The UAE is home to the boozy brunch but more and more people are choosing to give up or reduce their alcohol intake and join the sober curious movement.
Third Culture Kids are those who have spent a portion of their formative years in a different culture — both from their friends back home, but from their parents, as well. In the UAE, where expats represent 88 per cent of the population, TCKs abound. While studies show that expat children are more flexible and better able to cope with change, living in transient communities can also have adverse effects. TCKs have more experience grappling...
I got my first car, a white Lexus, when I turned 18. I remember obsessing over its pleasingly growl-y and spirited V8 engine, making sure check-ups and oil changes were always on schedule. This obsession, one that was once shared by all UAE motor enthusiasts, is now arguably on the road to becoming redundant. That’s because of the surge in electric vehicle (EV) ownership. EVs don’t need oil changes, tune ups and all the other...
Carole Guigon, 55, ignored a continuous nagging pain in her chest and breathing difficulty for three days — until she started coughing blood. It turns out she was having a massive heart attack. And if she had not gone to hospital, her chances of surviving would have been nil. “It all started with a breathing difficulty and I never really paid attention to it, but when I started to cough blood, I visited the doctor,...
Alex Azzi, the founder of Biohack.ae, is passionate about treating his own body and mind like an engineering project.
It’s a challenge for almost every parent: making sure that your children eat well at all times — but particularly when they are out of sight at school. The ministry of health has created a special recipe book for parents this year, featuring 20 carefully chosen local and international recipes designed to deliver the most balanced, nutritious and healthy lunch possible. “The school lunch bag is an essential part of a child’s diet and is...
My friend remembers the first time he drank and drove. It was actually the first time he had alcohol, let alone drove under the influence. The year was 2013 and he was 18 years old, speeding in the fast lane and overtaking cars from the hard shoulder while blasting the aggressive hit song of the time, I Don’t Like, by rapper Chief Keef. Needless to say, he quickly learned that alcohol, hyped music and a...
The National Pavilion UAE has earned a top architecture prize in Venice for a “bold experiment” that uses a byproduct of desalination to change the way one of the world’s most energy-intensive compounds is made. When the Biennale Architecture 2021 jury awarded the Golden Lion Award to Wetland out of 60 pavilions vying for the prize, the panel’s president, Kazuyo Sejima, a Pritzker prize laureate, called it “a bold experiment that encourages us to think about the relationship...
The dust may have settled on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but those craving more motivation and inspiration do not have to wait long. On Tuesday August 24 2021, the 2020 Paralympics begins with its own roster of remarkable athletes, many of whom have overcome significant adversity to compete. On the back of a record-breaking Olympics for the Middle East and North Africa, the region once again has a host of medal hopefuls for the...
Covid-19 vaccination is a hot topic, and while some may be apprehensive, the UAE ministry of education has made its stance very clear. In a bid to make schools as safe as possible, the authorities have announced that students aged 16 and over must be vaccinated if they wish to attend school physically. The vaccination status must be verified on the Al Hosn app. If your child turns 16 during the academic year, they are...
I’ve lived in the UAE for more than seven years. I’ve specialized in writing about its hotels and attractions for the same length of time and just this last month, I discovered one of the region’s best kept secrets: organized desert camping. As a UAE resident, I always thought the whole ‘dune bashing, camel riding, into-the-desert driving’ thing was for tourists. But I was so wrong. Sleeping under the stars in a luxurious (but still...
