Like the fragrant alleys of Al Hamidiyeh in Damascus, the old souq of Abu Dhabi seemed almost as ancient as the city itself. Unlike the great Ottoman vaults of Syria’s most celebrated marketplace, though, its counterpart on the Arabian Gulf was little more than a motley collection of shabby concrete boxes dating to the 1970s.
It succumbed to the wrecking ball barely three years ago, missed rather than mourned by those who hunted for bargains there. The souq had been built on the orders of Sheikh Zayed and replaced an even older marketplace close by; a rough and ready collection of barristi stalls between the beach and Al Hosn fort when Abu Dhabi was just a fishing village.
Jonathan Raban, the British novelist and travel writer, visited the old souq in the late 1970s and found “repairers of sandals and transistor radios, tailors sitting cross-legged in front of ancient Singer sewing machines, hawkers of junk and plastic carpets”.
The experience left Raban distinctly underwhelmed. It was, he wrote, “a shopping precinct of purple concrete which looked as if it might be altogether more at home in Basildon or Levittown. Its pedestrian streets were too wide and windy. It had lost all the intricacy of a real souq.”
Others have been kinder. Admitting that it had developed a “slightly shabby appearance”, Yasser Elsheshtawy, an associate professor of architecture at UAE University, noted on the Alrroya website this year that “it was popular with city residents. And while dominated by South Asians, the souq was also visited by locals, Arabs, westerners and also tourists who thought of its spaces and walkways as a representation of an authentic Arabian souq.”
In the mean time, those in search of authenticity have been directed to the Iranian souq at the Mina Port. Its collection of household utensils, hand-forged barbecues and intriguing cooking implements creates the right atmosphere, but a visit is all too swiftly concluded, even with side trips to the adjacent plant souq and nearby carpet souq.
Now, though, Abu Dhabi has a new souq, lurking at the foot of twin massive concrete and steel spikes that the developer, Aldar, have called the Trust and Domain Towers.
While all eyes turn skywards at these incomplete giants, the souq is now in business; glimpsed first at the Corniche end of Old Airport Road, a brown lattice wall several stories tall with no obvious external clues as to its purpose.
A right turn, then another, brings you to several floors of subterranean parking, hardly authentic, but a welcome relief amid the congestion of downtown. Inside the building is dark and cool, the walls pierced by light both natural and artificial. There is a central square with a tiled floor where the ceiling rises 12 metres above a quiet pool and gentle jets of water.
What is missing is the bustle and noise of an Arabian souq. At present, just a handful of shops and cafes are open for business, but with space for 250 units over three floors, the crowds are surely on their way. For the present, there is time and space to enjoy the architecture of the city’s newest addition at leisure.
The souq is already popular with locals, taking lunch at the new Shakespeare Cafe, along with Kitsch cupcakes, an import from Dubai. There is, surprisingly, a greengrocers, along with at least two shops selling sunglasses and another with a stock of flat screen televisions. Other attractions include a New Zealand ice cream parlour and a store that will encrust your mobile phone in crystals.
Many more will open by the end of the year. Nearly two dozen shops specialising in watches and jewellery, five clothing boutiques, perfumeries, a coffee roastery and a travel agent, to name just a few. By then, it will no longer be so easy to find a parking space.
What though, will the customers of the old souq make of the new? Will they even recognise it as such? Which raises the bigger question; what is a souq beyond the Arabic name for a commercial district? The question is particularly relevant in the UAE, where reinventing the souq has become a national pastime. Alongside such traditional bazaars like the Blue Souq in Sharjah or the spice souq of Dubai, there is the Madinat Souq at the Jumeirah waterfront and the Souq Al Bahar at the Dubai Mall. In Abu Dhabi there is the Qaryat Al Beri at the Shangri La Hotel.
Certain factors distinguish the new souqs. They are visually beautiful, designed to evoke fantasies of the Arabian nights that are exotic but nonthreatening. Many, if not most of the shops, are chains. They are air-conditioned and entirely enclosed from the harsh Gulf summer. A great number of their customers are tourists and expatriates. Some might call them shopping malls by another name.
Abu Dhabi’s new souq is part of a larger development called the Central Market, which will eventually include the Emporium, an unashamed high-end mall selling some of the most exclusive names in high fashion.
The souq, then, must offer another experience in the age of the supermarket and the department store. Abu Dhabi’s new souq is undoubtedly architecturally stunning. It is also intimate and atmospheric, if air conditioned.
What are the other tests? For the present, it smells a little too much of concrete dust and fresh paint, but down one alley, a plastic sheet covers bags of spices outside a shop front whose name offers a clue: Wadi Az’zaffran, or Saffron Valley. Pulling back the sheet exposes bags of dried black lemons, chillies and a blast of thyme. Almost opposite, coffee beans will soon be roasting. The aromas will come.
Surely, a souq must also offer the promise of a hard-fought bargain. Surprisingly, despite the price tags and the high street brands, the shop owners are open for a spot of haggling. The assistant at the Exquisite Antiques Gallery offers 10 per cent off his pashminas and painted elephants and 15 per cent of larger purchases. At Al Daman Mobile Phones, the most blinged-up case can be haggled down from Dh850 to Dh600.
Even Kitsch cupcakes is up for a bargain. On top of the two-dirham special opening offer, a little bit of pressure results in two mini cakes thrown in for free.
So the signs are good for Abu Dhabi’s new souq. At the exit, the car park attendant takes your ticket and compliments you on the colour of your car. He thanks you for shopping here and expresses a desire that you return soon.
Which is a reminder of one more thing that the visitor should take away from a true Arabian souq. Hospitality.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
More on animal trafficking
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Long Shot
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan
Four stars
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
