The time of the year is upon us to begin al fresco activities, sample white truffles and, of course, celebrate Halloween.
Here we round up seven things to in the Emirates, from Monday to Sunday.
Monday
Head to Fresh Basil at Bab Al Qasr hotel in Abu Dhabi for a Halloween-themed dine in the dark experience.
The three-course “mystery menu” will be served amid eerie decor. The restaurant's 90-minute Pitch Black experience is usually priced at Dh399, but diners can get 25 per cent off when booking ahead for today and tomorrow's service.
Guests have to deposit their phones, watches, lighters and cameras in a secure box before the meal begins, while a meet-and-greet with the chef afterwards will reveal the dishes that have been served.
Monday and Tuesday, 7.30pm-10pm; Dh299; West Corniche, Abu Dhabi; 056 992 2078
Tuesday
Halloween is the ideal excuse to indulge in a midweek late night, especially when there's a sinister circus in town for one night only.
Parisian venue Raspoutine encourages guests to come dressed in their most playful ringmaster or circus performer attire. On the menu are themed cocktails, plus dishes such as devilled eggs, king crab and sea bream tartare, foie gras, clams and linguine vongole.
Resident DJ Paul Blondet will take over the booth at midnight.
Tuesday, from 9.30pm; Dh650; Dubai International Financial Centre; 04 272 5373
Wednesday
The Abu Dhabi Jewellery & Watch Show kick starts today. The show will feature 200 brands from all over the world, including Bahrain, India, Lebanon, Singapore, Italy and Hong Kong, plus major UAE jewellers.
High-end bridal jewellery is a big focus at the exhibition, but visitors can also browse through stalls selling watches and gifting ornaments.
Until Sunday, 3pm-10pm; Halls 1-3, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center; registration.infosalons.ae
Thursday
High prized white truffles are back in season, and Italian restaurant Scalini is celebrating with a dedicated menu, offering dishes generously garnished with the ingredient that is often called the diamond of the kitchen.
Choose from riso al salto, poached egg and crunchy saffron risotto; tagliolini di pasta Fresca tossed in truffle butter; and profiteroles with Chantilly cream, white chocolate ganache and white truffle shavings.
The seasonal menu will be served while stocks last.
Weekdays, noon-10pm; weekends, noon-midnight; from Dh90; Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 349 0068
Friday
Another feast is to be had at Atlantis The Royal, which is hosting a limited-time four-hands meal on Friday and Saturday.
Curated by Spanish chef Dabiz Munoz (of Michelin-lauded DiverXO fame) along with Peruvian celebrity chef Gaston Acurio at the latter's La Mar restaurant, the meal will focus on Latin American dishes.
On offer are premium ingredients such as black grouper, sea urchin, tako octopus, Wagyu striploin and king crab chaufa.
Reservations are recommended.
Friday and Saturday, 7pm-11pm; Dh990; Palm Jumeirah, Dubai; 04 462 9000
Saturday
If you fancy a road trip, brunch and daycation all rolled into one, book a spot at the Islander’s Brunch, which is back for the cool season at DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
The meal starts at 1pm, but guests have access to the pool and beach facilities from noon until sunset.
We're not sure how much swim-time you'll get, though, as this brunch has a three-page-long menu spanning all manner of cuisines. On offer are: Beef baos, maki, sashimi, pani puri, pav bhaji and prawn, calamari and octopus skewers from the Asian section; beef carpaccio, tuna ceviche and tacos from the South American section; kofta, shish taouk, striploin, lamb chops, chicken and non-pork German sausages from the Josper grill; an oyster station; a salad bar; a pizza corner; and a fresh fish corner, live-grilling Omani lobster, tiger prawns and blue crab. And then there are 10 types of dessert.
You could always sit back and enjoy the music courtesy of the resident DJ, too.
Saturdays, from noon; Dh135 for children, from Dh269 for adults; Al Marjan Blvd, Ras Al Khaimah; 07 203 0000
Sunday
The Guinness-certified world’s largest inflatable bouncy castle is back for another season at Riverland in Dubai Parks and Resorts. JumpX is a veritable inflatable park with various adventure zones, walls, tunnels and obstacles across multiple levels.
The castle is suitable to children aged five and above, and also open to adults.
Monday to Thursday, 4pm-8pm; Friday to Saturday, 4pm-10pm; Sunday, 4pm-9pm; Dubai Parks and Resorts; 800 262 9464
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
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The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24
July 8: New Zealand v Lions
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The five pillars of Islam
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Who is Ramon Tribulietx?
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
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T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
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Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Andor
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