ABU DHABI // By day, Ali Al Zaabi is a soft-spoken poet, a chemical engineering student who writes poetry and composes love songs.
By night, Ali plots to overthrow the Scottish king.
Last night Ali took to the stage in an Abu Dhabi adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth, performed by 15 Emirati engineering students at the Petroleum Institute.
Students such as Ali have found a connection and understanding of the English language in the words of the 16th century poet that no modern textbooks could teach them.
Ali played Macbeth's brother Daniel, a male substitution for Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, the ambitious wife who urges her husband Macbeth to murder the king after a prophecy that he would rule medieval Scotland.
"He's a villain," said Ali. "Evil. I'm not like this. That's what's hard about this role. My life is different and I come here to change my personality. I really tried to be evil."
The biggest change of all was Ali's spoken English.
"I was a bad speaker," he said. "Shy, nervous. Yesterday we did the play in front of students and I think we made it. I got over it, the hesitation, everything."
His understanding has soared after hours watching film renditions of Macbeth to study his character.
The play was a substitute for the traditional English classes, heavy on books and grammar, but no less work. The first-year students practised five days a week for two hours a day over six weeks.
"They are motivated to get involved in the character," said their director and English teacher, Dr Nina Pasha-Zaidi.
"When you're actually teaching language it has to be experienced, and the best way to experience it is through some sort of activity. Theatre provides the perfect opportunity to do that."
A few hours before the performance, the students had a final rehearsal, reciting Shakespeare in kanduras and Ferrari baseball caps, fake chain mail and lace collars.
A student's voice from behind the curtains reminded his friends that, to get in character, "from now, until the end of the day, talk in English please."
Dr Pasha-Zaidi, gave them a few final pointers before the show.
"Dead bodies don't smile," she said. "I know it's fun but for the life of you, don't smile when you're dead."
They performed to a full house of academics, friends and family.
The show began with the national anthem and a video of dhows, camels and the Air Force, before the scene changed to a stony Scottish castle, with bagpipes and three green-faced wizards.
The scenes of murder, betrayal and the supernatural transcend language.
"Macbeth is as relevant here as it is to kids in England at the same age reading it. It's about perennial human emotions, perennial human conflict," says Colin Toms, an English lecturer at the institute's Advanced University Placement Department.
"They're constantly interacting with each other, interacting with us; it's as close as you're going to get to immersion.
"They're using it for a real-world purpose."
The Emirati Macbeth, Ahmed Al Ismaili, 18, says: "In a classroom you are just sitting and listening to a teacher.
"Really, I wasn't that much good at English but now every day I improve. I know that there are some mistakes I make, but day by day I improve it."
azacharias@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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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.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
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.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
