DUBAI // From Bollywood to Hollywood, it was a meeting of East and West as a host of stars took to the stage last night for a musical extravaganza to mark the end of the festive season.
Video: Katrina Kaif and Tees Maar Khan
Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif on her film Tees Maar Khan.
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All week long, musicians from countries including the United States, India and Lebanon have been flying into Dubai for the Eid festival Shoppiesta.
The US hip hop artist T Pain opened proceedings at last night's grand finale, singing a mix of chart hits and quirky covers such as the chart-topping Low, Hey Baby, and Like a G6, as well as Wiz Khalifa's Black and Yellow, supported by a crew of dancers and rappers.
He was followed by the hip hop star Sean Paul before the former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland, who is now a judge on the UK television talent show X Factor, was due to take to the stage.
An array of Bollywood's famous faces were due to perform a one-off song and dance show in Hindi and English, suitable for the diverse Dubai crowd. A lone male, Shahid Kapoor, was set to be joined by an all-female cast of actresses including a former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra, and Malaika Arora Khan, the wife of the Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan.
The audience was as colourful as the shows promised to be.
Children and adults came dressed in Bollywood-themed attire while hip hop fans donned baseball caps and low-slung jeans.
In spite of the sweltering heat, 7,000 tickets had been sold by yesterday afternoon for the outdoor shows at the Meydan racecourse, and organisers said more people were expected to buy tickets at the door.
Sanjay Mahajan, a 28-year-old accounts assistant, went to the event with friends. "It's just nice to be doing something outdoors again now it's a few degrees cooler," he said.
Tickets were priced from Dh100, much cheaper than the usual Dh250 or more for concerts in the country's two biggest cities.
Vijay Kumar, a 20-year-old Indian student, said: "It's great that the tickets are so reasonably priced. We get to see all these amazing artists and for much less than concerts usually are here."
He said that the ticket prices allowed people on lower incomes or with big families to enjoy a family night out.
An Indian mother of two, Nikhita Patel, 43, brought her children and husband to the show to see some of their Bollywood idols.
She said: "As a family we always watch a lot of Bollywood movies together but it's important for me that the children actually get to feel the excitement and see these artists in real life since we're not in India.
"It keeps them connected to our culture and they've been really excited. The costumes and the music are something that are always more exciting to experience as a live show than on the television."
It is the third time performing in the UAE for Rowland, who has recently collaborated with artists including Tinie Tempah and David Guetta.
She is currently promoting her latest album, Here I Am.
Alison Bradley, 30, from Canada, was a Destiny's Child fan before the band split and continued to follow both Ms Rowland and her bandmate Beyoncé Knowles as they pursued solo careers.
"I saw Beyoncé in Abu Dhabi during the F1 and she was amazing so I really wanted to see Kelly too," said the administrative assistant. "She's an amazing singer and to get to see a show with so many other acts like Sean Paul all at the same venue is great. It feels like a mini festival. I've never seen any kind of Bollywood show so it's nice to have all these things mixed together which is what I love about Dubai."
mswan@thenational.ae
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
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Company%20Profile
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Aggro%20Dr1ft
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
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