“Habibi, come to Abu Dhabi” reads one of the light box signs at this year's Mother of the Nation Festival taking place on the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The event kicked off on Friday.
It's a playful riff on the viral catchphrase that invites people to Dubai, but retrofitted to encapsulate the festival's allure in the capital. Last year, organisers said the event drew about 200,000 people, and the footfall is expected to be much higher this time around.
That is partly because, for the first time in its seven-year history, the family-friendly outdoor festival is running for 24 days, culminating in a New Year's Eve programme on December 31. Last year's event was only meant to run for 10 days but, after a brief break, returned for an extended week.
What is Mother of the Nation festival?
Mother of the Nation, or MOTN, is an annual carnival-like community event that launched in 2016. It draws inspiration from famous theme parks and offers a line-up of things to do including art installations and live performances, as well as food and drink options from local and international vendors.
The festival extends over a 1.5km stretch along the Corniche, and the attractions are conceptually divided into four zones: Thrill, Amuse, Indulge and Entertain.
This is also one of the major differences from last year's MOTN, which had six zones and felt slightly crammed. This year, the festival ground is larger and better designed.
What is happening at the festival?
Each of the zones have distinct offerings. Thrill houses traditional amusement park attractions such as child-friendly roller coasters, a haunted house experience and a family escape room.
There is an arcade room with bowling lanes, a virtual reality experience by Canadian game maker Omega Protocol and a makeshift outdoor cinema that hosts daily screenings of animated movies.
The Thrill zone is also home to a pop-up by Roll DXB, the disco-themed indoor skating rink from Dubai.
Attractions aside, MOTN is known for bringing international food vendors to the capital. The Thrill zone houses three food concepts from the UK – Crosstown that serves sourdough doughnuts, Mother Flipper that dishes out smash burgers, and Bay Boy Pizza Society.
Crosstown has 28 shops across the UK, and MOTN marks its first attempt at an international outpost, albeit in the form of a temporary pop-up.
“This is the first time we have not been in the UK and the first time I have been to Abu Dhabi,” says Blaze Huggins, who manages two Crosstown branches in London and flew to the UAE to help out with the pop-up.
Similar to other brands that come to UAE festivals and eventually decide to expand in the Emirates, Huggins thinks the Abu Dhabi event is a good platform to explore franchising opportunities.
Manuel Leal-Andrades, founder of Mother Flipper, too was present to oversee the pop-up operations, and was visibly excited as people queued for the UK-famous smash burgers.
Next to Thrill zone is Amuse, which takes guests into a more fantastical immersion with attractions such as Spacetoon Land, a massive play area divided into two themes: Barbie and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Among the highlights of the zone is the Upside Down Museum filled with Instagram-worthy optical illusions and art-themed sections.
For those into sports, there's a basketball court at the Amuse zone, while little ones can enjoy arts and crafts stations. Further is the Indulge zone, which has a Barbie-esque retail concept call The Botik. There is a swimming pool at the front, but instead of water, it's filled with foam blocks and inflatable flamingo-shaped floaters.
More British food brands are at the Amuse zone, including Covent Garden dessert shop Milk Train and London's famous fried chicken shack Coq Fighter.
The last zone, Entertainment, is where the main stage is. This is the venue for upcoming MOTN concerts, which include performances from Black Eyed Peas, Nancy Ajram, Cairokee and a Taylor Swift tribute band.
On New Year's Eve, Tamer Hosny and Saif Nabeel will take to the stage to conclude the season.
Tickets for Mother of the Nation
Ticket prices start at Dh30, which provides all-day access to the free zones and attractions.
Guests can opt for other packages, which include access to specific attractions. For example, the MOTN Day Pass at Dh150 grants full access to all the rides on site. Concerts have separate ticketing, with prices starting at Dh45.
More information is available at motn.ae
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
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
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
The%20stats%20and%20facts
%3Cp%3E1.9%20million%20women%20are%20at%20risk%20of%20developing%20cervical%20cancer%20in%20the%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E80%25%20of%20people%2C%20females%20and%20males%2C%20will%20get%20human%20papillomavirus%20(HPV)%20once%20in%20their%20lifetime%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EOut%20of%20more%20than%20100%20types%20of%20HPV%2C%2014%20strains%20are%20cancer-causing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E99.9%25%20of%20cervical%20cancers%20are%20caused%20by%20the%20virus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EA%20five-year%20survival%20rate%20of%20close%20to%2096%25%20can%20be%20achieved%20with%20regular%20screenings%20for%20cervical%20cancer%20detection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EWomen%20aged%2025%20to%2029%20should%20get%20a%20Pap%20smear%20every%20three%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EWomen%20aged%2030%20to%2065%20should%20do%20a%20Pap%20smear%20and%20HPV%20test%20every%20five%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EChildren%20aged%2013%20and%20above%20should%20get%20the%20HPV%20vaccine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
RACECARD
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (PA) $50,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Festival City Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic – Listed (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.45pm: Jumeirah Classic Trial – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (D) 1,600m
8.55pm: Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Dubai Dash – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,000m
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
