Dubai retained its global status as the most alluring destination for diners as the World Culinary Awards ceremony returned to the city. This year's winners accepted their plaques at a glittering ceremony held at Summersalt Beach Club in Jumeirah Al Naseem on Wednesday evening.
Following last year's success, Dubai retained its title as the world's best culinary destination, beating nominees including Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Several establishments in the emirate also bagged top honours in the world category, including Ossiano (best culinary experience), Atmosphere (best landmark restaurant) and Pierchic (best fine dining hotel restaurant).
Ariana's Persian Kitchen was labelled the world's best hotel restaurant, while Atlantis The Royal won the world's best hotel for brunch award.
La Dame de Pic took home the title for world's best new restaurant, while Dubai Mall retained its tag as the world's best shopping mall for dining.
In the capital, Conrad Abu Dhabi won the world's best culinary hotel award, Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island was named world's best all-inclusive culinary resort and Hakkasan retained its status as world's best Chinese cuisine restaurant.
Other cuisine winners in the global categories include Asil Restaurant (world's best Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant), Rockfish (Mediterranean), Tresind Studio (Indian) and La Mar by Gaston Acurio (Peruvian).
Only one other restaurant from the Middle East made it to the world category: Al-Sidr in Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som was named world's best wellness hotel restaurant. Elsewhere, Riyadh, retained its status as the world's best emerging culinary city destination.
Regional categories
World categories aside, organisers also recognised regional and countrywide achievements. Aura Skypool took home the award for Middle East's best rooftop restaurant, while Coya Dubai is the Middle East and Dubai's best restaurant this year.
San, a beach club on Palm Jumeirah, was named as the Middle East and Dubai's best beach restaurant, while Ninive at Bab Al Shams won the Middle East's best new hotel restaurant. The Middle East's best culinary festival award went to Taste of Dubai.
Winners in the capital include Nahaam (Abu Dhabi's best hotel restaurant), LPM (Abu Dhabi's best restaurant) and Fresh Basil – Pitch Black Dining (Abu Dhabi's best culinary experience).
Other emirates were well represented too. In Ajman, Aquario and Vinesse at The Oberoi Beach Resort, Al Zohra, were named best restaurant and best hotel restaurant respectively. In Fujairah, those awards went to Steki and The Copper Lobster in Fairmont Fujairah. In Sharjah, Chie and The Restaurant at The Chedi Al Bait were the top choices. In Ras Al Khaimah, Mekong was named best restaurant and Farmhouse at The Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi desert won best hotel restaurant.
The UAE aside, a number of regional names emerged from countries across the Middle East. As interest in leisure travel to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan continue to rise, the awards offer a handy list of venues to dine at.
In Oman, the list singles out Ba Ban (best restaurant), The Beach at Chedi Muscat (best beach restaurant) and Peridot at Jumeirah Muscat Bay (best hotel restaurant).
In Saudi Arabia, the winners include Takara (best restaurant) and Mamo Michelangelo at Al Faisaliah Tower (best hotel restaurant). In Jordan, winners include Alee (best restaurant) and Roberto’s Amman (best hotel restaurant).
In Bahrain, awards were handed out to Cut by Wolfgang Puck (best restaurant) and Primavera (best hotel restaurant). In Kuwait, awards were given to Mei Lei (best restaurant) and Sintoho at Four Seasons Hotel (best hotel restaurant).
In Iraq, 360 Restaurant and Phoenicia Lebanese Restaurant in Grand Millennium Hotel Sulaimani were named best restaurant and best hotel restaurant respectively.
In Qatar, Coya Doha was named best restaurant, Yun at Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay was its best hotel restaurant and SushiSamba Doha won best beach restaurant.
The list was voted upon before the invasion of Lebanon, for which the winners were Burgundy (best restaurant) and La Ciel at Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand (best hotel restaurant).
Restaurants and hotels were not the only stars of the evening. Erth Hospitality was recognised as the Middle East's Best Catering Company and ZADK Culinary Academy in Saudi Arabia as the Middle East's Best Culinary Training Institution.
Global winners
In further proof that Thailand is making its mark on the culinary map, Mezzaluna in Bangkok took over from Maison Pic as the world's best restaurant 2024, Su Va Na in Phuket was named world’s best underwater restaurant, and Sirocco retained its status as world’s best rooftop restaurant.
Vietnam, too, made itself known, with Hanoi winning world’s best culinary city destination, and Capella Hanoi restaurant winning world’s best brunch venue, taking over from Zuma Dubai and beating nominees including Balthazar New York, The Ritz Paris and Saffron in Atlantis the Palm.
Nobu, which has two outposts in the UAE, was named the world's best restaurant brand, while Sublimotion Ibiza offers the world’s best fine dining experience.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
