Author: Zaheer Ghazi

Five hundred invitations. Five sectors. One day to help decide where Dubai goes next. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Crown Prince, has asked 500 professionals to take part in Dubai Future Week. The event runs from November 18 to 21 at the Museum of the Future and Emirates Towers. He announced it on X, along with a logo carrying the words “Dubai Shapers.” Why These 500 People? His message was short and direct: “We want them to be our partners in advancing Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision for Dubai, which places people at the heart of…

Navratri celebrations are bringing Dubai’s dance floors to life, with Garba and Dandiya events offering plenty of opportunities to celebrate Indian culture, music and community. Whether you prefer a large outdoor gathering, a family-friendly mela or a Bollywood-inspired party, there are still several events to add to your calendar. From traditional Garba circles to DJ-led Dandiya nights, these five events offer different ways to celebrate Navratri in Dubai before the festivities wrap up. 1. Parajiya Soni Events Presents Navratri 2026 If you want to experience Garba on a large scale, Parajiya Soni Events is hosting a major Navratri celebration at…

Planning to fly into Dubai on one of your favourite foreign carriers? You may need a backup plan. Seven major international airlines have pushed their return to Dubai International Airport (DXB) into 2027. The reason is the ongoing conflict in the wider Middle East, and the airlines say the decisions put passenger, crew and staff safety first. But before anyone panics, DXB itself is running as normal. Only these seven carriers are staying away. Who’s Still Flying In? Plenty of airlines are. Emirates and flydubai continue to operate to destinations around the world. Regional carriers including flynas, Qatar Airways, Saudia…

Not every part of Dubai is open to shared housing anymore. Dubai Municipality has now published the areas where it will be permitted, and the list is more specific than most tenants and landlords expected. The goal is to ease overcrowding, particularly in neighbourhoods where blue-collar workers have long been packed into the same units. If you rent, own, or manage property in Dubai, this affects you. Families And Bachelors Get Separate Units Under the new approach, shared housing units will be designated either for families or for individuals. A single unit has to pick one. The two can’t be…

One year. Seven emirates. Millions of customers. And tens of millions of food orders delivered across the UAE. That’s the story behind Keeta’s first year in the UAE, and the food delivery platform certainly hasn’t taken things slowly. After launching in Dubai in September 2025, Keeta expanded across the entire country within just 90 days. Now, as it celebrates its first anniversary, the platform is looking back at a year of rapid expansion, thousands of restaurant partnerships, community initiatives and plenty of kilometres covered by the people making sure your dinner actually arrives at your door. Here’s everything you need…

This Halloween, Dubai is swapping ghosts and goblins for cowboy boots, country tunes and a whole lot of Southern charm. Summer In Nashville is riding back into town on Saturday, 31 October, transforming Dubai Media City Amphitheatre into a Nashville-inspired country music festival for the day. Expect live music, line dancing, Southern BBQ, a mechanical bull, axe throwing, a silent disco and plenty of cowboy hats. And yes, Halloween costumes are welcome too, especially if you can somehow make them work with your country-western look. Here’s everything you need to know before you saddle up. A Little Slice Of Nashville…

The UAE has officially given the dirham a new visual identity, and if you’ve already started spotting the new symbol on prices, invoices or digital platforms, you’re not imagining things. Introduced in March, the new UAE dirham symbol has been designed to reflect the country’s heritage, economic stability and ambitions for the future. But there’s more to using it than simply dropping the symbol in front of a price. Authorities have issued guidelines covering how the symbol should be displayed across everything from receipts and cheques to price tags, websites, payment systems and financial apps. So, if you’re a business…

Calling all curly-haired folks and the parents, curl-lovers and curl-curious among you. Saturday, October 10 is the date to circle because Dubai is getting its very first family curly hair festival. The Dubai Curl Festival is coming to Cornelia’s Craft Kitchen, bringing together curly, coily and kinky-haired communities for a full day of styling, education, shopping, wellness and family-friendly activities. Organised by Oh My Knots, the Dubai-based curly hair community platform, the event is being billed as the first family-focused curly hair festival in the UAE and potentially across the wider GCC too. So if you’ve ever struggled to figure…

Ever wanted to actually learn Arabic instead of just picking up the odd word from colleagues and taxi drivers? Abu Dhabi’s just made that a lot easier. A government-backed programme is now offering free Arabic lessons for residents who don’t speak the language. No hidden fees, no catch, just a genuine opportunity to build real fluency, structured properly from the ground up. About The Programme Zayed House for Islamic Culture is behind the initiative, and they’ve built out a proper five-month course covering all four core skills. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, nothing gets skipped. The programme runs across five levels,…

The 2026 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will bring another weekend of high-speed racing, major international music acts and late-night entertainment to Yas Island. Taking place from December 3 to 6, 2026, the season finale at Yas Marina Circuit will once again combine Formula 1 action with the Yasalam entertainment programme. This year’s lineup includes performances from Zara Larsson, Lewis Capaldi, Imagine Dragons, The Chainsmokers and The Script, while electronic music artist Anyma is also bringing his ÆDEN experience to Abu Dhabi. There is also a separate Yasalam Classics event featuring Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, giving visitors several options…