It’s been a long time coming, but finally it seems the wheels are gathering speed on A to B, the Emirati director Ali F Mostafa’s forthcoming road movie and follow-up to his 2009 debut feature City of Life. With filming set to start in January, the comedy – or “dramedy” as Mostafa calls its – now has a major lead in the shape of Fahad Albutairi, the Saudi stand-up comic.
“He’s very big in Saudi,” says the producer Mohammed Al Turki, who was also behind last year’s tense, Richard Gere-starrer Arbitrage, which opened the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. “He’s a comedian who has always wanted to act. Ali actually wanted him as his first choice to play the Saudi character and when we saw the audition tapes we knew it was meant to be.”
To claim Albutairi is big in his home country is a bit like suggesting King Abdullah has a few riyals in the bank. Described as the “Seinfeld of Saudi Arabia”, the Khobar-born 28-year-old is one of the masterminds behind the phenomenally successful YouTube comedy sketch show La Yekthar, which regularly draws in millions of viewers to each episode. From this, Albutairi has become something of an online celebrity, attracting more than one million followers to his personal Twitter account.
Speaking to Arts & Life in March, he said he wanted to expand his international appeal and had already received interest from Hollywood. Giving him a role in his next film is a shrewd move by Mostafa.
A road movie about a trio who drive from Abu Dhabi to Beirut in honour of a friend who is killed in Lebanon during the Israeli invasion of 2006, A to B was first discussed openly by the filmmaker in 2011. Last year, the script was among four finalists vying for a US$100,000 (Dh367,000) grant as part of the IWC Schaffhausen Filmmaker Award at the Dubai International Film Festival, but lost out to the Iraqi filmmaker Maysoon Pachachi’s Nothing Doing in Baghdad.
At the Cannes Film Festival this year, the film was finally given the backing it needed with the announcement that it was being supported by Abu Dhabi’s twofour54, along with bringing on board Al Turki, plus the Lebanese producer Paul Baboudjian (A World Not Ours) and the prolific Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy (Microphone, Rags & Tatters). Hefzy was also brought on to help work on the script.
According to Al Turki, joining Albutairi behind the wheel will be the Syrian-American hip-hop artist Omar Offendum, whose song #Jan25 went viral in 2011 during the Egyptian revolution. Offendum was last seen on screen rapping in the documentary Lyrics Revolt, which premiered in Doha last year.
While Al Turki wouldn’t confirm, IMDB also has the fellow musician The Narcicyst, who appeared in City of Life, in the line-up of A to B.
“We’re getting cameos with a lot of Middle East actors and also a lot of Hollywood actors,” adds Al Turki, without going so far as to actually name names. Given that the Saudi producer from the Eastern Provinces has already amassed a rather chunky Rolodex of A-listers in his brief career, it’s worth speculating as to who the Hollywood cameos might be. Long-time buddies with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, the 27-year-old also counts Zac Efron and Michelle Rodriguez among his friends and has worked with the likes of John Cusack, Emma Roberts, Julianne Moore and Heather Graham. Most recently, he was spotted shopping in London with the British model Kelly Brook. But will he be calling on any of his showbiz mates for a trip to the Gulf? “Maybe. You never know,” he laughs.
While getting either Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton over to the Middle East, especially for a road movie, might seem like a tall order (is Lohan even allowed in a car?), Al Turki has clear and ambitious aspirations for where he wants the film to open.
“We want to premiere here, at the opening night of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival next year.”
Here’s hoping Al Turki stuck around for the closing ceremony of ADFF 2013 and managed to catch a few words with its unexpected last-minute guest. Surely, if there was ever a perfect cameo for a road movie, it’s David Hasselhoff.
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
More on animal trafficking
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THE SPECS
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Power: 310hp
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Price: Dh280,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
