Nothing builds the Christmas excitement more than opening the first door of an Advent calendar. And, as December 1 approaches, it’s time to scout out an option to count down the days to the big day.
From beauty calendars from the likes of Kylie Cosmetics, Sephora and Chanel to toys and Lego, there are endless options to suit all ages, budgets and tastes.
Here are 12 of the best on sale.
Sephora, Wishing You
The beauty brand’s 2022 offering features 24 items from its own make-up, skincare, bath and accessory range.
It contains the mini Big By Definition defining and volumising mascara, mini all-day hyaluronic acid hydrator moisturiser, two shower cream capsules in cotton flower, the cherry lip mask and two colour hit mini nail polishes, among others.
Plus, the cardboard comes from sustainably managed forests.
Dh290, www.sephora.ae
Lego, 'Guardians of the Galaxy'
Children and adults alike can enjoy building their very own Marvel universe each day.
Groot, Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon and more will come to life in this Guardians of the Galaxy calendar, which can be played with long after the Christmas decorations have been put away for next year.
Dh159, www.lego.yellowblocks.me
H&M, jewellery
The jewellery fan in the house will love this cheery offering from the high-street fashion brand.
Behind the pink candy cane doors are 24 compartments each containing a pair of earrings, necklace or ring.
Dh100, ae.hm.com
Giorgio Armani Beauty Holidays 2022
This year, the luxury brand has filled its Advent calendar with nine full-sized products and 15 miniatures including skincare, make-up and fragrances.
Count down the days to Christmas with full-sized Lip Maestro #400, Eye Tint #9 and UV moisturiser, mini Si Eau de Parfum, eye make-up remover, Crema Nera Supreme Reviving Cream and lots more.
Dh2,025, www.armanibeauty.ae
'Harry Potter' Sock Advent Calendar
Slytherins and Gryffindors alike will love this calendar, which hides 12 pairs of Potter-themed socks behind its doors.
The calendar boasts five high socks and seven low socks to fit sizes 36 to 41, perfect for keeping wizarding toes toasty this winter.
Dh120, www.namshi.com
Carolina Bucci, Forte Beads
Fine jeweller Carolina Bucci has created a calendar that lets you build your own bracelet as Christmas draws closer.
Each drawer features two beads carved from an array of gemstones to be threaded onto a lurex cord with 18-karat gold charms to create a beautiful bracelet to wear on Christmas Day.
Dh4,211, www.net-a-porter.com
HozHoy, 24 Days Countdown Calendar
For children, the only thing better than a chocolate behind each door is a toy.
The HozHoy calendar features 24 different vehicles including trucks, police cars, construction vehicles, buses and lorries to pull back and watch them zoom across the floor.
Dh114, www.amazon.ae
Lush, 12 Days of Christmas
Guaranteed the cosmetics company’s calendar will be one of the best-smelling ones on the market.
The Lush elves have packed together 12 festive-themed bathtime gifts including sweet pudding bath bomb, salted caramel lip scrub, bouncing Santa shower jelly and candy cane reusable bubble bar to keep you smelling sweet.
Dh600, www.lush.com
Net-a-Porter, 25 Days of Beauty
The luxury fashion and accessories brand’s 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar is sure to be at the top of every fashionista’s wish list this festive season.
Beauty buyers have put together some of the online store’s top-selling items and team favourites, including full-size versions of Charlotte Tilbury's K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipstick and Dr Barbara Sturm's The Good C serum.
There’s also a candle, pillow spray and hydrating hair perfume.
Dh1,270.58, www.net-a-porter.com
Cadbury, Dairy Milk
You can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate advent calendar, and Cadbury’s has come up with a tasty winner.
The Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate chunks advent calendar features 24 individually wrapped whole nut, Dairy Milk and caramel chocolates, for a little bit of cacao indulgence each day.
Dh42, www.spinneys.com
Nespresso, Vertuo Calendar
Coffee brand Nespresso’s limited-edition Vertuo Advent Calendar is sure to sell out, so snap yours up fast.
The 24-door calendar, presented in a lovely reusable box, features a different coffee behind each door from the Vertuo Line, including three co-created with French pastry chef and chocolatier Pierre Herme.
Plus, there’s a little extra treat for Christmas Eve.
Dh359, www.ae.buynespresso.com
Meri Meri, wooden railway and train Advent calendar
It's one for little ones to enjoy — with the helping hand of grown-ups.
Made of sturdy multi-coloured wooden pieces, construct the track, train, signals and accessories to choo-choo into the festive season.
Dh192.05, www.harrods.com
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
%3Cp%3E97%25%20of%20Jewish-Americans%20are%20concerned%20about%20the%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E76%25%20of%20US%20Jewish%20voters%20believe%20Donald%20Trump%20and%20his%20allies%20in%20the%20Republican%20Party%20are%20responsible%20for%20a%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E74%25%20of%20American%20Jews%20agreed%20that%20%E2%80%9CTrump%20and%20the%20Maga%20movement%20are%20a%20threat%20to%20Jews%20in%20America%22%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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)
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Facebook | Our website | Instagram
RESULTS
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
More coverage from the Future Forum
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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
