A host of events are being prepared to celebrate the platinum jubilee of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on board the Dubai-based ship that shares her name.
Gala dinners, variety shows, pub quizzes, afternoon tea and tours of the Queen Elizabeth 2 will pay tribute to the queen for being on the throne for 70 years.
Staycation deals are also available for those who want to spend the night aboard the former luxury liner that was transformed into a museum and hotel at Port Rashid in 2018.
The celebrations are scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4, to coincide with events happening in the UK.
“It’s an opportunity for people here to celebrate the incredible achievement of the queen in reigning for 70 years,” said Robert Duce, chief executive of Outside the Box, which is running the celebrations.
“Regardless of your politics, you have to say this is an incredible feat. Her reign goes all the way back to the likes of [Dwight] Eisenhower and [Winston] Churchill, prime ministers and presidents have come and gone in that time but she remains constant.
“It’s something that British people can be very proud of and it’s only right we celebrate it.”
The QE2 is a vessel that some call the greatest ship the world has ever seen. It was built in the famed shipyards of John Brown in Clydebank, Scotland, and launched in 1967 by the queen. Her maiden voyage took place in 1969.
It would go on to become the Cunard Line’s flagship for more than 30 years and was succeeded by the Queen Mary 2 in 2004.
When the QE2 was purchased by Dubai World in 1997, it had completed more than 800 Atlantic crossings and had carried 2.5 million passengers. French hospitality company Accor is now taking over the running of the QE2, with plans to increase the number of rooms from 224 to 447.
Mr Duce said he expected more than 1,000 people to attend the gala dinners over the course of the weekend.
Entertainment will be provided by the Royal Marines Corps of Drums, a piper and a military band flown over from the UK for the weekend. Tickets for the dinner are Dh595 a person.
A variety performance is also scheduled to take place on both nights, while jugglers, a Shirley Bassey tribute act and a local ballet school will also be performing.
Prices for the variety performance range between Dh125 and Dh175.
Afternoon tea, that most British of traditions, will also be available onboard throughout the week.
The ship's Golden Lion pub will also be hosting many events, including a pub quiz on Wednesday, June 1. Although it opened on the QE2 only in 1994 in what had been the old theatre bar, Mr Duce claimed it could be considered one of the emirate's oldest bars.
“There’s going to be a minimum spend of Dh96 per person at the quiz in The Golden Lion,” said Mr Duce.
“That is because the queen is 96 years old, so we thought it was quite appropriate.”
Another event taking place onboard the ship will be the Big Jubilee Family Lunch, Mr Duce said.
“All over the UK, people are being encouraged to have street parties on June 5 to mark the occasion,” he said.
“We decided to do the same in the UAE for all the family and there will be children’s entertainment, too.
“The main difference is we won’t be able to put huge amounts of food in the middle of each table because of Covid-19 restrictions.”
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
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Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
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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
Scorebox
Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88
Eagles
Try: Penalty
Bahrain
Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley
Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company%20Profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
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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
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
RESULT
Uruguay 3 Russia 0
Uruguay: Suárez (10'), Cheryshev (23' og), Cavani (90')
Russia: Smolnikov (Red card: 36')
Man of the match: Diego Godin (Uruguay)
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
*Streaming: Jio Live
*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
