Take the family to Ski Dubai to meet Santa Claus. Photo: Ski Dubai
Take the family to Ski Dubai to meet Santa Claus. Photo: Ski Dubai
Take the family to Ski Dubai to meet Santa Claus. Photo: Ski Dubai
Take the family to Ski Dubai to meet Santa Claus. Photo: Ski Dubai

Things to do in the UAE this week, from festive markets to Mother of the Nation


  • English
  • Arabic

Festive markets make their return as we enter the last week of November. The weather is ideal for being outdoors, and those who enjoy a spot of culture can check out several events, including African music, photography and a National Day-themed festival.

Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates, from November 25 to December 1.

Monday, November 25

The works of Saudi photographer Mohammad Mohtaseb are on display at the Cultural and Scientific Association in Deira until Saturday. The exhibition, called Memoria, features more than 50 photographs captured in various countries around the world – including India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan. The works reflect the cultures and identities of people in these regions.

Saudi photographer Mohammad Mohtaseb travels the world to capture people, their culture and identities. Photo: Mohammad Mohtaseb
Saudi photographer Mohammad Mohtaseb travels the world to capture people, their culture and identities. Photo: Mohammad Mohtaseb

The exhibition aside, the week will also include workshops and free seminars presented by professional photographers from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, on topics such as drone photography and astrophotography.

Until November 30; 7pm-9pm; Deira, Dubai; 04 201 7777

Tuesday, November 26

Message of Love, a concert for a cause, is being held at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. It features a line-up of regional stars such as Tania Kassis, Joseph Attieh, DJ Rodge, Michel Fadel and Anthony Touma. The event is being held in support of Lebanon, so expect to hear patriotic hits such as Lebnan Rah Yerja3, Watani, Elle s’appelait Beirut and Waynik Beirut. Donations through Dubai Cares will be accepted during the event.

Doors open 8.30pm; from Dh185; Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; dubai.platinumlist.com

Wednesday, November 27

3Fils and Vietnamese Foodies are collaborating on a one-off menu. Photo: 3Fils / Vietnamese Foodies
3Fils and Vietnamese Foodies are collaborating on a one-off menu. Photo: 3Fils / Vietnamese Foodies

Foodies can head to award-winning 3Fils restaurant in Dubai for a one-night-only collaboration between its chef, Jhonavi Manalo, and chef Lily Hoa Nguyen of Vietnamese Foodies. The duo have curated a four-hands menu with eight dishes, including a trio of summer rolls and duck sausage for starters; A5 Wagyu pho and kushiyaki for mains; and African powerhouse and panna cotta squares with tropical fruit for dessert.

Wednesday; 7pm onwards; Dh600 per person; Jumeirah Fishing Harbour, Dubai; 3fils.com

Thursday, November 28

Dubai Festival City Mall is hosting a festive market. Photo: Dubai Festival City Mall
Dubai Festival City Mall is hosting a festive market. Photo: Dubai Festival City Mall

The Bay by Social at Dubai Festival City Mall will transform into a winter wonderland during the Ice and Lights Festival. The month-long pop-up features festive decor, family-friendly activities, various food and drink options and more. There will also be several local vendors selling everything from fashion to homeware. A carnival park area with thrilling rides will keep children entertained.

Until December 28; 4pm-midnight; Dubai Festival City Mall; dubaifestivalcitymall.com

Friday, November 29

The Mother of the Nation festival is heading to Al Ain Square and Mugheirah Bay in Al Dhafra for National Day, and following an Interstellar theme. Several family-friendly attractions will be on site, including a pop-up of Smash Room, where guests can gear up in astronaut suits while shattering items that burst into glittering debris. There's also an arcade zone featuring retro games, foosball tables and PlayStation5 consoles. A carnival area with dozens of rides is also on the cards, as well as art installations, crafts stations and food trucks.

From Thursday to December 2; 4pm-midnight in Al Ain, 4pm-10pm in Al Dhafra; from Dh25; Al Ain Square and Mugheirah Bay; motn.ae

Saturday, November 30

Celebrate African culture via live music at the two-day All Africa Festival at Yas Links, with regional and international artists taking to the stage. Beyond the music, the festival celebrates other forms of African art and fashion. Food lovers can enjoy dishes such as fufu and jollof rice served at various kiosks across the venue. Several entry packages are available, including family-friendly bundles and an exclusive meet-and-greet option with some of the artists.

Friday and Saturday; 1pm onwards; from Dh116.50 per person; Yas Links, Abu Dhabi; abu-dhabi.platinumlist.com

Sunday, December 1

Have breakfast with Santa Claus at Ski Dubai. Photo: Ski Dubai
Have breakfast with Santa Claus at Ski Dubai. Photo: Ski Dubai

Ski Dubai is transforming into a festive wonderland, complete with sub-zero temperatures to capture the magic of a white Christmas. Visitors can also click photos with Santa Claus and partake in snowy activities, from rolling in a zorb ball to racing down in a bobsled.

December 1 to December 25; 8am onwards; from Dh160 per person; Ski Dubai; skidxb.com

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

Jumanji: The Next Level

Director: Jake Kasdan

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas 

Two out of five stars 

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

Facebook | Our website | Instagram

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

The Freedom Artist

By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)

The%20US%20Congress%20explained
%3Cp%3E-%20Congress%20is%20one%20of%20three%20branches%20of%20the%20US%20government%2C%20and%20the%20one%20that%20creates%20the%20nation's%20federal%20laws%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20Congress%20is%20divided%20into%20two%20chambers%3A%20The%20House%20of%20Representatives%20and%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%C2%A0The%20House%20is%20made%20up%20of%20435%20members%20based%20on%20a%20state's%20population.%20House%20members%20are%20up%20for%20election%20every%20two%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20bill%20must%20be%20approved%20by%20both%20the%20House%20and%20Senate%20before%20it%20goes%20to%20the%20president's%20desk%20for%20signature%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20political%20party%20needs%20218%20seats%20to%20be%20in%20control%20of%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20The%20Senate%20is%20comprised%20of%20100%20members%2C%20with%20each%20state%20receiving%20two%20senators.%20Senate%20members%20serve%20six-year%20terms%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20political%20party%20needs%2051%20seats%20to%20control%20the%20Senate.%20In%20the%20case%20of%20a%2050-50%20tie%2C%20the%20party%20of%20the%20president%20controls%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports

Traces%20of%20Enayat
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Iman%20Mersal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20And%20Other%20Stories%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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)

Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3

Producer: JAR Films

Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi

Rating: 3 star

Updated: November 25, 2024, 2:04 AM`