Eid Al Etihad, the UAE’s 53rd National Day, brings a wave of celebrations and a chance to honour the nation's spirit. Dazzling fireworks, themed decor and traditional Emirati performances aside, plenty of deals and discounts can be found on food, shopping and activities.
So while the long weekend, from November 29 to December 3, is set to be busy, it does not have to break the bank. Here are some dirham-saving offers worth checking out.
Free entry to Louvre Abu Dhabi
On December 2, visitors can enter the museum in the capital for free, plus enjoy a 15 per cent discount at Aptitude Cafe within the venue. An Arabian majlis will be set up under the museum's famed dome, where complimentary gahwa and luqaimat will be served while ayyala and nahma chants play in the background. Visitors can also attend a film screening at 7pm, featuring City of Life and Happy Birthday Younis.
December 2; 10am-midnight; Saadiyat Island; 600 565566
Free cultural event at Ibn Battuta Mall
The Egypt Court at Ibn Battuta Mall has a cultural celebration featuring an exhibition of portraits showing the UAE reimagined with a modern flair. The pieces showcase Emirati life and landscapes, enhanced with futuristic elements using digital art. Free crafts workshops are also on site, including burqa-decorating, stick-painting and bracelet-making. Face-painting and henna art stations are free of charge.
December 1 to 3; 2pm-10pm; Jebel Ali Village, Dubai
Free go-karting on Yas Island
Yas Marina Circuit is putting on a car parade of vehicles dressed in the colours of the UAE flag, while also giving attendees a taste of the F1 season finale site. There will be a go-karting competition for adults and children, as well as other cultural activities, including performances by Emirati singers, camel and falcon interactions, calligraphy writing and more. Entry is free, but registration is required.
December 2; 4pm-10pm; Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Complimentary dessert at Twine
The Mediterranean restaurant in Dubai has concocted a special dessert – lokmat al quemada. The dish pairs soft luqaimat with creamy cheesecake, finished with a drizzle of pomegranate and lime syrup. It is complimentary for diners who spend more than Dh120.
December 2; Dubai World Trade Centre
Discount at Smash Room
There are discounts available at the three Smash Room outposts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where visitors can de-stress and have fun. Guests can smash 53 glass bottles for a discounted price of Dh53 (the usual rate is Dh199 for 15 glass items and one CPU). The offer is valid across all Smash Room branches in Al Quoz, Mirdif and Abu Dhabi.
December 2; Al Quoz and Mirdif, Dubai; Al Rawdah, Abu Dhabi
Free family day out at Emirates Dubai 7s
Families are invited to come on the first day of the Emirates Dubai 7s on November 29 at no cost, although registration is required. The ticketed event goes on over the long weekend. Activities include a jungle-themed zone for children, inflatable giant board games, virtual reality experiences and an outdoor cinema with free popcorn. There will also be a mini raver station with a DJ deck for children to try out.
November 29; 9am-7pm; Dubai; The Sevens Stadium, E66 Dubai Al Ain road
Free museums in Sharjah
All public museums in Sharjah city, Kalba and Khorfakkan are free on December 1 and 2. The initiative aims to foster a “deeper appreciation of Emirati heritage” and “connect with the nation’s cultural legacy”.
Birthday meal at Nando's
This one is super-specific, but Emiratis who have turned 53 this year can go to any branch of the South African chainon December 1 or 2 for a free main course, as the restaurant looks to “honour those who have witnessed the country's growth over the years”. An Emirates ID is compulsory to confirm eligibility.
December 1 and 2; Nando's outlets across the UAE
Discounted dishes at Art of Dum and Bombay Borough
The two Indian restaurants in Dubai are celebrating with discounts on selected dishes. At delivery-only Art of Dum, customers can order six of its signature dishes priced at Dh53 each. At Bombay Borough restaurant in DIFC, guests can enjoy truffle carpaccio with a tangy salsa verde and almond crust (usually priced at Dh70), spinach patta chaat (Dh70), charcoal roasted baati (Dh95) and chocolate fondant (Dh80). These dishes are Dh53 each for a limited period.
Discounted pizza and risotto at Andreas Di Venezia
Italian food lovers can head to this restaurant at Andalus Al Seef Resort and Spa in Abu Dhabi to sample limited-edition pizza and risotto, inspired by the UAE colours. There's the Roman-style rectangular pizza served in tri-colour using marinara, pesto and mushrooms for Dh96 and a risotto dish for Dh70. Both items will be sold with a 53 per cent discount on December 2.
December 2; 7.30am-1am; Al Muntazah, Abu Dhabi; 050 130 4511
Discounts at Royal Furniture
Massive discounts are available on a variety of homeware products as part of this Royal Furniture's online sale. From coffee tables and sofas to dining sets and bedroom fixtures, items are discounted by up to 90 per cent. For example, the Kemensky coffee table made of engineered wood retails for Dh495, down from Dh2,080, while the black Crimson recliner is priced at Dh750, instead of Dh1,550. The online sale runs from Wednesday to December 5.
Free khachapuri at Society
On December 2 and 3, Emirati diners at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi branches can get a complimentary plate of khachapuri, a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread. Guests need to pre-book and order at least one dish and a beverage.
December 2 and 3; 8am-9pm in Dubai, 8am-11pm in Abu Dhabi
Complimentary UAE-themed cake at Sfumato
Diners will be treated with a free slice of UAE flag-inspired cake when they order a main course on December 2.
December 2; 9am-11pm; ME Dubai Hotel; 058 101 5649
Discounted rates at Atlantis The Palm
Until December 4, guests can book a room or suite at Atlantis The Palm for stay dates between December 2 and 22 at 35 per cent off. All bookings will include complimentary access to both Aquaventure World and Lost Chambers Aquarium per room for each night booked.
For bookings made until December 4; Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 426 0000
Free dessert at Alaya
Diners at this Mediterranean restaurant will be served a complimentary National Day-themed chocolate dessert, featuring the colours of the UAE flag. The ingredients used to make the dish include pistachio, black seed and dry yoghurt. The offer is available, from December 1 to 3, to diners who order a meal.
December 1 to 3; 12.30pm-11.20pm; Dubai International Financial Centre; 04 570 6289
Free coffee and luqaimat at James Cafe
The Al Reem and Al Qana branches of this home-grown cafe will serve complimentary Arabic coffee plus luqaimat to diners on December 2. The venue serves French dishes, including freshly baked pastries, croissants and desserts.
December 2; 7am-11pm; Al Reem and Al Qana, Abu Dhabi; 02 886 9949
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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.
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Stamp%20duty%20timeline
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The%20specs
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
The five pillars of Islam
PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS
JOURNALISM
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
and
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”
LETTERS AND DRAMA
Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
