There's possibly no better place to indulge in traditional Arabian beauty treatments than in the desert. With that in mind, I made the 40-minute drive from Dubai Marina to Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa. Off the beaten track, the luxury, low-rise venue is of Arabian fort design and nothing short of an oasis.
After passing sun-dappled courtyards and camels resting on the dunes, I arrived at Satori spa. The spa treatment I opted for was the Blissful Desert Rose Experience – long at three hours but, as I found out, completely worth it.
It began with an invigorating body exfoliation with finely ground olive pits blended with rosewater. The sensation was far more comfortable that it sounds, with the therapist relieving aching bones and tension with neuromuscular techniques, while using lymphatic drainage to encourage circulation.
I was then ushered to a private Middle Eastern steam room, whose mosaics soon disappeared as I was enveloped in a fragrant mist for 10 minutes to open the skin’s pores. A shower of organic sea kelp came next, before I headed back to the treatment room for a desert rose-oil massage, which left my skin feeling nourished and delicately scented. Fortifying frankincense was then wafted under my nose before a relaxing scalp massage and an essential-oil foot reflexology almost sent me to sleep. While prescriptive facials were available as part of the package, I instead plumped for the trio of what turned out to be skin-changing cosmetics on offer to take away.
In keeping with the Arabian theme, the cosmetics comprised a superfine Dead Sea scrub, whose almond shell granules left my skin soft and glowing for days. The star of the show, however, turned out to be the facial mask with its main components of natural black mud, aloe vera, olive oil and honey. And completing the line-up was the Bloom moisturising cream from Jordan made from sea salts and minerals.
From the Arabic music that plays softly around the spa, to the palm-weave slippers you slip into upon arrival and oversized Emirati dates you’ll enjoy before you leave, Bab Al Shams’ spa feels like an authentic desert experience. If you’re looking for an out-of-town retreat that will allow you to feel the sand between your toes in the morning and give you a taste of traditional beauty in the afternoon, let yourself be pampered in these serene surroundings.
• The 180-minute Blissful Desert Rose Experience at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai costs Dh1,400. Call 04 809 6232
The therapy: Hijama
Hijama is Arabic for wet cupping. The traditional treatment is seen as a way to cleanse the cardiovascular system as well as clearing lymphatic blockages and improving immunity. Practitioners light suction cups and place them on a patient’s back in positions pertaining to key organs. Dr Benazir Quraishi of Cleopatra’s Spa in Dubai’s Wafi explains all:
What are the benefits?
There are lots of benefits as Hijama acts like a natural pain-killer, improves blood circulation, boosts metabolism and the production of blood cells - it’s naturally detoxifying.
What’s the difference between wet and dry cupping?
I perform both, but the wet or hijama draws blood whereas the dry doesn’t. Hijama is from the ancient Greco-Arabic system of medicine and it’s a traditional Islamic practice.
Does it hurt?
It’s not painful and marks usually fade in a week.
• A session last around 30-45 minutes (the cups extract an estimated 15ml of toxins). Costs average Dh485 and for a healthy person, hijama might only be necessary twice a year, but varies depending on the patient. Cleopatra’s Spa & Wellness is in Oud Metha, Dubai. Call 04 324 7700
* Bedouin beauty essentials
1. Organic camel milk antibacterial soap at Little Majlis: Dh25. Camel milk contains biologically active proteins found in its whey which is nourishing for the skin (www.littlemajlis.com)
2. Desert sand body scrub: Dh360 for 90 minutes at Dubai Ladies Club. Sand has to be the original and natural exfoliant, when mixed with essential oils it is non abrasive but just as effective (www.dubailadiesclub.com)
3. Frankincense facial serum: Neal's Yard, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi: Dh325. Frankincense helps regenerate the skin, diminishing spots and scars. It's also believed to counterbalance excess dryness or oiliness, restoring the skin's equilibrium (www.nealsyardremedies.com)
rmcduane@thenational.ae
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Squads
India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Results
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Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20race%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tigist%20Ketema%20(ETH)%202hrs%2016min%207sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ruti%20Aga%20(ETH)%202%3A18%3A09%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dera%20Dida%20(ETH)%202%3A19%3A29%0D%3Cbr%3EMen's%20race%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Addisu%20Gobena%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A01%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lemi%20Dumicha%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A20%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20DejeneMegersa%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A42%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
The%20specs
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh