Egypt

What did Ancient Egyptians eat? Meet the archaeologist studying food

Dr Mennat-Allah El Dorry is tracing the origins of some of Egypt's favourite foods

Hamza Hendawi
Hamza Hendawi
Cairo

March 31, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Imagine a prized Egyptian discovery and chances are you are thinking of sarcophagi or statues of sphinxes. But the next big thing in Egyptology might be what the creators of these historical items were eating for breakfast.

Some may argue this field of study holds little interest for the general public, but there is one woman in Egypt who begs to differ.

Mennat-Allah El Dorry, a German and British-trained archaeologist, specialises in archaeobotany and the history of food in Egypt.

"I like to call myself a food archaeologist," she told The National. "Archaeobotany is what you make it. I think it's very sexy," Dr El Dorry, who is in her 30s, said with a smile. "When I first explored the field, I think plants ended up choosing me."

Once I say I study food history, everyone has a question. Everyone can relate and has a theory

Dr El Dorry’s passion has made her a reliable expert in her field; the go-to person for archaeobotanical remains. That passion transcends purely academic work and spills into areas of contemporary interest, such as which food or dish eaten today by Egyptians can be traced back to Pharaonic times or what makes a dish purely Egyptian.

“For something to be Egyptian, it does not have to be 7,000 years old,” she said.

The typically Egyptian dish kushary first appeared in Egypt as recently as 1860 in the Red Sea port city of Suez, she said. The origin of the dish is in India where it is known as khichri, but Egyptians made it their own by adding to the lentil and rice tomato sauce, pasta and a garlic-vinegar sauce.

Another example is fava beans, or what Egyptians call ful medamess. Most Egyptians are under the impression that it is something Egyptians ate since Pharaonic times, but “we have no evidence to back this up”, Dr El Dorry said. Eating ful may have begun in Egypt at its Greco-Roman period in late antiquity.

Many of the foods eaten today in Egypt owe as much to Egyptians' contact with other cultures as they do to the country's Pharaonic roots. Reproduced by permission of the American Research Center in Egypt, Inc. (ARCE). This project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Many of the foods eaten today in Egypt owe as much to Egyptians' contact with other cultures as they do to the country's Pharaonic roots. Reproduced by permission of the American Research Center in Egypt, Inc. (ARCE). This project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

"The search for 'purity' and authenticity is often a futile one," Dr El Dorry wrote in the latest edition of the Egyptian periodical Rawi, which was entirely devoted to Egypt's culinary history. "Although it sounds like a cliche, the world is really a melting pot."

What did Ancient Egyptians actually eat?

“They had a basic diet of fresh food, did not eat processed food or refined sugar and when they ate preserved food, it was naturally preserved,” she said.

“But they had some of the worst dental health because they often broke their teeth eating bread that contained little bits of the stones used to grind grains into flour.”

Dr Mennat-Allah El Dorry specialises in archaeobotany and the history of food in Egypt. Mahmoud Nasr
Dr Mennat-Allah El Dorry specialises in archaeobotany and the history of food in Egypt. Mahmoud Nasr

But not everything she examines is food.

“We get to see a lot of animal manure in archaeological digs, including the dung used by ancient Egyptians for a steady fire to cook. I also find a lot of sheep or goats’ droppings,” she said.

The animal manure, she said, helps Egyptologists learn about agricultural practices during Pharaonic times because animals were often fed waste from harvesting. Manure can help to determine what people ate and even during which season it was consumed.

One area Dr El Dorry has spent considerable time researching is the wine made in ancient Christian monasteries in Egyptian deserts.

More than a decade ago, it took her a year to identify the remains of just one type of grape remains found in an ancient monastery.

“Now I can identify them in my sleep,” she said.

Dr El Dorry discovered that the grapes were crushed for winemaking purposes in one monastery, but she never found a grape press.

“It was charred after it was apparently used as fuel,” she said. What was used as grape presses, she believes, were straw mats in which the grapes were sandwiched and a screwing device made of wood was used to crush them.

Through her focus on winemaking in monasteries, Dr El Dorry offers a window into one aspect of the relationship between Egypt’s Muslim rulers and its Christian minority, namely the occasional destruction of wine stocks and the banning of the making of or trade in wine.

“It was done either out of religious zeal or economic reasons, but those bans were often rescinded or just neglected.”

Unlike many who dig in search of the acclaim that comes with a great Egyptian discovery, she said she is not interested in glory.

"I just want to enjoy what I do," she said at the Nile-side Cairo Yacht Club across the street from her family home in the Egyptian capital.

“Once I say I study food history, everyone has a question, everyone can relate and has a theory.”

