Food pop-ups, furniture sales, Halloween and Pink October activations are leading a busy week on the UAE events calendar.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates from October 16 to 22.
Monday
If you're looking to update your home or office decor, consider picking up pieces as part of the ongoing Dubai Home Festival, which is offering discounts of up to 75 per cent off on categories spanning electronics, home and garden furniture and decorative accessories.
The U-shape Elapso sofa from The One, for example, costs Dh4,896 (down from Dh6,995); while a 70-inch Samsung TV at Sharaf DG costs Dh2,199 (down from Dh4,499).
Other participating brands include Ace, Ikea, Home Centre and Centre Point.
Until October 29; various malls across Dubai
Tuesday
Spend a Halloween-themed afternoon with the children at a pumpkin patch pop-up by party services provider Daley Bounce at Dubai Investment Park.
Guests will be greeted with pumpkin spice lattes and can participate in various themed activities, from pumpkin painting and a photo booth adorned with Halloween decor to a colouring wall. Children can come in costume for a chance to win the fancy dress competition.
Until Thursday, noon-5pm; Dh130 per child, adults enter for free; Dubai Investment Park 2; 058 550 9294
Wednesday
Chef Nick Alvis, of folly restaurant fame, will host a weekly British brasserie-style buffet inspired by London's Borough Market, serving an eclectic array of dishes.
Stalls at Mina's Market, at Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, include London Pie Shop, serving savoury pies; The Bakery, with open baskets filled with freshly baked bread loaves, pretzels and baguettes; London Levant Kebab Shop, which serves grilled lamb doner kebabs with pocket pitta; and Balti House, for British-style chicken tikka masala and caramelised onion bhaji.
There is an island bar at the centre of the hall, as well as an entertainment space for live performances.
Wednesdays, 6.30pm-10.30pm; from Dh250; Dubai Marina; 04 511 7373
Thursday
Nature Park is an outdoor playground new to The Green Planet, Dubai.
Attached to the indoor, rainforest-inspired biodome, the "edutainment" park at CityWalk features a treehouse with nine viewing platforms, adventure trails, hanging bridges and slides designed for children aged four to 12, plus an inflatable play area for those under six.
Elsewhere, giant animatronics of various insects offer more information on species such as owl butterflies, red-legged grasshoppers and the common housefly.
Daily, 10am-6pm; from Dh69; CityWalk, Dubai; thegreenplanetdubai.com
Friday
The catchy-sounding food pop-up Chuck Chick’s Cluck-less Crunch is for vegans and those looking to try the alternative plant-based lifestyle.
On the menu are vegan chicken burgers in a waffle bun, nuggets and Korean fries with sweet potato, kimchi, gochujang mayo, spring onions and coriander.
The vegan fast food brand will also host a pop-up at Expo City during Cop28.
Until October 25, noon-10pm; Dubai World Trade Centre
Saturday
Female skateboarders of all skill levels are invited to skate for a cause on Saturday at Al Hudayriyat Island, which is celebrating Pink October for breast cancer awareness. Held at the skate park, the event has a hands-on silk screening workshop for participants to learn how to customise their jeans, as well as a skateboard spray-painting session with a graffiti artist.
On Saturday, a mobile clinic set up in partnership with Seha will offer complimentary breast cancer screening to all women. Several food vendors, thrift shops and a DJ booth will also be present.
Saturday, 6pm-10pm; Dh10 entry; Al Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi; hudayriyatisland.ae
Sunday
Rockfish in Jumeirah Al Naseem has launched a seafood Sunday brunch.
On the menu are dishes such as bluefin tuna and red mullet, Scottish salmon and Dibba Bay oyster. Starters include fritto misto and burrata salad, followed by a choice of four pasta options for mains, or black Angus beef and aubergine Milanese.
Diners can enjoy views of Burj Al Arab, as well as a live singer and saxophonist.
Sundays, 1pm-4pm; from Dh459; Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai; 800 323 232
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
List of UAE medal winners
Gold
Faisal Al Ketbi (Open weight and 94kg)
Talib Al Kirbi (69kg)
Omar Al Fadhli (56kg)
Silver
Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Khalfan Belhol (85kg)
Zayed Al Mansoori (62kg)
Mouza Al Shamsi (49kg women)
Bronze
Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi (Open and 94kg)
Saood Al Hammadi (77kg)
Said Al Mazroui (62kg)
Obaid Al Nuaimi (56kg)
Bashayer Al Matrooshi (62kg women)
Reem Abdulkareem (45kg women)
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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