Diving on Saadiyat reef, an urban archaeology tour of old Abu Dhabi and bird watching on the Bul Syayeef nature reserve – these are just some of the activities planned for the hundreds of people who will descend on the capital this weekend for two days of history, heritage and nature.
The event is organised by the Emirates Natural History Group. Founded in 1977 by a number of amateur enthusiasts, the group played a vital early role in documenting the rich history of the UAE.
More than 40 years on, the all-volunteer group is still going strong. There are more than 300 members across all its UAE chapters and the inter-emirates event on Friday and Saturday is a chance for them to meet in person. A gala dinner in honour of the group’s patron, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of State for Tolerance, will take place on Friday, where historian and lifetime member, Peter Hellyer, will be giving a keynote address. A photography, video and art competition will also be held.
Arabella Willing is chair of the Abu Dhabi chapter and said the group is always looking for new members.
“There are lots of activities that would be ideal for families and even after two days, we will only scratch the surface of what Abu Dhabi has to offer,” said Ms Willing.
From the original Abu Dhabi chapter, there are now branches in Al Ain, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. It's journal, Tribulus, is highly respected. Regular lectures and field trips are also important. Now in its 40th season, the longevity of the group is a testament to the dedication of those early volunteers and the richness of the natural and historical environment in UAE.
“It’s cool to be a part of something that had such an influence in the early days in terms of recording and studying, before the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi existed,” said Ms Willing.
“Without the group, quite a lot of the baseline data would not be there.”
Today, the group plays more of a supporting role and is a public resource for people interested in nature. The range of events taking place this weekend is a reflection of that. There will be beachcombing, a tour of the Abu Dhabi bee research and development project, a Lulu Island visit and an Al Wathba wetlands trip to examine its flora and fauna.
“Our aim is to spread awareness about the diversity of life and heritage that the UAE has,” said Ms Willing, who is also the marine biologist at the Park Hyatt, Abu Dhabi.
“It’s quite poorly understood by the general public. We’re keen to get the word out and get more people engaging in nature and understanding what’s here and why it is so exciting,” she said.
For Ms Willing, a combination of factors are to blame for the fact that the UAE's natural history is not as appreciated as it should be.
“A lot of people are not from here so they don’t really know what they are looking at a lot of the time. And because of the [harsh] environment, a lot of things are hidden. They come out at night and you have to look a bit harder than you would if you were in a rainforest, for example.”
The weather is also a factor in a country where people spend significant amounts of time indoors. But a bright spot is the growing interest in the natural environment from schoolchildren. “There is a lot of interest from schools now,” said Ms Willing.
Anyone can apply to join the group and it costs just Dh100 a year. For more information about the events next weekend or how to join, you can visit www.enhg.org.
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Read more:
Charting the rise and accomplishments of the Emirates Natural History Group
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
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The specs
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Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
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Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
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
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
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.
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
