ABU DHABI // Fans of British popstar Robbie Williams have voiced their displeasure because a change in the date of his concert at du Arena next month has left them having to rearrange plans made well ahead of the event.
The tickets went on sale in December for the concert on April 26 on Yas Island. But Flash, the concert organiser, announced on Facebook that it was changing the concert date to April 25, saying it was good news.
In the company’s Facebook video, Williams announces that he is moving forward the event from Sunday to Saturday, to accommodate the weekend.
But for fans who had made plans, booked flights and hotel accommodation, it came as unwelcome news.
“Saturday, fine. We can go and attend the concert, but we have to change our holidays at work and the hotel booking to accommodate for Saturday,” said Omar Abaza, 35, an Egyptian.
But he said the hotel was charging more to accommodate the change in date, adding that his wife, who bought the concert tickets as part of a Christmas present, also had to change her day off from work.
“When we booked the room it was Dh599,” said Mr Abaza.
“Now it’s more than twice as much. I don’t want to pay – it’s not about money, it’s about the principle. I booked in December to avoid this inconvenience, we made plans for this.”
Park Inn on Yas said that its room prices could increase by as much as five times that of regular rates because of demand during major events.
“The closer we get to dates, the more we increase prices for big events,” the hotel said.
“For F1, we go from Dh900 to rooms that cost Dh5,000. It’s a matter of demand.”
The Crowne Plaza and Radisson Blu agreed, saying that high accommodation prices were a reflection of demand during significant events.
Mr Abaza, who runs an event management agency, said Flash told him that it was trying to accommodate the changes, but did not know to what extent.
“I know what it’s like to have plans change, but when you’re trying to pass it off as ‘good news’, well, no, actually, it’s not OK because it’s going to cost people money,” he said.
“You are directly responsible for the costs, the hotel price increase, the flight booking fees, and directly responsible for the people making holiday plans that they now have to change.”
Alison Bintliff, an engineer in Abu Dhabi, first saw Williams at a Take That concert in Britain when she was 18.
Two decades later, she has made plans to see him again. She arranged a family trip around the concert dates.
“I’ve planned a holiday for a parent’s 70th birthday around the original date of the concert, hoping to be back in Abu Dhabi in time for the concert,” she said. “That meant cutting the holiday short so that we could make it for Sunday, but now that’s ruined.”
She said she would not be able to do either activity because of the change in date.
“A lot of people have booked flights and non-refundable hotel reservations, so a lot of people are out of pocket,” said Ms Bintliff. “I just think it’s incredibly naive of Flash to just change something on a whim.””
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
