Read the latest updates on Expo 2020 Dubai
With cooler weather forecast and balmy weekends fast becoming the norm, Expo 2020 Dubai is getting busier.
This weekend promises to be busy as word has spread about the array of attractions at the world's fair.
Most events are free, including concerts in Jubilee Park, Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre and Al Wasl Plaza. However, for popular events, visitors are recommended to arrive early, as entry is based on a first-come, first-served basis.
Several restaurants have had their soft openings this week and are ready to receive visitors, so be sure to look up which eateries are close to the pavilions you are planning to visit.
New favourites include a pop-up of Baron, the popular Beirut restaurant, and an outpost of Adrift Burger Bar – where Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, was pictured last week.
Deciding on a game plan before you go is a good idea, as the site is vast. Make sure to check the Expo calendar for a list of everything that is scheduled. Doors open at 10am and close at 2am on Friday and midnight on Saturday.
What to do at Expo on Friday, October 29
Celebrate Switzerland's National Day with a flag-raising ceremony at 10.15am at Al Wasl Plaza. Countries frequently lay on a cultural display of musicians and dancers, but you never know quite what to expect.
The Swiss will also have the honour of leading the Colours of the World parade on Ghaf Avenue starting at 12.45pm, when dancers and the Expo mascots, Latifa and Rashid take their daily tour through the world's fair.
As the heat of the sun goes down, stop by the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre in the Al Forsan zone between 4pm and 6pm for some early Diwali celebrations.
The festival of lights celebrates the victory of good over evil and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists.
In celebration of this, and with the theme "Unity in Diversity", the Indian Pavilion will present dance performances from each of the country's states.
But India is not the only country offering entertainment on Friday, as the Irish are also putting on a show between 6.15pm and 7.30pm at Jubilee Park.
The Ireland Expo Players are the Irish pavilion's house ensemble, who perform traditional music through every day of Expo. Listen out for the musicians' own interpretations of famous songs, and you may spot a future Bono or Hozier.
Meanwhile, sports fans will not want to miss the Harlem Globetrotters. This hugely entertaining exhibition basketball team combine athleticism, theatre and comedy in their unique style of play.
They’ve played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 countries, and they will be performing several times at Expo 2020 on Friday, including 3.45pm at the Multi-Purpose Sports Court, 5pm at Al Wasl Plaza, when they will help launch the Dubai Fitness Challenge, and at 8pm at Expo’s Sports, Fitness, and Wellbeing Hub, Mobility District.
If you are planning on staying late, flamenco dancer Olga Pericet will take to the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre from 7.30pm to 9.30pm for a virtuoso performance of Spanish classical dance.
A superstar in the dance world, Ms Pericet is known for her astounding technical ability and versatility.
Meanwhile, October’s fourth and final Late Nights @ Expo promises an eclectic line-up of alfresco live music, welcoming performers from across the planet to Expo 2020 Dubai.
This Friday, listen out for everything from hip-hop and scratch DJing, to traditional Lesotho ‘mangae’ and socially conscious Egyptian songs.
Organisers have promised good vibes, as Canadian DJ, Starting from Scratch; Canadian rapper, Kardinal Offishall; Dubai-based DJ, Sonya; and US DJ, Babey Drew take to the Jubilee Stage from 10.30pm till 1am, giving you just enough time to grab a snack before 2am, when the world's fair closes for the night.
What to do at Expo on Saturday, October 30
Saturday is another busy day at Expo, culminating with Amr Diab in concert on the Jubilee Stage, from 8pm until 11pm.
The chart-topping singer, who was named the most regionally streamed artist on platforms Anghami and Deezer in April, has set a Guinness World Record for most World Music Awards won by a Middle Eastern artist.
Spaces for the event are limited and open to Expo 2020 Dubai ticket holders only. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis, so fans are advised to start queuing early in the day.
Amr Diab's performance will cap off a day of Egyptian celebrations, as Saturday is the country's honour day at Expo.
Fans of Egyptian folk dance are in for a treat as The National Folklore Ensemble will perform at the flag-raising ceremony at 10.15 in Al Wasl, and also between 5pm and 7pm at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre.
But Expo is not just all about Egypt on Saturday, there is also Hungarian jazz music, Serbian ballet and a Malaysian butterfly kite display for younger visitors.
The kite display starts at 6pm and runs until 7.30pm in Al Forsan Park. It will be held on the last weekend of each month during Expo 2020 Dubai and has capacity for up to 50 participants. So be sure to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
The same applies for the Harlem Globetrotters. If you miss them on Friday, they will showcase their skills again at 6.45pm on the Multi-Purpose Sports Court in the Mobility District.
Music enthusiasts looking to listen to something a bit different should head down to the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre at 7pm to see Esszenica, a folk, jazz and classical band from Hungary.
Then, as soon as their performance finishes, stay seated for the Seven Deadly Sins ballet, as Serbian dancers will take to the stage at 8pm.
Once the curtain has fallen on their last pirouette, remember there is still plenty more to explore - 192 pavilions to be exact, plus more than 200 eateries, before the gates close at midnight.
And then it all starts again on Sunday, October 31, with a bit of a spooky theme.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
More coverage from the Future Forum
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Mobile phone packages comparison
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
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Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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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
RIDE%20ON
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Racecard:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy | Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Balanchine | Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m.
The five pillars of Islam
No_One Ever Really Dies
N*E*R*D
(I Am Other/Columbia)
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Oppenheimer
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)
Kolkata won by 31 runs
New schools in Dubai
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