Monday is World Environment Day and there are plenty of ways, big or small, to mark the occasion in the UAE.
This year, the United Nations is focusing on reducing plastic pollution, which can be approached from many different perspectives. Every year, the event brings together millions of people to help the environment.
In the UAE, there are various ways people can pitch in throughout the week. Here, The National rounds up seven things to do, from June 5 to 11.
Monday
On Monday, visit The Smash Room in Al Quoz and donate unwanted appliances, electronics or glassware.
The donated items will be repurposed by the venue for their unique indoor experience, where guests are encouraged to de-stress by breaking stuff, from plates to televisions. Since opening, the venue has already smashed and recycled more than 70,000 pieces of electronics and appliances.
A gift voucher for The Smash Room will be given to those who donate that can be used at a later time.
Monday; donation time is 1pm-6pm; Umm Suqeim Street, Al Quoz; 04 339 7810
Tuesday
Drop by The Green Planet on Tuesday to view the blue whale sculpture made from more than 8,000 plastic bottles and 1,000 plastic bags.
The indoor rainforest aims to inspire visitors to learn more about the impact of plastic pollution and work towards helping people change their consumption habits.
While at the biodome, visitors can also dine at The Green Planet Cafe, where single-use plastics are banned.
Until June 30; 10am-6pm; free viewing; City Walk, Al Wasl; thegreenplanetdubai.com
Wednesday
Online laundry service Washmen will take recyclable wastes, such as plastic bottles, paper waste and unused packaging for free, when a collection service is booked with them.
The initiative, which has been running since 2020, is in partnership with Beeah, a major waste management and sustainability company in the UAE.
Minimum charge of Dh45 for all orders; 04 558 8191
Thursday
Consider dining at Boca, the Spanish-inspired restaurant in the Dubai International Financial Centre that recently won a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainable gastronomy.
All the ingredients are sourced locally and the venue has a dedicated officer to ensure minimal waste. Single-use plastics are banned at the restaurant that also actively audits its kitchen and bar operations to ensure sustainable practices are observed. The venue runs on 100 per cent renewable energy.
There are cold and hot tapas, and for mains, diners can order black garlic risotto; smoked duck and orochiette pasta; seared halibut sourced from the Gulf of Oman; and gnocchi with braised beef short rib.
Open daily, noon-3am; Gate Village 6, the DIFC; 04 323 1833
Friday
The sustainable collection from The New and Reloved by Dulsco has plenty of quirky – and environmentally friendly – furniture.
The Emirati brand sells homeware, from shelves to chairs, that are made from repurposed and recycled items, such as metal scraps and old containers.
The physical shop is located at Wafi Mall or there's a website for those who prefer to shop online.
Open Monday-Friday 10am-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 10am-midnight; Wafi Mall, Dubai; thenewoldandreloved.com
Saturday
Book a weekend staycation in one of the vegan rooms at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi.
The newly launched rooms feature all things eco-friendly, from furniture to fixtures. Nothing is made using animal products or materials. The minibars are stacked with vegan products and guests can order from a vegan in-room dining menu.
Toilet paper, bathrobes and pool towels are made from sustainable materials, as is are the laundry detergent and cleaning products used for these rooms. Key cards are made from wood, while plants, particularly peace lilies that are known to naturally improve the quality of the air, help remove the need for artificial fresheners.
From 2,300 per night for two people; Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental; West Corniche Road; 02 690 9000; www.mandarinoriental.com
Sunday
For anyone looking to have a lazy day of online shopping at home on Sunday, keep this e-commerce name in mind. Avvai Beauty is a local clean beauty brand selling vegan and cruelty-free items. The line is from Dubai entrepreneurs Mallika Kalwani and Shivani Phulwani.
The brand worked closely with chemists to analyse and avoid potentially harmful ingredients such as chemical SPF, keratin and coal tar.
Customers can browse through the collection of plant-based lip pastes and eyebrow pencils, which are also designed with the region's hot climate in mind. The products also come in 100 per cent recyclable packaging.
From Dh180; avvaibeauty.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
More on animal trafficking
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