Besides a doctorate from Muenster in Germany, a master’s degree from University College London and an undergraduate degree from the American University in Cairo, Dr El Dorry’s credentials as an Egyptologist extend to her linguistic abilities. Beside her native Arabic, she speaks English and German and can also read Coptic, the language Egyptians spoke in late antiquity.

It is a good time to be an archaeologist in Egypt. In recent years, archaeologists there have made a series of breathtaking discoveries, including dozens of well-preserved coffins that are 2,500 years old and a pair of giant statues of an Egyptian king in Cairo’s eastern Heliopolis suburb in 2017.

Secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt Mostafa Waziri (C-L) speaks next to a sarcophagus discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
Secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt Mostafa Waziri (C-L) speaks next to a sarcophagus discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
Sarcophaguses, excavated by the Egyptian archaeological mission, displayed during a press conference at the Saqqara necropolis, 30 kms south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, which resulted in the discovery of a deep burial well with more than 59 human coffins closed for more than 2,500 years. AFP
Sarcophaguses, excavated by the Egyptian archaeological mission, displayed during a press conference at the Saqqara necropolis, 30 kms south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, which resulted in the discovery of a deep burial well with more than 59 human coffins closed for more than 2,500 years. AFP
One of the sarcophaguses excavated by the Egyptian archaeological mission which resulted in the discovery of a deep burial well with more than 59 human coffins closed for more than 2,500 years. AFP
One of the sarcophaguses excavated by the Egyptian archaeological mission which resulted in the discovery of a deep burial well with more than 59 human coffins closed for more than 2,500 years. AFP
Sarcophaguses, excavated by the Egyptian archaeological mission which resulted in the discovery of a deep burial well with more than 59 human coffins closed for more than 2,500 years. AFP
Sarcophaguses, excavated by the Egyptian archaeological mission which resulted in the discovery of a deep burial well with more than 59 human coffins closed for more than 2,500 years. AFP
Khaled El-Enaby, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, right, and Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, left, react after opening the sarcophagus is around 2500 years old at the Saqqara archaeological site. AP
Khaled El-Enaby, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, right, and Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, left, react after opening the sarcophagus is around 2500 years old at the Saqqara archaeological site. AP
A sarcophagus that is around 2500 years old is displayed at the Saqqara archaeological site, 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt. AP
A sarcophagus that is around 2500 years old is displayed at the Saqqara archaeological site, 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt. AP
A sarcophagus that is around 2500 years old at the Saqqara archaeological site is shown, 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt. AP
A sarcophagus that is around 2500 years old at the Saqqara archaeological site is shown, 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt. AP
Egyptian archeologists work on one of the sarcophagi discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis.EPA
Egyptian archeologists work on one of the sarcophagi discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis.EPA
Members of the press gather around sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
Members of the press gather around sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
A man stands near sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
A man stands near sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
People inspect the sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
People inspect the sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
A man looks at one of the statues on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
A man looks at one of the statues on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. EPA
epa08717855 A view of one of the sarcophagi discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt, 03 October 2020. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. The 2500 years old coffins, believed to be belonging to the 26th Dynasty Priests, are expected to be transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum. EPA/KHALED ELFIQI
epa08717855 A view of one of the sarcophagi discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza, Egypt, 03 October 2020. An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered a total of 59 intact and sealed coffins in three burial shafts dozen of meters deep in the Saqqara necropolis. The 2500 years old coffins, believed to be belonging to the 26th Dynasty Priests, are expected to be transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum. EPA/KHALED ELFIQI
People inspect the sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza. EPA
People inspect the sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza. EPA
People inspect the sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza. EPA
People inspect the sarcophagus on display after they were discovered at Saqqara Necropolis, Giza. EPA

The intensely publicised discoveries fuelled interest in Egypt as a popular tourist destination and, in the case of the coffins recently unearthed from a holy burial site just south-west of Cairo, served as a global reminder of Egypt's treasures at a time when very few tourists were visiting the country because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr El Dorry has a book on food in archaeological monasteries in Egypt that is due to be published in 2022.

“Of course not,” she replied when asked whether such a book would be popular. “You’ll be one of three if you decide to buy it,” she said lightheartedly. “My dream book is a people’s book about the history of food in Egypt. That’s the one I intend to write next.”

