There are plenty of things to do in the UAE this week — foodies in Dubai can book a seat at a special chef's table event in DIFC, while artists in Abu Dhabi can learn from a veteran in digital animation.
Here, The National rounds up seven things you can do from February 6 to February 12.
Monday
Emirati artist Jalal Luqman is hosting a digital animation workshop at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi.
A prominent figure on the art scene, Luqman is a mixed media artist, who has been instrumental in the introduction of digital art in the UAE and the wider region. He is a sculptor, curator and author, whose work has been shown in the US, UK, China and Japan, among other locations.
The masterclass is part of a series of Luqman's digital art workshops that will run until March. Entry to the class costs Dh240.
More information is available at culturalfoundation.ae.
Tuesday
The annual Ataya Exhibition is taking place this week at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, where local and international vendors will have a range of products on offer — from fashion to homewares.
Entry to the event costs Dh75 and will benefit Ataya's Nahr Al Hayat fund, which helps finance health and medical services for children in underprivileged communities.
The exhibition is open from 3pm to 10pm and will run until Friday.
Wednesday
Chef Bethany Kehdy is taking over the kitchen of Boca in DIFC for a special three-night dining experience, traversing the diverse culinary scene of West Asia and North Africa.
Kehdy, a bestselling cookbook author who lives in Dubai, is a passionate advocate of the region's cuisine — covering the Armenian highlands, parts of the Caucasus, Anatolia, Cyprus, the Levant, the Sinai Peninsula, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq and North Africa.
The dinner is part of Kehdy's advocacy to change how people refer to the region. She believes it should be Wana, instead of Middle East and North Africa (Mena), which she says "blurs our identity and location, depriving us of our own self-identification, self-determination and self-worth".
The Once Upon A Time in West Asia and North Africa dinner pop-up starts on Tuesday, and will run until Thursday.
7pm-10pm; from Dh545; DIFC; 04 323 1833
Thursday
Celebrate World Pizza Day at American smokehouse Brew House, which is offering a buy one, get one free deal on a variety of pizzas. The menu includes classics, such as Margherita and pepperoni pizzas, as well as specialty pies topped with wild mushroom and pulled beef.
The offer is available from noon to midnight, and by 9.30pm, resident musician Randy will take to the stage to provide entertainment throughout the night.
Noon-midnight; prices vary; Business Bay; 050 448 0493
Friday
Home-grown cafe Spill the Bean in Dubai is hosting a single-day wellness market in Sustainable City. The pop-up will run for six hours, from 9am to 3pm. Local vendors and artisans will be on site selling products with a focus on sustainability.
Some of the pieces for sale include natural candles, handmade jewellery, as well as items of clothing. Emirates Bio Farm will also be at the pop-up to sell fresh produce. Visitors can also take part in a complimentary yoga class.
Saturday
Japan's popular DJ Koco is playing at Honeycomb Hi-Fi in Business Bay, Dubai.
The DJ, also referred to as Shimokita in Japan, is known for his distinctive sound combining hip-hop, rare funk and obscure disco. He is regarded as an expert in using 45 rpm discs, 7-inch vinyls that are known in the industry to be difficult to move, scratch with and manipulate. Koco calls himself a vinyl nerd.
Three seating options are available, from 9pm to 1.30am — the first seating is without a minimum spend or cover charge; for the second two seatings, indoors cost Dh450 per person and Dh350 for the terrace spots.
More information is available on Honeycomb Hi-Fi's Instagram page
Sunday
The InClassica International Music Festival in Dubai opens Sunday, with performances by Japanese violinist Fumiaki Miura, Italian conductor Massimiliano Caldi and the Turkish Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra.
The show marks the beginning of a 20-day classical music festival, as part of which musicians from around the world will perform in the emirate, including a pianist and an orchestra.
Other performers in the festival include the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan and the Savaria Symphony Orchestra. Tickets start at Dh150.
More information available at inclassicaconcerts.com.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Indika
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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
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.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
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The specs
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Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets