I have a friend who has declared that she will never marry a man who doesn't know his way from al Sela to el Seeh Shuaib - in other words, the whole of Abu Dhabi, from the borders of Saudia Arabia to Dubai, and "knows his way around the islands, too". She said: "To me, it's important that we have shared roots, a shared sense of belonging to this land." Another friend announced that her first girl would be named Dhabya, the female version of Dhabi, a deer. According to legend, a man from the Bani Yas tribe caught a deer, where the animal fell, he found water. He took his discovery proudly back to his people.
"Bu Dhabi", as we pronounce it locally, has witnessed tremendous change over the past 40 years. Even 15 years ago, when I was a girl, there were far fewer cars and everything seemed a lot quieter. The cultural foundation was the only place to go to watch plays or movies, to hear lectures and attend workshops. There were no malls, just two souks - souk al Jadeed and the souk el Kadim - between Hamdan and Khalifa Streets. It wasn't until later that we had Zayed Shopping Centre and Hamid Centre.
Been el Jesreen, where the Shangri-La hotel now stands, seemed a long way away, because everybody lived on the island itself. Now, there are many hotels, but the first one I remember visiting was the InterContinental. My father used to take us to its Fish Market restaurant. The fish were all laid out for us to choose what we wanted to eat, it was almost as if they had been displayed especially for us. That was a great experience for a child. Also, from the Inter, we used to take a boat around the islands. Now the area looks different due to all the construction.
There was a beach near the site that has become the Emirates Palace hotel, which we called el Ras al Akhdar but has now been closed for construction. Bahr el hareem, a female-only beach, has long since closed, too. And al Mushrif park - also all-women - is now being rebuilt as a "people's park" and will be open to everyone. These were female-only locations and as young girls, our families were happy to let us visit them.
Older citizens have a completely different version of the story. They witnessed the days of Abu Dhabi when the roads had not yet been paved. This generation now prefers to live in the less crowded areas - in Khalifa City, or the Mohammed bin Zayed area, or towards Al Gharbia. A dear friend and I went to Manarat al Saadiyat, the exhibition of what has been planned for Saadiyat Island. I knew she had accompanied her parents on many trips around Abu Dhabi in the early days and wondered what she thought of seeing most of the places she remembered being carved up for new developments. She was amazed and quiet as she examined the plans for the houses, hotels, golf courses, museums and the huge marina with room for hundreds of yachts.
I told her about Abu Dhabi's economic vision 2030. She asked: "How old do you think I will be?" I smiled, not really knowing. Then I asked her how she felt about how the city we know is changing, and whether she minds that the places which hold so many memories for us no longer look the same. She paused and then said: "Our memories are what we use to dig our roots deep into this land. With change, new memories will be established."
Fatima al Shamsi is away
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
In Praise of Zayed
A thousand grains of Sand whirl in the sky
To mark the journey of one passer-by
If then a Cavalcade disturbs the scene,
Shall such grains sing before they start to fly?
What man of Honour, and to Honour bred
Will fear to go wherever Truth has led?
For though a Thousand urge him to retreat
He'll laugh, until such counsellors have fled.
Stands always One, defiant and alone
Against the Many, when all Hope has flown.
Then comes the Test; and only then the time
Of reckoning what each can call his own.
History will not forget: that one small Seed
Sufficed to tip the Scales in time of need.
More than a debt, the Emirates owe to Zayed
Their very Souls, from outside influence freed.
No praise from Roderic can increase his Fame.
Steadfastness was the Essence of his name.
The changing years grow Gardens in the Sand
And build new Roads to Sand which stays the same.
But Hearts are not rebuilt, nor Seed resown.
What was, remains, essentially Alone.
Until the Golden Messenger, all-wise,
Calls out: "Come now, my Friend!" - and All is known
- Roderic Fenwick Owen
The%20specs
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