It's a particularly busy week for UAE residents with the return of annual celebrations, events and festivals, including Chinese New Year and the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. In Abu Dhabi, Al Hosn is hosting a heritage-focused event and there's also a three-day wellness meet-up.
Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates, from January 27 to February 2.
Monday, January 27: Al Hosn Festival
Head to Al Hosn cultural site in Abu Dhabi for a dose of Emirati heritage. The venue is celebrating Al Hosn Festival with a packed programme running until February 9. Souqs, children's workshops, traditional shows and art exhibitions are on the cards, spread across three zones: heritage, crafts and community.
Food and drinks spots are also available via a handful of pop-ups from home-grown and up-and-coming brands such as Flat Burger, Munch, Noodle Box and Hotdog Bar.
Daily, 4pm-11pm; from Dh35; until February 9; Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi; 02 697 6400
Tuesday, January 28: Chinese New Year
Chinese restaurant Zheng He's at Jumeirah Mina Al Salam is celebrating Chinese New Year with a curated menu courtesy of chef Wong Lian You. Highlights include cod, egg white dumplings, poached clay pot chicken with Sichuan pepper sauce and hand-rolled vegetarian rice rolls.
The menu is available until February 9 and the restaurant will host a lion dance troupe, performing against the backdrop of Burj Al Arab, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Other Chinese New Year-themed menus in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are available here.
Daily, 12.30pm-10.30pm; a la carte; February 9; Umm Suqeim 3, Dubai; 800 323232
Wednesday, January 29: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
Literary buffs can head to InterContinental Dubai Festival City for the return of the annual Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. The event gathers award-winning writers and speakers to conduct author talks, panel discussions and workshops.
Among the renowned names attending is American writer and physician Abraham Verghese, whose 2023 novel The Covenant of Water was selected as part of Oprah's Book Club and was in The New York Times bestseller list for 37 weeks.
Other names on the agenda include Booker Prize-nominated Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma, Emmy Award-winning journalist Hala Gorani, Tanzanian-British novelist and academic Abdulrazak Gurnah and Palestinian chef and cookbook author Fadi Kattan.
Some events are free of charge, and others go up to Dh2,000 per person.
Times vary, beginning on Wednesday and running until Monday; Dubai Festival City; 054 349 8508
Thursday, January 30: RollDXB Sharjah pop-up
RollDXB will be at City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah until the end of February. The pop-up indoor rink is open to all skill levels and will feature special events, themed nights and dynamic classes for children and adults.
Monday to Wednesday, 10am-10pm, Thursday to Sunday, 10am-midnight; from Dh90; until February 28; Al Zahia, Sharjah; 058 006 868
Friday, January 31: Afghan supper club
A supper club at the Afghan restaurant Kishmish in Dar Wasl Mall will run under the theme Tahchin Nights. Tahchin, derived from the Farsi words tah (bottom) and chin (to layer), is a rice cake made with yoghurt, saffron and aromatic spices. The crust is made crispy by scorching, while the layers are traditionally filled with chicken or meat.
The restaurant's chef-founder Iman Nazemi will showcase her roots by creating different tahchin dishes, including the traditional saffron-infused tachchin with barberries, almonds and pistachios, as well as one layered with chicken in a saffron-onion gravy.
Friday, from 7.30pm; Dh195 per person; Al Wasl Road, Dubai; 050 426 1663
Saturday, February 1: Kayan Wellness Festival
Global wellness experts will be taking to the shores of Fahid Island in Abu Dhabi for Kayan Wellness Festival. Talks and immersive wellness sessions will be part of the programme. Big-name guests include renowned biohacker and human biologist Gary Brecka, acclaimed therapist and author Marisa Peer and physician and holistic thought leader Zach Bush.
Guests can visit the body zone for workshops and fitness sessions, while the soul space will feature meditation and sound healing.
Friday to Sunday, from 10am; from Dh75; Fahid Island, Abu Dhabi; kayanwellnessfestival.com
Sunday, February 2: Motoring-themed picnic
Make Sunday family day at the Grand Picnic at Safa Park, where there will be displays of stunning and quirky cars and motorbikes, as well as live music and a host of food and drinks pop-ups. A series of other car-related activities will be held on-site, too, including themed arts and crafts for children, as well as live demos.
Sunday, 10am-6pm; free; Safa Park, Dubai; thegrandpicnic.ae
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
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“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
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“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
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In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
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- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
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- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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