ABU DHABI // An indoor ski slope, with 300 tonnes of snow trucked in from Dubai, is expected to be one of the main attractions when an extreme sports festival opens today at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Adventurous visitors can also try skateboarding, wakeboarding, hot-air balloon rides, scuba diving, jet skis and other activities at the Adrenaline Sports Live festival, which runs through Saturday.
Barbican Turbo, a custom car meet at which enthusiasts show off their lavishly modified vehicles, will take place at the exhibition centre simultaneously. It will include an appearance by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the 14-time Middle East rally champion from Dubai.
"There's really something for all ages and interests," said Cressida Evans, the marketing manager for the event organiser, CMPi UAE.
For the ski slope, Ski Dubai brought in snow on refrigerated lorries. Workers were scheduled to pump it on to the slope early this morning, getting ready for the first skiers and snowboarders.
The slope will be located in the main hall at the exhibition centre, which will also include climbing walls and an aerial ropeslide.
The possibility of the snow melting is not as much of a problem as one might imagine, according to Ski Dubai. When the snow is compacted, a spokesman said, it becomes self-insulating and stays cold.
"We expect that the snow will slowly melt and we will be monitoring this throughout the length of the show," the spokesman said.
Watersports will be offered in the marina in front of the exhibition centre.
There will also be skateboarding and in-line skating competitions, and demonstrations of parkour, also known as "free running", in which practitioners navigate urban obstacles in smooth and creative movements. A free-fall tower, where people are strapped into roller-coaster seats, lifted 14m into the air and dropped, will be in operation if it clears customs in time, organisers said.
After trying out the attractions, which are included in the admission price, visitors can book lessons or adventure holidays.
Barbican Turbo, which like Adrenaline Live is in its second year, is expected to draw car fans from across the region. The top 100 custom cars and motorcycles from across the Middle East will be on show, and visitors can enter their vehicles in a horsepower competition to determine the most powerful car.
"We've been absolutely inundated by people wanting to enter the competitions and volunteer at the Barbican Turbo event," Ms Evans said. "It attracts a lot of the young Arab population."
There will be "drifting" demonstrations, in which drivers skid their rear tyres through turns at high speeds while keeping their cars under control, and a graffiti competition, in which aspiring street artists spray designs on the sides of 40-foot shipping containers.
Three-day passes, which allow access to both events, cost Dh100. Single-day tickets cost Dh50. More information is available at www.adrenalinesportslive.com and www.barbicanturbo.com. The National Dragon Boating Cup, with races between university, school and corporate teams of up to 20 people, will also be held this weekend off the beach behind the Shangri-la Hotel and Souk Qaryat Al Beri.
lmorris@thenational.ae
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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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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If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Results
4pm: Maiden (Dirt) Dh165,000 1,600m
Winner: Moshaher, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Handicap (D) Dh165,000 2,200m
Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Maiden (Turf) Dh165,000 1,600m
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5.45pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,200m
Winner: Private’s Cove, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
6.20pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 1,600m
Winner: Azmaam, Jim Crowley, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6.55pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,400m
Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.30pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 2,000m
Winner: Rio Tigre, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
