Although it doesn't snow in the UAE – naturally, at least – there are plenty of other ways that mark the arrival of the festive season.
One of them is the many Christmas markets and winter festivals that spring up. As the temperatures cool, it's the ideal time to enjoy the outdoors at one of the many destinations in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.
Whether it's a family-friendly affair or simply a gathering with friends, there are plenty of holiday-themed events happening this month.
Here are the festival and market highlights.
The Green Planet at Winter Wonderland
The indoor tropical rainforest is turning its outdoor nature park into a Winter Wonderland. There is an eco-friendly simulated snowfall at the biodome and outdoors in the nature park. Children can participate in a Santa’s workshop, where they can decorate a Christmas card on sustainable materials and write letters to Saint Nick, who will make an appearance at 11am, noon, 4pm and 5pm. On January 7, one letter to Santa will be chosen to make someone’s wish come true.
Until January 7; 10am-6pm; Dh69; City Walk; thegreenplanetdubai.com
Winter Wonderland at Souk Madinat Jumeirah
Souk Madinat Jumeirah is getting ready to transform into a winter wonderland on December 15. Expect an Arabian marketplace, Santa’s Grotto and performances. Children can meet Mr and Mrs Claus at Souk’s amphitheatre, where they can share their holiday wish list, participate in themed arts and crafts workshops and catch performances by drummers and jugglers. There will also be performances by the Snow Queen and her friends at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.
Until December 25, 4pm-10pm, free entry; Madinat Jumeirah; www.jumeirah.com
Yas Winter Fest
The five-day Yas Winter Fest begins on Wednesday. It will include a daily tree lighting ceremony, plus mini musicals that feature songs from the Disney film Frozen such as Do You Want to Build a Snowman? and Let It Go.
There will also be appearances by a magician, a juggler and a visit from Santa Claus. Visitors can join rides, visit an artificial snow park with a maze and a slide or explore Santa Land, which offers the chance to decorate ornaments and write a letter to Saint Nick.
Wednesday and Thursday, 2pm-11pm; Friday to Sunday, noon-11pm; December 6 to 10; Dh15 per child, Dh25 per adult; Gateway Park South, Yas Island; yaswinterfest.com
Winter Wonderland at Snow Abu Dhabi
Snow Abu Dhabi at Reem Mall has been transformed into a Winter Wonderland. There are different tiers of meet-and-greet packages with Santa, including a surprise gift made by his elves such as hot chocolate, fleece gloves and a printed photo of the occasion. There is also the opportunity to have breakfast with Santa at the Lodge, with dining options such as snowman pancakes and hot chocolate.
In addition to the meet and greet, there are also rides and attractions, such as Troll Bowl, where visitors can get inside an inflatable ball that rolls down a snowy slope; Flight of the Snowy Owl, a suspended rollglider – an aerial roller coaster-zip line – that travels around the park; and Drift's Downhill Run, where guests can slip and slide down a lane on sledges.
Sunday to Thursday, 10am-10pm; Friday and Saturday, 10am-midnight; until December 25; packages start at Dh150; Reem Mall, snowabudhabi.com
Winter Garden at Habtoor City
Habtoor Palace Dubai is already celebrating the festive season with the return of its Winter Garden. The family-friendly event is open to pets as well. Expect an array of food stalls, a children’s play area, festive-themed decorations and live entertainment.
Tickets cost Dh25 per person to enter, which are redeemable as food and beverage vouchers. Tickets can be booked through the Loyal by AHG app.
Daily, 4pm-midnight; until January 31; Dh25; alhabtoorcity.com
Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market
Dubai's festival market at Madinat Jumeirah Fort Island will open on December 15. It will include family activities such as the North Pole Train, a four-lane bungee and a Venetian carousel. Children will also be able to take Abra rides with Santa or decorate their own gingerbread houses.
There will also be festive food and beverage options, a live band and an 11-metre Christmas tree. For those looking to shop, a festive market will open at Jumeirah Mina A’Salam.
Monday to Thursday, from 3pm; Friday to Sunday, from noon; December 15 to January 7; free entry; Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai; www.jumeirah.com
Winter City at Expo City Dubai
Expo City Dubai will be transformed into Winter City from December 15, just in time for the holidays.
Visitors can expect Santa’s House, a magical mock-up of where Father Christmas lives and works; Frosty’s Farmhouse, where elves will be hosting workshops for children to learn more about sustainability; and Mrs Claus’s Bakery; where children can decorate Christmas cookies shaped like polar bears or penguins.
There will also be an area to write letters to Santa using eco-friendly materials and an area called Santa’s Toy Factory, where elves will teach children about how to create their own sustainable toys using recycled materials.
Daily, 3pm-11pm; December 15 to January 7; Dh20 for adults, children aged 12 and under go free; expocitydubai.com
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
MATCH INFO
Rajasthan Royals 158-8 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 143/7 (20 ovs)
Rajasthan Royals won by 15 runs
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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