Nowadays, the demands for children to do well academically are greater than ever before. The time you spend with your children outside of school is an excellent opportunity to help them experience other areas of life.
Activities such as art, music, movement and drama can all help children increase cognitive development, reinforce communication and expressive skills and improve reasoning and organisation.
The UAE has a lot to offer in this respect. There are many art galleries and museums in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as numerous concerts and events. Exploring the local culture and heritage is also a great way for children to find out about the place in which they live.
In this new feature we bring you a round-up of activities for children of all ages in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Abu Dhabi:If your children are under six, you can join Abu Dhabi Mums for a fee of Dh100 per year (Dh30 in Jan and Feb). The group runs regular events in the city. Tonight it will host a bouncy castle event - prospective members can attend twice before joining. For more details, visit @email:www.abudhabimums.ae
Dubai: The English College Primary School will be holding its third annual autumn fair on Friday, at the school, on Sheikh Zayed Road. Entry is free and activities include henna painting, drumming, a bouncy castle, and arts and crafts.
Al Ain: Kindermusik, which introduces music and movement through stories, games and instruments, for children aged three and above is running at House of Arts in Al Ain. The group also runs classes for children with special needs. For more information, visit @email:www.house-of-arts.net, call 03 762 6651or email @email:info@house-of-arts.net
Abu Dhabi:The artparis exhibition runs until Friday at Emirates Palace. If you are worried that your children might get bored in the galleries, why not take them to see the monumental art garden, which is hosting a range of sculptures from around the world. Let them explore and then create their own interpretations when you get home. Admission is free.
Dubai: Café Ceramique at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai offers children the chance to paint their own pottery. Adults can enjoy a cup of coffee while they wait. Starting from only Dh30 per session. For more information, call 04 341 0144.
Al Ain: A variety of dance lessons such as ballet and modern dance are being held at House of Arts. For more information, call 03 762 6551.
Abu Dhabi: Sign up for the next round of courses at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. Registration is open Nov 23 to 27. On offer are piano and organ lessons, and English and Arabic calligraphy. For more information, call 02 619 5257, 02 619 5319 or 02 619 5286.
Dubai:The Smart Kids Media Camp, from 9am to 1pm on Saturday at Dubai Herbal and Treatment Centre, aims to teach children to be more critical consumers with activities looking at the tricks of the advertising trade. The course costs Dh250. For details, call 04 335 1200 (ext 105), or text "CAMP" to 050 841 2835.
Al Ain: Now that the weather has cooled down, visit the oasis. Bring along a sketch pad. Let your child draw, explore and think about how the irrigation systems used to work.
Abu Dhabi: The Feline Friends Christmas Bazaar will be held at the Sheraton Corniche on Friday from 10am to 4pm. Arts and crafts, jewellery, clothes, and prizes will be featured. The entrance fee is Dh10, with children under 12 free.
Dubai:Encourage budding photographers to enter pictures in the Emirates photography competition, which is open to all ages from teenagers to adults. For more details visit @email:www.ephotoc.net
Al Ain: Visit the red sand dunes near Zaker. Bring a sketch book or journal and encourage your teenager to write a poem, story or paint the sand dunes.
Book now for tickets to Disney's The Magical Music of Disney playing on January 11 2009 at Abu Dhabi National Theatre and featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra. For more information, visit @email:www.abu dhabi-classics.com
If you would like to send us an event to feature, @email:artslife@ thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
SPECS
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
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Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
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Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Dunki
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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MO
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