The Ancient Egyptian diet

  • Bread
  • Beer, made from emmer
  • Vegetables: onion, garlic, leek, cabbage, papyrus stalk, cucumber, lettuce, turnip, radish, lentils, celery
  • Fruit: dates, figs, pomegranates, melons, grapes
  • Fish, salted and preserved
  • Poultry: duck, goose, quail
  • Meat from cows, pigs, sheep, goats, hippos, gazelles, cranes, hedgehogs
  • Milk and cheese
  • Wine, pressed from grapes
  • Juice made from grapes and figs
  • Honey

Read more about Ancient Egypt:

You can now take virtual tours of historic Egyptian archaeological sites

Curse of the pharaohs in the time of Covid: should Egypt be unearthing mummies?

Huge archaeological find in Egypt includes 50 mummies and a temple

Egyptology isn't just about what we find, but who finds it – and why

Egypt unearths dozens of 2,500-year-old coffins in major discovery

Expert races against time to save Egypt’s 4,600-year-old Bent Pyramid

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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.”

Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zidane's managerial achievements

La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017

Tips%20for%20travelling%20while%20needing%20dialysis
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EInform%20your%20doctor%20about%20your%20plans.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAsk%20about%20your%20treatment%20so%20you%20know%20how%20it%20works.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPay%20attention%20to%20your%20health%20if%20you%20travel%20to%20a%20hot%20destination.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPlan%20your%20trip%20well.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Barbie
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Greta%20Gerwig%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Margot%20Robbie%2C%20Ryan%20Gosling%2C%20Will%20Ferrell%2C%20America%20Ferrera%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
While you're here
While you're here
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
More from Firas Maksad
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
World Mental Health Day
Scoreline

Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)

New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)

History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.

Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.

Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.

When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety

The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5

Reputation

Taylor Swift

(Big Machine Records)

The five new places of worship

Church of South Indian Parish

St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch

St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch

St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais

Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais

 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Gitex 2018
While you're here
The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

ENGLAND%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pickford%20(Everton)%2C%20Pope%20(Newcastle)%2C%20Ramsdale%20(Arsenal)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chilwell%20(Chelsea)%2C%20Dier%20(Tottenham)%2C%20Guehi%20(Crystal%20Palace)%2C%20James%20(Chelsea)%2C%20Maguire%20(Man%20United)%2C%20Shaw%20(Man%20United)%2C%20Stones%20(Man%20City)%2C%20Trippier%20(Newcastle)%2C%20Walker%20(Man%20City)%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBellingham%20(Dortmund)%2C%20Gallagher%20(Chelsea)%2C%20Henderson%20(Liverpool)%2C%20Maddison%20(Leicester)%2C%20Mount%20(Chelsea)%2C%20Phillips%20(Man%20City)%2C%20Declan%20Rice%20(West%20Ham)%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EForwards%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFoden%20(Man%20City)%2C%20Grealish%20(Man%20City)%2C%20Kane%20(Tottenham)%2C%20Rashford%20(Man%20United)%2C%20Saka%20(Arsenal)%2C%20Toney%20(Brentford)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)

  • Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs 
  • Thursday 20 January: v England 
  • Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh 

UAE squad:

Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith  

THE DETAILS

Kaala

Dir: Pa. Ranjith

Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar  

Rating: 1.5/5 

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20has%20been%20moored%20off%20the%20Yemeni%20coast%20of%20Ras%20Issa%20since%201988.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Houthis%20have%20been%20blockading%20UN%20efforts%20to%20inspect%20and%20maintain%20the%20vessel%20since%202015%2C%20when%20the%20war%20between%20the%20group%20and%20the%20Yemen%20government%2C%20backed%20by%20the%20Saudi-led%20coalition%20began.%3Cbr%3ESince%20then%2C%20a%20handful%20of%20people%20acting%20as%20a%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ae%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2OfUuKr4AhVBuKQKHTTzB7cQFnoECB4QAQ%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.thenationalnews.com%252Fworld%252Fmena%252Fyemen-s-floating-bomb-tanker-millions-kept-safe-by-skeleton-crew-1.1104713%26usg%3DAOvVaw0t9FPiRsx7zK7aEYgc65Ad%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Eskeleton%20crew%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20have%20performed%20rudimentary%20maintenance%20work%20to%20keep%20the%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20intact.%3Cbr%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20is%20connected%20to%20a%20pipeline%20from%20the%20oil-rich%20city%20of%20Marib%2C%20and%20was%20once%20a%20hub%20for%20the%20storage%20and%20export%20of%20crude%20oil.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%E2%80%99s%20environmental%20and%20humanitarian%20impact%20may%20extend%20well%20beyond%20Yemen%2C%20experts%20believe%2C%20into%20the%20surrounding%20waters%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%2C%20Djibouti%20and%20Eritrea%2C%20impacting%20marine-life%20and%20vital%20infrastructure%20like%20desalination%20plans%20and%20fishing%20ports.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The Saga Continues

Wu-Tang Clan

(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Egypt