This week is full of events, with Cop28 kicking off in Dubai and outdoor festivals taking place in Abu Dhabi as the weather cools down.
Food fans can head to the Michelin Food Festival at Louvre Abu Dhabi while those looking for a unique way to spend the weekend can register for the Festive Fun Run at Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates, from December 4 to 10.
Monday
Start the week by visiting a climate change-themed exhibition at Ikea in Festival Plaza at Jebel Ali Village.
The interactive A Day in the Life of Climate Change, hosted in co-ordination with Emirate Nature-WWF, highlights how people's daily living choices impact the environment, particularly when it comes to water security.
Visitors of all ages can interact with household items to find out how much water they consume, and learn how to make more eco-friendly decisions at home.
Until December 30; 10am-11pm on weekdays, 10am-midnight on weekends; free; Jebel Ali Village; 800 4532
Tuesday
Continue learning about climate change and the environment at Cop28 at Expo City Dubai.
A portion of the high-level climate conference, attended by world leaders and other dignitaries, is also open to the public. The green zone has several workshops and talks until December 12.
On Tuesday, there is as an interactive workshop, open to all ages, about soil and its crucial role on Earth. There are also discussions about empowering youth in the fight for sustainability, as well as the challenges of the energy transition.
Workshops and talks aside, the green zone also features dozens of food and drink pop-ups with unique menus and experiences centred around a pro-environment theme.
Until December 12; 10am-10pm; free registration; Expo City Dubai; cop28.com
Wednesday
Summersalt Beach Club in Jumeirah is hosting a morning session of yoga followed by healthy breakfast.
The yoga session takes place at Jumeirah Al Naseem beachfront with Burj Al Arab as the picturesque background. Afterwards, participants will be treated to dishes such as avocado toast, poached eggs, smoked salmon and an acai bowl.
The package comes with a day pass to the beach club, meaning guests can stay by the pool or the beach post-yoga and breakfast.
Every Wednesday; 9.30am onwards; Dh500 per person; Jumeirah Al Naseem; 04 366 7680
Thursday
Gateway Park South on Yas Island will host a family-friendly winter festival with games, entertainment and other Christmas-themed fun.
The five-day Yas Winter Fest will feature a daily tree lighting ceremony, plus mini musicals that feature songs from 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. Visitors can enjoy the carnival with rides, or an artificial snow park with a maze and a slide.
Entertainment aside, the festival will have a handful of artisanal vendors, such as Queen Bee Honey and Merika Cafe.
Until Sunday; 2pm-11pm; from Dh15 per child, from Dh25 per adult; Gateway Park South, Yas Island; yaswinterfest.com
Friday
The first Michelin Food Festival opens on Friday and will run through the weekend.
Taking place on the grounds of Louvre Abu Dhabi, the event has chefs from 16 restaurants around the world that have been recognised by the Michelin Guide. They will offer curated menus, exclusive dishes and culinary masterclasses.
The participating chefs include Lee Kok Hua of Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, celebrity chef Alvin Leung from Bo Innovation in Hong Kong and Heidi Bjerkan from Credo in Norway.
The festival will also host six masterclasses, each focused on a flavour, from sweet and savoury to bitter, sour, umami and spicy. There will also be a bar and a pastry area, as well as a marketplace with Michelin products and local farm produce.
Until Sunday; noon-midnight; from Dh100 per person; Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island; Abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net
Saturday
The second Festive Fun Run at Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates returns on Saturday.
The unique race takes place in the venue with temperatures at -4ºC and comes with a visit from Santa Claus. People of all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to participate, with three categories available. Participants with the best festive costumes will win prizes.
Registration for the fun run closes on Wednesday.
Saturday; 8am onwards; from Dh31.50 per person; Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha 1; premieronline.com
Sunday
Head to Liwa Village, which has been transformed into winter festival grounds with retail and food offerings, cultural activities as well as performances from local and regional artists.
The desert festival spans seven zones, each offering a family-friendly experience. The Oasis, for example, will host dining and retail concepts such as pop-ups of BB Social Dining, Slaw and The Uncommon. For shopping, visitors can check out Emirati brands such as Odela & Co for skincare and Feathers for luxury goods.
The Carnival area features an array of games as well as activations, such as a 5D cinema and racing simulators. The main stage is set to host Arabic artists such as Bandar Bin Oweer and Ali Bin Mohammed.
Until December 31; 4pm-midnight on weekdays, 2pm-2am on weekends; from Dh15; Liwa Village, Abu Dhabi; abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
THREE
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
1st Test July 26-30 in Galle
2nd Test August 3-7 in Colombo
3rd Test August 12-16 in Pallekele
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
More coverage from the Future Forum
FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg
Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg
Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg
Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg
Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg
Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg
Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)
9. Featherweight 66kg
Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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
