Bubble Planet combines immersive rooms with virtual reality at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Photo: Bubble Planet
Bubble Planet combines immersive rooms with virtual reality at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Photo: Bubble Planet
Bubble Planet combines immersive rooms with virtual reality at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Photo: Bubble Planet
Bubble Planet combines immersive rooms with virtual reality at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Photo: Bubble Planet

Things to do in the UAE this week, from Bubble Planet to social media stardom


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This week, those focusing on wellness can check out limited-edition treatments at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental's spa, while foodies can head to a one-night-only supper club featuring two renowned Dubai chefs.

Here, The National rounds up seven things to do around the Emirates from January 6 to January 12.

Monday, January 6

Start the week with a one-on-one healing session with renowned physiotherapist and mental coach Gyde von Wlassack, who will take over the spa at Emirates Palace for a few days.

Choose from four different treatments: full body reflexology; myoreflexogy, to relieve tension; osteopathy, for joint and muscle pain; and Vietnamese facial reflexology and counterstain therapy, to relax the face and nervous system. Each treatment is 60 minutes and costs Dh1,285 per person.

Daily, 10am-10pm; until Friday; Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi; 02 690 7885

Tuesday, January 7

Indomie is getting a gourmet makeover at SLRP. Photo: SLRP
Indomie is getting a gourmet makeover at SLRP. Photo: SLRP

Indomie instant noodles are getting a gourmet makeover at SLRP, the Yas Mall Japanese ramen spot from the creators of 3Fils. A variety of flavours are available including corn and cheese (Dh35), Wagyu (Dh40) and chicken and truffle (Dh44).

A new line-up of burgers and fries is also on the revised menu, with items such as Wagyu burger combo (Dh45), mushroom Wagyu burger combo (Dh49) and spicy Wagyu burger combo (Dh47).

Daily, 11am-11pm; Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi; 054 599 4575

Wednesday, January 8

Chefs Ahmed Halawa and Akmal Anuar. Photo: Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori
Chefs Ahmed Halawa and Akmal Anuar. Photo: Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori

Japanese will meet Levantine at this culinary collaboration between Michelin-lauded chef Akmal Anuar of Goldfish Sushi & Yakitori and Osteria Funkcoolio, as well as Palestinian chef Ahmed Halawa, who's been running a successful supper club at his villa for years. While specific dishes haven't been revealed, the one-night-only event will feature a fusion of East Asian and Middle Eastern flavours – showcasing both chefs' penchant for culinary experimentation.

Wednesday, from 7.30pm; Dh600 per person; Villa L18, District 16, JVC, Dubai

Thursday, January 9

Truffle lovers can head to Riviera by Jean Imbert, which celebrates the luxurious ingredient for the entire month with a handful of culinary creations. Sweet and savoury dishes are available, including Angus beef tartare with black truffle, seared foie-gras with mushroom foam and black truffle and chocolate souffle tart with winter black truffle and vanilla bean ice cream.

Additionally, throughout the dining experience, chef Imbert will personally guide diners through the menu, offering in-depth insights about the use of truffle and how other ingredients complement its complex flavour profile.

Daily, 6.30pm-10.30pm; until January 31; The Lana Dorchester Collection, Business Bay; 04 541 7755

Friday, January 10

Bubble Planet is ideal for those looking for Instagram-worthy photos. Photo: Bubble Planet
Bubble Planet is ideal for those looking for Instagram-worthy photos. Photo: Bubble Planet

Step into a world of bubbles at Manarat Al Saadiyat's unique activation, Bubble Planet, which features virtual reality technology, themed rooms and immersive bubble landscapes. Visitors can float through bubble-filled galaxies or experience a hot-air balloon simulation among other multisensory experiences. The entire journey takes 60 to 90 minutes.

Daily, 10am-8pm; until February 15; from Dh65; Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi

Saturday, January 11

Veteran comedian Jimmy Carr takes to the Abu Dhabi stage with his new show Laughs Funny at Etihad Arena. A household name in the UK and one of the biggest-selling comedians in the world, Carr is known for his deadpan delivery of funny yet controversial one-liners. His last tour Terribly Funny sold more than one million tickets globally and was performed in 50 different countries.

Doors open 6.30pm; from Dh295; Etihad Arena; 600 511115

Sunday, January 12

Aspiring content creators or those who want to meet their social media heroes up close can join the 1 Billion Followers Summit at Jumeirah Emirates Towers. The event will bring together some of the most influential people in the world of content creation, such as author and podcaster Jay Shetty, Arab gaming personality Abo Flah and American internet personality Zach King.

Talks and workshops are scheduled throughout the three days on topics such as how to generate social media ideas and how to use LinkedIn efficiently.

Saturday to Monday; from 10am; from Dh900 per person; Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

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.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Results

United States beat UAE by three wickets

United States beat Scotland by 35 runs

UAE v Scotland – no result

United States beat UAE by 98 runs

Scotland beat United States by four wickets

Fixtures

Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland

Admission is free

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
While you're here
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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
Kibsons%20Cares
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERecycling%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3EAny%20time%20you%20receive%20a%20Kibsons%20order%2C%20you%20can%20return%20your%20cardboard%20box%20to%20the%20drivers.%20They%E2%80%99ll%20be%20happy%20to%20take%20it%20off%20your%20hands%20and%20ensure%20it%20gets%20reused%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKind%20to%20health%20and%20planet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESolar%20%E2%80%93%2025-50%25%20of%20electricity%20saved%3Cbr%3EWater%20%E2%80%93%2075%25%20of%20water%20reused%3Cbr%3EBiofuel%20%E2%80%93%20Kibsons%20fleet%20to%20get%2020%25%20more%20mileage%20per%20litre%20with%20biofuel%20additives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESustainable%20grocery%20shopping%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENo%20antibiotics%3Cbr%3ENo%20added%20hormones%3Cbr%3ENo%20GMO%3Cbr%3ENo%20preservatives%3Cbr%3EMSG%20free%3Cbr%3E100%25%20natural%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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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

The 10 Questions
  • Is there a God?
  • How did it all begin?
  • What is inside a black hole?
  • Can we predict the future?
  • Is time travel possible?
  • Will we survive on Earth?
  • Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
  • Should we colonise space?
  • Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
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The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10

*November 15 to November 24

*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com

*TV: Ten Sports

*Streaming: Jio Live

*2017 winners: Kerala Kings

*2018 winners: Northern Warriors

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

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.

What are the main cyber security threats?

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Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Updated: January 06, 2025, 2:12 AM`