Author: head dubai

Sports

Ras Al Khaimah launches brand-new skate park at Saqr Park

head dubai February 25, 2020 No Comments

If you find performing your signature tricks at the same skate park can be repetitive, it’s time to mix things up at Ras Al Khaimah’s brand-new skate park.

The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority is set to officially open its all-new outdoor attraction located in the largest recreational park, Saqr Park, and it’s putting on quite the launch party.

Kicking off on Thursday February 27 until Saturday February 29, the free-to-attend event will feature skateboarding sessions, music and games for the whole family to enjoy, along with plenty of food stalls.

On Friday, there will be special performances from renowned international skateboarders, including 15-year-old Isabelly Avila, her father Garcia Rodriguez and 13-year-old Virginia Fortes Aguas. Learn a trick or two from these guys.

The three pros will also lead workshops where visitors will have the chance to skate with the pros and pick up stylish techniques, skills and tricks.

Spanning 620sq m, the new skatepark is built within the nature-filled Ghaf tree reserve, boasting plenty of obstacles including a bowl, pyramids, ledges, banks and round rails.

The park brings Ghaf trees into its design, all to ensure the trees are both well protected and provide natural shading. We all know how hot it gets during summer.

The RAK Tourism Development Authority also recently opened up Jais Adventure Peak, boasting new zip-line tours and a new Sky Maze. Check it all out right here.

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Pancake Day 2020: top deals in Dubai

head dubai February 25, 2020 No Comments

Pancake Day is fast approaching, and if you love the breakfast treat, we have good news for you. While it’s always a fantastic to wake up to the smell of batter, if you don’t fancy whipping them up yourself (or your pancake flipping skills aren’t up to much) on Tuesday February 25, Dubai has you covered.

Whether you’re after limited-time flavours and toppings or digging into stacks at a bargain price, you’re in the right place.

And if you fancy something else for brekkie, here are some brilliant breakfasts in Dubai you should definitely check out.

Without further ado, check out the list below and get your pancake fix.

Amongst Few
This one is for the plant-based breakfast fans in Dubai. The seriously cool café has plenty of vegan-friendly dishes, but if you’re visiting for breakfast on Pancake Day, try the banana pancakes. This stack comes sprinkled with blueberries, avocado, passionfruit and dark chocolate shavings and has a healthy dollop of vegan yoghurt to top it off. It’s so photogenic it’s hard to ruin it with the first bite, but it’s worth it.
Dhs49. Open daily 10am-10pm. Palm Strip Mall, Jumeirah Beach Road, www.amongstfew.com (04 386 9221).

Bread Street Kitchen
Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen at Atlantis, The Palm will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday with a menu of pancakes, along with a signature mixed drink pairing to wash it all down with.
From Dhs50. Tue Feb 25, 6pm-10.30pmAtlantis, The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, www.atlantis.com (04 426 2626).

Café Social
Why have just pancake when you can have some waffles added to your plate? Head to Café Social at Mercure Dubai Barsha Heights to take on its ‘Waffle & Pancake Parlour’.  Offering up golden waffles and a stack of mini pancakes with unlimited toppings such as strawberries, ice cream or rizzled chocolate for Dhs25. There’s also the ‘Golden Cents Mini Pancakes’ with strawberries, mixed berries and melted white amd dark chocolate sauce, along with the ‘Row-Your-Boat Waffle’, a triangular waffle topped with cream and drizzled strawberry, chocolate amd caramel.
Dhs25. Tue Feb 25, open 24 hours. Mercure Dubai Barsha Heights, Barsha Heights (04 381 8888).

Clinton St. Baking Company
The famed New York bakery in Dubai is celebrating Pancake Day with not one, but 13 different varieties throughout February. While Pancake Day 2020 might fall on Tuesday February 25, the bakery will be offering an array three-stacked pancakes on a rotating schedule – that means each one is for a limited-time only. Highlights include passion fruit and chocolate, Bavarian apple, strawberry shortbread and plenty more.
Dhs59 (stack of three). Dates vary, 8am-midnight (City Walk); Sun-Thu 10am-midnight, Fri-Sat 10am-1am (The Dubai Mall). Various locations including City Walk; The Dubai Mall, www.clintonstreetbaking.ae.

eggspectation
Buzzing breakfast spot eggspectation is combining its limited-edition pancakes together with its signature one for Dhs30. What does that mean? A huge stack of stack of red velvet, hot chocolate, and original pancakes – all in one. Come hungry for this one.
Dhs30. Tue Feb 25, times vary.Various locations including The Beach, JBR; City Walk; Matajer Mall, Sharjah, www.eggspectation.com.

Fuchsia Urban Thai
The Thai restaurant in Business Bay and Barsha Heights will be serving up their own signature take on pancakes, offering up a stack of coconut pancakes for Dhs25 throughout Pancake Day. All with an Asian twist, expect them to be sprinkled with coconut flakes with pandan custard. Yummy stuff.
Dhs25. Tue Feb 25. Open noon-11pm. Various locations including Two Towers Tecom, Barsha Heights; Bay Square, Business Bay, www.fuchsiame.com.

