ABU DHABI // It is not clear when the tipping point was passed, but it was some time between the closing chord of Justin Timberlake's concert at the Emirates Palace hotel last year and the decision by George Michael to postpone his retirement to play a concert in the capital this December.
A year ago, Abu Dhabi was asking the stars to come to town; today, it is the stars who are beating a path to Abu Dhabi's door. The Timberlake concert last December was the first time a performer of his stature had come to the capital and was the vanguard event of a carefully planned and determined campaign to raise Abu Dhabi's world profile through the medium of popular music.
The man charged with managing that campaign was John Lickrish, a Toronto-born events organiser who was asked by Mubadala to put the finishing touches to the Justin Timberlake concert. He was then briefed to "put Abu Dhabi on the map" and formed the management company Flash. In less than a year, success has followed success, as star has followed star, with Flash responsible for a parade of talent passing through Abu Dhabi that has seen the emirate's profile writ large around the world, through the traditional media of newspapers and television to modern internet youth channels such as YouTube. And, says Mr Lickrish, "there are artists coming to us as well now. We've been approached by 20 to 25 names so far".
In Mr Timberlake's wake have followed Elton John, Jon Bon Jovi and Christina Aguilera ? A-list artists who had never before performed in the region - and this week Flash confirmed rumours that George Michael, the British singer, would be performing in the capital on Dec 1, despite only a few weeks ago having announced his retirement after 25 years in show business. Mr Michael will play to an audience of 30,000 at the Zayed Sports City, in what will be the biggest event to have taken place in the UAE. Tickets, starting at Dh190, will be the cheapest so far, with the aim of attracting people from all over the world. The singer's fans from England and across Europe have already started making inquiries about what is being billed as his last performance.
The precise details of the negotiations that have persuaded such top performers to come to Abu Dhabi remain confidential - and no-one is confirming rumours that Mr Michael was offered as much as $4.5 million - but such is the stature of the stars flying in that money seems unlikely to be the deciding factor in their decisions to perform here.
Mr Michael, who has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, is certainly not in it for the money, says Mr Lickrish. It is, he says, the "unique experience" of playing here which is drawing the big names.
Mr Michael was first approached a year ago to come here, and it has taken months of negotiation to secure the right package. Ultimately, says Mr Lickrish, for artists of Mr Michael's stature it is the appeal of playing in such uncharted territory, to a new audience, which will seal the deal.
Whatever the motivation of the performers, the strategy is paying dividends for Abu Dhabi. "I was asked to help pull Abu Dhabi into the limelight," says Mr Lickrish. "It goes with the whole idea of the development of the tourism industry and to make people realise that Abu Dhabi is accessible to all different people from all over the world."
In parallel with Abu Dhabi's ambitions to bring the best of high-end culture to the capital ? such as the Louvre and the Guggenheim, due to open on Saadiyat Island by 2012 - it is "premium" quality that Mr Lickrish and his team are aiming for.
"I want people to come here and know what to expect," he says. "Better quality, better organisation and better experience.
"We're very fortunate that we can learn from the mistakes of other places as we're so new, making what we do much better."
Part of his brief, he says, was to try to help "break down stereotypes that exist, particularly in Canada and North America", as well as to change the face of Abu Dhabi and improve it for its residents.
"We want to provide entertainment for the people who actually live here in Abu Dhabi," he says. "My goal is to make it a fun place to be. People don't just work all day every day. They need things to do."
Flash will not be concentrating on western artists exclusively - in time, there will be announcements about Arabic artists coming to town - but for now the team's aim is to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
"Abu Dhabi has already got quite a market for the Arabic language stars," says Mr Lickrish. "Amr Diab was here recently and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage bring people here a lot, so my focus was really those stars who would grab people's attention around the world, the ones who haven't been to this part of the world before."
But it will not be long before big-name Arab stars will be part of Flash's plan to transform Abu Dhabi into one of the region's leading cultural hubs, to rival more established countries such as Egypt and Lebanon.
Flash keeps a close eye on cultural sensitivities; while it has not been necessary to set rules or conditions for the visiting artists, Mr Lickrish is sure to remind them of local customs - and the number of families who come to the capital's concerts.
"Abu Dhabi has the same moral standards as any other city," he says, "but we tell the artists that they need to be respectful... So far, we've found them very co-operative."
Of the performers who have come so far, it is the first, Mr Timberlake, who has brought the emirate the most attention. The sell-out concert was such an instant success that organisers even contemplated adding another date. In the end, they decided against it to ensure it was fully attended and attended by his most loyal fans, but the demand was part of the learning curve. When Jon Bon Jovi played in March, Emirates Palace had already hosted Mr Timberlake and Sir Elton John so capacity was raised by 4,000. "Bringing these acts here makes the world think about Abu Dhabi," says Mr Lickrish. "It helps to open it up. It makes people think about what's really going on here. People have a very narrow view of the Middle East."
It will be a view that seems certain to broaden along with Flash's plans for the future.
Its team of 10 people will expand to about 16 over the coming months and the company will shortly be announcing plans for a New Year event which will gather together Arab and international stars on a scale never before seen in Abu Dhabi.
Flash will also be branching out to work with companies such as Fifa, the international football association, and Formula One, organising events including gala dinners and ceremonies.
Based for now at Mubadala's offices in the city, Flash will eventually relocate to the recently announced media zone, TwoFour54, next to Marina Mall. When the zone opens, it will host some of the leading names in world media, including CNN, the BBC and the publishing house Harper Collins.
The zone will, believes Mr Lickrish, give more of a "local voice" to media coverage of the city, which is now lacking: "A regional voice has a different voice to a local voice. The local voice has to be heard and you're missing a perspective if you don't have people based here."
mswan@thenational.ae
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More coverage from the Future Forum
HAJJAN
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
GOODBYE%20JULIA
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Top Hundred overseas picks
London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith
Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah
Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott
Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz
Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw
Trent Rockets: Colin Munro
Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson
Southern Brave: Quinton de Kock
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
