The UAE's 24-hour culture has its benefits



Twenty-four hour petrol stations, grocery stores, restaurant delivery and even maid service are but a few of the all-night services we privileged UAE residents have at our disposal.

But whole shopping malls open around the clock is taking it a little far, isn’t it?

Not for the UAE, apparently, as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, last month announced the decision to extend Dubai’s store hours as part of Eid Al Adha festivities.

Dubai shoppers this previous weekend enjoyed late night/early morning shopping across the emirate in what was the first of three weekends when certain shopping mall doors would remain open.

Some have alluded to the negative effects this extravagant shopping experiment could have on society, such as the increase in working hours for already overworked staff and the further promotion of consumerism in an already spend-happy society.

But in many ways the unprecedented move to make some of Dubai’s biggest iconic locations accessible day and night is beneficial to the country and the society.

Undoubtedly the step will further stimulate the nation’s economy.

UAE residents will be joined by throngs of shopping tourists from around the Arabian peninsula and beyond, drawn in by the notion of instantly shopping whatever their time of arrival and getting in last-minute purchases no matter their time of departure.

Keeping centres such as The Dubai Mall, the largest and most visited mall in the world, and Mall of the Emirates (one of the most profitable malls in the world, bringing in three times the industry average per square foot according to the International Council of Shopping Centres) open longer during a major holiday just makes economical sense.

Fear that the malls would remain empty during the extended hours of operation, besides a few questionable characters, can be quelled as many Emirati residents and their families tend to be night owls.

Late-night excursions are the norm in a part of the world where temperatures can be unforgiving during daylight.

As my nephews and nieces have demonstrated to me many times, many children have ridiculously late bedtimes in the Emirates, making late-night mall outings a family affair.

Furthermore, malls in the UAE are no longer just consumer capitals anymore.

Their walkways are some of the busiest pedestrian streets in the nation, providing pleasant strolls where the majority of streets do not.

Their restaurants and cafes are centres of discussion and engagement.

They provide activities of all sorts for all ages, providing theatres and live performances for entertainment, skiing and scuba diving for sports, and children’s centres for education. All of this is packaged in a controlled comfortable climate, sheltering visitors from a usually hot and humid environment outside.

With shopping malls being one, if not the main attraction, boasting a safe environment at any time of the day or night and possessing residents that score high in consumer confidence, it is hard to imagine this experiment being more successful anywhere other than Dubai.

Shopaholics who will have enjoyed getting their late-night purchasing fix this Eid are likely to see more shopping all-nighters.

Thamer Al Subaihi is a reporter at The National and a returning Emirati who grew up largely in the US

Cry Macho

Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam

Rating:**

ICC men's cricketer of the year

2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi

Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

THE SPECS

GMC Sierra Denali 1500

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Price: Dh232,500

Three ways to get a gratitude glow

By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.

  • During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
  • As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
  • In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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match info

Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 37')

Atletico Madrid 1 (Costa 39')

Man of the match  Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)

Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:

1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
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The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E620hp%20from%205%2C750-7%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E760Nm%20from%203%2C000-5%2C750rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1.05%20million%20(%24286%2C000)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

LAST-16 FIXTURES

Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs
 
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)