique area within the UAE. Home to 147,000 date palms, the shaded pathways also hold more than 100 different types of vegetation, helping to create a micro-climate for various animals, birds and insects. This is all made possible thanks to the falaj, the ancient irrigation system that dates back almost 4,000 years, allowing the cultivation of dates and plants throughout the year, earning Al Ain its Unesco Cultural Site status.
Al Ain Oasis is normally free to enter, however, during the Saturday Market, there is a charge of Dh20 for those aged 12 and over, and Dh10 for children aged three to 11.
More information is at abudhabiculture.ae
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
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Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
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- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
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- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
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