Mediterranean Kitchen
Mediterranean Kitchen wants to celebrate pancake day with all sorts of pancakes, boasting toffee and banana, peanut butter, brownie, lemon and sugar crepes and of course, classic style. But wait, those who get pancakes will also get a free cup of coffee to sip on. Not a bad deal.
From Dhs50. Tue Feb 25, open daily 10am-midnight. La Mer, www.medkitchen.me (04 557 8335).

Miss Tess Dubai
Miss Tess is pulling out all the stops to not just celebrate Pancake Day, but Pancake Week. Until Saturday February 29, take on all-you-can-eat traditional Asian pancakes for Dhs98. Expect Korean Buchimgae, Japanese Okonomiyaki and Thai Hoi Tod all on the menu, and be sure to take advantage of the happy hour deal drinks between 6pm and 8pm, and 11pm until 2am, where drinks are from Dhs30.
Dhs98. Until Sat Feb 29, 6pm-midnight. Taj Hotel, Business Bay, www.misstessdubai.com (050 498 8505).

Tania’s Teahouse
One of Dubai’s most Instagram-friendly cafés has added a few new dishes to its menu, but with Pancake Day fast approaching, Tania’s Teahouse has also added what they claim to be the prettiest pancake in town. For Dhs45, foodies can tuck into the lotus pancake boasting the venue’s signature buttermilk pancakes with multiple layers of lotus syrup, biscuits and whipped cream.
Dhs45. Open Sun-Wed 8am-10pm, Fri-Sat 9am-10pm. 779A Jumeirah Road, www.taniasteahouse.com (04 324 0021).

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Shaikha Jawaher concludes trip to Pakistan with agreements to empower women

head dubai February 25, 2020 No Comments

Dubai: Sharjah’s Women Adavcement Establishment (NAMA) and UNHCR has signed an agreement to offer sustainable income to female Afghani artisans in refugees camps in Pakistan.

Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of NAMA and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, has concluded a comprehensive visit to Pakistan. The visit entailed meetings with several entities and institutions in major cities of Islamabad and Lahore, and identifying sectors that will benefit from NAMA’s expertise in women’s capacity-building and enabling them access to sustainable sources of income.

NAMA is a Sharjah-based public non-profit organisation that believes that women are important human capital and works towards advancing them.

A key highlight of Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi’s visit was her witnessing the signing of a partnership agreement between NAMA and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which will offer sustainable income to female Afghani carpet weavers in the city of Quetta in Balochistan, which hosts the second-highest percentage of Afghan refugees.

The agreement signing led by Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA and Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s representative in Pakistan, in the presence of Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan.

Under the terms of this partnership agreement, a one-year crafts-led project will be led by Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council (Irthi), an affiliate of NAMA, in collaboration with UNHCR to benefit 100 women — including 70 Afghani women refugees and 30 women from the host community of Quetta, who will be commissioned by Irthi to create carpets bearing motifs that reflect the richness and diversity of Emirati culture and heritage. The designs will be exclusive to Irthi.

Pakistan hosts more than 1.4 million registered Afghans who have been forced to flee their homes, of which 68 per cent are women. Among these women, around 22 per cent fall in the 18 — 59 years age category.

“In these numbers, Sharjah and NAMA identified a pressing need for vocational training, livelihood creation and socioeconomic empowerment,” Sheikha Jawaher noted, adding, “Even as the global humanitarian crisis touches an unprecedented extreme, I believe there is something each of us can do, especially with regard to women as, world over, they are disproportionately affected by war, crisis and displacement.”

This six-day visit to Pakistan is reflective of Sheikha Jawaher’s unparalleled promptness in acting on the pledge His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, took last December at the Women’s Economic Empowerment Global Summit 2019, asserting he would, “personally support programmes and efforts to empower women around the world, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America”.

Sheikha Jawaher said: “At NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, all our efforts are geared towards the creation of an equitable world for women. True human empowerment is achieved when our willingness to uplift those in need is not perceived as a choice, but practised as a way of life. This is what Pakistan has done for the past 40 years with regards to offering asylum to Afghan refugees. We cannot be reluctant in our response to assisting nations who have been facing the challenges and consequences large-scale humanitarian crises, such as Pakistan.”

Irthi conducted a feasibility study in the lead up to the signing to determine ways to achieve maximum impact from the project, and a framework for implementation was agreed upon by both entities.

100 women support

“With 100 women and their families who will be benefited by this programme, NAMA seeks to expand the outreach of its sustainable solutions designed and implemented to make women self-reliant and gain permanent livelihood opportunities. With such targeted programmes, we will continue building the resilience of women living in the most challenging of circumstances and advance their role as key human resources,” she added.

Business

Nearly half of UAE expats have no plans for financial security

head dubai February 25, 2020 No Comments

Dubai: Nearly half (45 per cent) of expat employees in the UAE either have no plans to ensure an adequate standard of living after retirement or plan to work beyond the retirement age to ensure continued income, said a new study.

According to a ‘2020 UAE Security and Savings’ survey by global consultancy, Mercer, a lack of financial awareness among respondents with 61 per cent reporting no long-term savings at all and 43 percent expecting their end of service benefits to meet their long-term financial needs.

