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.
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A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
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