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
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
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HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
TEAMS
EUROPE:
Justin Rose, Francesco Molinari, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren, Thorbjorn Olesen, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson
USA:
Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau ( 1 TBC)
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
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RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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 five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
