Egyptian singer Amr Diab. AFP
Egyptian singer Amr Diab. AFP

Amr Diab and The Gipsy Kings to perform at du World Music Festival



Music legends and Arabic pop-stars are coming to Dubai to perform as part the du World Music Festival next month.

RnB legend George Benson is headlining a bill including Amr Diab, The Gipsy Kings and Salif Keita.

Beginning on March 7, the 10-day festival will feature 14 concerts, with half of the performances being offered for free. Concerts will be held in Burj Park and The Burj Steps.

Opening the festival at Burj Park is the Pakistani musician Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, with the Gipsy Kings playing the following night and Amr Diab on March 9.

Famed Egyptian composer Omar Khairat will take the stage at Burj Steps on March 15.

George Benson will team up with the British soul singer Gabrielle to close the festival at Burj Park on March 16.

While these events maybe ticketed, the free shows will have no shortage of star power with the legendary Afro-Pop singer Salif Keita, American jazz-man Pat Martino and Lebanon's Assi El Helani all giving free performances at the Burj Steps.

This announcement may come as a relief for world music lovers as it arrives amid rumours that Womad Abu Dhabi could be cancelled this year.

As of yet there has been no lineup announced for the event - normally held in April on the Corniche - and the festival's website has not been updated since last year. 

Calls to Womad in the UK on the future of the Abu Dhabi event have yet been returned.

For information on the du World Music Festival artists and tickets go to www.du.ae

sasaeed@thenational.ae

Friday's schedule in Madrid

Men's quarter-finals

Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time

Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm

Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm

Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm

Women's semi-finals

Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm

Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

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Rated: 3.5/5
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Power: 630hp
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

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Director: Raed Zeno

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Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.

Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.

"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."

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Sector: Sustainability
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● Started: 2024

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● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

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