December is starting on a high note. Eid Al Etihad celebrations are in full swing across several locations, while annual events such as Dubai Shopping Festival and Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix are also on the calendar.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates, from December 2 to December 8.
Monday, December 2
Expo City Dubai is celebrating Eid Al Etihad with a range of free and ticketed performances, activities and other heritage acts until Tuesday. At Al Wasl Plaza, visitors can catch free performances from the Firdaus Orchestra and Emirati al ayyala folk dancers. Mascots Rashid and Latifa will roam the area too, to greet little ones.
Activities at the Terra pavilion are ticketed, though with a 53 per cent discount. These include calligraphy and henna sessions, nature walks, camel rides and falconry demonstrations. A scavenger hunt is also on the cards, while guests can savour freshly made luqaimat and regag bread from food vendors.
In the Vision area, visitors can join traditional talli weaving and bukhoor workshops, watch skilled wicker-weaving artisans and sample gahwa.
Until Tuesday; 1pm-7pm; Expo City Dubai
Tuesday, December 3
Embark on an outdoor adventure with the family on the last day of the long weekend. In addition to the usual animal encounters, Dubai Safari Park is celebrating Eid Al Etihad by setting up cultural tents, complete with henna artists, local food vendors and a gallery featuring inspirational quotes from UAE leaders. A show, called One Life, 7 Wildlife Journeys, is also taking place, telling the backstory of the wildlife found in the seven emirates. In the Alwadi area, visitors can interact with camels, owls and salukis.
Tuesday; 9am-6pm; from Dh30 for general admission tickets; Al Warqa 5, Dubai
Wednesday, December 4
Make the most of the cooler evenings with an open-air cinema experience. Catch action-packed Gladiator II or family-friendly movies such as Moana 2 and Wicked on Wednesday at Vox Moonlight in Galleria Mall Al Wasl. Several seating options are available, including a cabana for couples, two-person loungers as well as couches and bean bags. The screening experience benefits from surround audio, and you can also ditch the popcorn and opt for gourmet dishes such as dynamite prawns, peppered beef skewers and sushi.
Wednesday; various timings; from Dh60 per person; Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
Thursday, December 5
Yas Marina Circuit is hosting the Formula One, which runs until Sunday. Racing aside, several off-track activities are in place, including live entertainment from DJs, fan zones with merchandise, games and food trucks, and the much-anticipated Yasalam after-race concerts featuring Peggy Gou and Teddy Swims on Thursday. Several packages are available, depending on which activity you want to tick off.
Thursday to Sunday; from Dh95; Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; 800 927
Friday, December 6
The annual Dubai Shopping Festival returns with dozens of participating malls offering shopping sales, raffle draws, live entertainment, drone shows and more for 38 days. Friday and Saturday will feature concerts at Coca-Cola Arena from artists such as Georges Wassouf and Kadim Al Sahir. Around the area at City Walk, free-to-attend entertainment and activities are on offer, including roaming performances and dining deals.
New this season is DSF Nights at Dubai Festival City Mall, which features free Saturday night concerts at the waterfront promenade by local and regional artists. The Uncommon at Al Marmoom is also new, which turns the desert spot into a cosy wonderland with fire pits, stargazing opportunities, outdoor screenings and oud music performances.
Until January 12; various locations across Dubai
Saturday, December 7
Channel some Christmas cheer at the Grotto in Dubai Ice Rink, allowing families to experience a festive winter with Santa Claus. Themed attractions include a candy cane land and an enchanted forest with appearances by Santa and his cheerful elves who will pose for photos. Guests can also book a ticket that includes access to the ice rink.
Until January 5; 10am-midnight; from Dh99 (children under 12 free); Dubai Mall
Sunday, December 8
A new cake experience at Arte Museum invites visitors to marvel at and sample eight desserts inspired by and set against digital art displays, in collaboration with South Korean bakery Cake Bloom. Some of the items include the pudding kitten, a cat-shaped dessert in four flavours: coconut milk, strawberry, mango and caramel. Guests can also try jerry cheesecake, a classic dessert crafted to resemble a cartoon-style cheese block in milk or white chocolate; and strawberry and pink chocolate bento cake.
Daily, 10am-11pm; from Dh109; Dubai Mall; 04 570 7084
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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.
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
