ABU DHABI // It was founded in the early 1980s on a scrap of land on Muroor Road donated by Sheikh Zayed, the late President of the UAE. It replaced the temporary hall that had, until then, served as the focus for a nascent community.
The building was the capital's Pakistani Cultural Centre, where expatriates gathered for more than a decade to hold religious events, sporting activities, markets and parties. Such occasions sometimes attracted as many as 25,000 people.
As a child, Farhan Ali, now a 26-year-old health and safety adviser, found the centre a place of fun and friendship. "It was," he said, "the best hangout spot for all Pakistanis. Everyone used to interact with each other."
Then, in 1996, the fun stopped. Community elders had become embroiled in a series of power struggles and unauthorised elections that forced the authorities to shut the centre down, along with two others in Dubai and Al Ain.
And for almost 13 years it lay empty. In that time, the number of Pakistanis in the UAE doubled to more than 850,000; a vast community with nowhere to meet.
But, for two weeks next month, Pakistanis will once again be able to enjoy their huge community centre. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has allowed the Pakistani Embassy in Abu Dhabi to reopen the centre for a 12-day UAE Friendship Festival.
And many Pakistanis hope the event, due to begin on December 1 under the patronage of the Red Crescent, will be the first of many.
The festival will raise money for the Red Crescent, and some of the proceeds will go to Abu Dhabi's three Pakistani community schools, which are in dire need of funds for repairs and extensions.
Funds are lacking because the schools charge extremely low fees. The 1,800-pupil Sheikh Khalifa Pakistani School, for example, charges just Dh300 ($80) a month for a child to attend the junior school, and Dh500 per child at the senior school. In Musaffah, the Pakistani Community Welfare School's fees are just Dh150 a month.
"This could be the start of having other functions in the centre, we assume," said Izhar Haider, a community member who has been appointed as the chief co-ordinator for the December event.
Mr Haider, a civil engineer, arrived in the UAE in 1971. A former head of his university student union, he regularly took part in activities at the centre.
"For this programme, we have been given special permission," he said. "We see the festival as a way of thanking the UAE Government, and the Red Crescent for their work in Pakistan."
The reopening is being welcomed by expatriates, many of whom have found it difficult to meet their fellow countrymen since the centre was shut down.
"This will be a good place for the international community to see who we are," said Mr Ali. "At the moment they think we are a country that is not far from terrorism.
"It will also mean we can be kept up to date about UAE Pakistanis, the situation with those in other Gulf states and people who are in our home country. It's very important and I will definitely attend the function."
Before then, the centre will be repainted, and the broken air conditioning in two of the halls fixed.
With the patching up done, and the centre's doors open once again, around 120 stalls will sell traditional Pakistani products, including textiles and food. Entertainment will include musical performances and there will be a playground for children.
Organisers are hoping around 35,000 people will attend what will be only the second event held at the centre since 1996, and by far the biggest. The first one, in June, was a one-day bazaar held by a group of Pakistani women to raise money for the Swat refugee crisis.
Next month's event is likely to be sponsored by Pakistani businessmen.
"This will be a great opportunity for Pakistanis to network," said Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, a counsellor at the Pakistani Embassy. "And it's a good way of promoting our culture."
Mobisher Rabbani, the Pakistani political scientist and humanitarian campaigner, said there had been talk of reopening the centre for some time. "Previous ambassadors have tried," he said.
However, he said the present incumbent, Khurshid Ahmed Junejo, who took up the post in September 2008, was having more success.
"This ambassador is trying his best to get it open.
"This event is going to help us socialise more, interact and promote our culture and create awareness," Mr Rabbani said, adding that he hoped the centre would open again for future fundraising functions and cultural gatherings to welcome other nationalities.
"This event is wonderful and everyone in the community is looking forward to it," said Mr Haider. "All eyes are on the centre now."
asafdar@thenational.ae
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Remaining fixtures
Third-place-play-off: Portugal v Mexico, 4pm on Sunday
Final: Chile v Germany, 10pm on Sunday
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Manchester United 4
Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'
Fulham 1
Kamara 67' (pen),
Red card: Anguissa (68')
Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
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Rating: 4/5
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Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
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Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
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Rating: 3.5/5
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
MANDOOB
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