The Smash Room opens first Abu Dhabi branch


Evelyn Lau
  • English
  • Arabic

The Smash Room has arrived in Abu Dhabi.

The space, which opened its first branch in Dubai in 2018, is in Nahil Building on Al Rawdah Street and is currently in a soft opening phase.

It was founded by Hiba Balfaqih and her friend Ibrahim Abudyak, who wanted to help people in the UAE de-stress by breaking things.

In addition to an area dedicated to destruction, the new venue also has a cafe and arcade games, for those who want further relaxation after a session.

“We are so excited to finally bring The Smash Room to Abu Dhabi. Expanding our brand and growing in the UAE has been a major goal for us and we are beyond thrilled to be able to take this leap and bring this experience to a new audience,” said Abudyak.

“We created this space to offer a unique way of releasing pent-up stress and frustration while also having fun with no limits. Abu Dhabi has been making strides in their entertainment offerings and we are proud to now be a part of the scene.”

How it works

Each session is preceded by a list of safety rules, and visitors are given full upper-body padding, a helmet and gloves.

There is also a crowbar, sledgehammer, cricket bat or baseball bat available as a weapon of choice for the session. Items can even be hurled at the concrete walls.

Breakable objects are brought over from the scrapyard or through donations and include things such as plates, glasses, old TVs and DVD players.

The idea of a Smash Room

The concept for the space began when Balfaqih’s grandmother passed away in 2017 and left her with some unresolved feelings.

“I had a lot of anger and resentment,” she previously told The National. “I went and did the traditional methods of therapy and it just didn’t help.”

One day she decided to try something different, and as an entrepreneur with a background in psychology, Balfaqih realised she was on to something.

“I came up with the idea to go into my backyard and smash something, and I felt relief. So I thought: ‘All right, let’s start a business’,” she says.

Balfaqih said she hoped the room helps others find an alternative way to deal with stress, likening it to “exercise”.

“When you start smashing, you’re releasing your endorphins and so forth, so that’s the area that’s the ‘therapy’ part – the release of negative energy.”

Other new openings in Abu Dhabi

The Smash Room is the latest entertainment venue to open in the capital. It joins SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Snow Abu Dhabi and Adrenark Adventure in Al Qana.

New restaurants have also come to Abu Dhabi, such as Somewhere, which serves Arabic-Mediterranean, in Marina Mall and Les Dangereux, which is fine-dining fare inspired by Arabian tradition, at Mamsha on Saadiyat Island.

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Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Key facilities
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  • 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
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  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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Dhadak

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Strait of Hormuz

Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.

The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.

Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.

HOW TO WATCH

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  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

THE SPECS

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

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Updated: July 19, 2023, 12:55 PM`