The NBA Games are making their return to Abu Dhabi, bringing an exciting matchup between two recent champions.
This year, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics will face off against the Denver Nuggets, last year’s title winners, in two preseason games at Etihad Arena, scheduled for Friday and Sunday.
But it’s not just about the games. Fans can look forward to an entire week of basketball-related events in the UAE capital. Here’s what’s in store for basketball enthusiasts in Abu Dhabi.
NBA District, Thursday to Sunday at Manarat Al Saadiyat
Returning for the third year alongside the NBA Games Abu Dhabi is the NBA District. The four-day interactive fan event takes over Manarat Al Saadiyat, turning the art space into an area that celebrates all things related to the basketball league.
This year’s NBA District will include a jersey wall, an NBA-branded retro arcade and an NBA barbershop that offers free fades and cuts for fans. There will also be a full-sized NBA court, pop-up activations and photo opportunities with the NBA championship Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Famous faces from the league will also make appearances, such as former NBA players Kevin Garnett, Marcus Camby, Derek Fisher and Muggsy Bogues, as well as former football stars such as Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo and Ronaldinho. One-day tickets are Dh55.
NBA Night, Thursday at Manarat Al Saadiyat
Celebrating the opening of NBA District back in Abu Dhabi, NBA Night will be hosted by Shaquille O’Neal and will include a special live performance by Grammy Award-winning rapper 2 Chainz. A separate ticket (Dh110) is needed for entry and the event is for those aged 18 and over. It starts at 10pm.
Meet-and-greets, Thursday and Saturday at Yas Mall
There will be two meet-and-greet sessions at the NBA Store in Yas Mall. Former LA Lakers point guard Derek Fisher will appear on Thursday, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Fisher is a five-time NBA champion and previous NBA and WNBA head coach.
Meanwhile, former WNBA star Sylvia Fowles will also appear at the store on Saturday, from noon to 1pm. She is two-time WNBA champion with the Minnesota Lynx, the 2017 WNBA MVP and an eight-time WNBA All-Star.
NBA Fan Appreciation Day, Saturday at Etihad Arena
The one-day event celebrates the NBA and fans as players from the Celtics and Nuggets will take to the court and participate in skills challenges and three-point shooting contests. There will also be appearances by NBA team mascots, a slam dunk contest with professional dunkers and a live performance from rapper 2 Chainz. It starts at 4.30pm.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