“The number of expat employees in the UAE who are not prepared financially for retirement is very concerning. Employees must understand that the current end of service benefits are far from enough to ensure an adequate standard of living post-retirement,” said Tarek Zouiten, Retirement Business Leader at Mercer UAE

Under the current programme, serving a company for 25 years will only provide two years of basic salary, however, an average person will need 12 times their total salary to maintain a decent standard of living post-retirement.

“Ensuring UAE expats are better prepared for post-retirement challenges will require a fundamental mind shift among employees which can be achieved with financial education and progressive regulations like the DIFC Employees Workplace Savings Plan (DEWS) recently employed in DIFC,” said Zouiten.

Politics

UAE leaders greet Amir of Kuwait on National Day

head dubai February 25, 2020 No Comments

The leaders expressed wishes of prosperity and progress to Kuwait and its people.

The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Amir of Kuwait, on the occasion of his country’s National Day and Liberation Day celebrations.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, also sent similar greetings to the Amir of Kuwait.

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Saudi Arabia issues over 400,000 tourist visas since launch

head dubai February 25, 2020 No Comments

Saudi Arabia has issued more than 400,000 tourist visas since it opened its borders to foreign vacationers in late September, the country’s top tourism official said on Monday.

That number, which doesn’t include millions of religious pilgrims, drives home the challenges the conservative Islamic kingdom faces as it builds a tourism sector from scratch under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic diversification plan.

Its target is to draw 100 million visits a year by 2030.

“The problem we have, or the big challenge we have, is that the infrastructure isn’t there,” Ahmed Al-Khateeb, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and a key adviser to the prince, said during an investment conference in Riyadh.

“The kingdom is very rich in this sector – it has natural treasures that need strong investments.”

Until tourist visa applications opened, Saudi Arabia had long been one of the hardest countries in the world to visit unless coming on a pilgrimage.

It’s got a long way to go before it can compare to long-established regional destinations.

Financial and leisure hub Dubai received 16.7 million international guests in 2019.

Saudi officials say they’ll need to add more flights and hotel rooms to meet demand as they chase their targets.

Sports

Dubai Duty Free Tennis: Roberto Bautista Agut embraces life after losing both parents

head dubai February 24, 2020 No Comments

Dubai: Former Dubai champion Roberto Bautista Agut has insisted that he’s prepared to shrug off all obstacles while targeting a second title at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open.

Bautista Agut won his biggest career title in Dubai in 2018 with a straight-set victory against Frenchman Lucas Pouille. After that win, the 31-year-old has been on a high with his best at a Grand Slam coming up with his semi-final appearance at Wimbledon last year, and by November, Bautista Agut had scaled a career high No. 9 on the rankings.

“Wimbledon was maybe the best tournament I played in my life. I think it was a great experience. I think I learnt a lot from it. I hope I can do the same results in the next years,” Bautista Agut told media.

“The fact is I like Dubai. I like the conditions here. I think it’s great for my game and great for my tennis.

“This is one of my favourite tournaments in the year where I feel well even though sometimes the results are a little bit off.”

Business

Dubai’s International City offers best yields in UAE

head dubai February 24, 2020 No Comments

Apartments in Dubai’s International City offer the best yields in the United Arab Emirates, according to the latest Property Finder Trends report.

The apartments offered yields of 10.6 percent in H2 2019 ahead of comparable affordable communities like Discovery Gardens (8.6 percent), Al Barsha (8 percent), Barsha Heights or Tecom (7.9 percent), Dubai Sports City (7.8 percent) and Jumeirah Village Circle, or JVC (7.6 percent).

“Overall, rental yields in Dubai are still regarded as being some of the highest around the world. More mature communities such as Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and the Palm Jumeirah stand at 6.3 percent, 4.8 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively,” said Lynnette Abad, director of data & research, Property Finder.

In terms of new villa/townhouse communities, Town Square yields the highest gross rental yield at 7.6 percent, followed by Mudon at 7.3 percent, Reem at 6.4 percent and JVC at 6.3 percent.

While more established villa/townhouse communities like Arabian Ranches (4.9 percent), Motor City (5.2 percent) and Barsha (5 percent) offer smaller yields.

In Abu Dhabi, the affordable community of Al Reef offers the highest gross rental yield for apartments at 8.8 percent. Apartments in Al Ghadeer (7.8 percent) and Yas Island (7.2 percent) are also sought-after by buy-to-let investors.

Apartments in Ajman’s Emirates City provided the UAE’s second best gross rental yield at 10.5 percent. Ajman Downtown (8.7 percent) and Al Hamra Village in Ras Al Khaimah (8 percent) also provided apartment buyers with very good rental returns.

Meanwhile, Al Hamra Village (6.3 percent) and Mina Al Arab (4.7 percent), both in Ras Al Khaimah, offered the best gross yields for villas/townhouses.

Average gross rental yields in London stand at 2.9 percent, Hong Kong (2.35 percent), Sydney (2.85 percent), Singapore (3.3 percent) and Toronto (3.9 percent), while Dubai properties offer over 7 percent gross returns on average.