Preparations are well under way for the Second International Festival of Falconry, which will begin next week in Al Ain.
The festival, due to be attended by more than 700 delegates from more than 75 countries, is expected to be the biggest of its kind worldwide.
It follows the First International Festival and Conference of Falconry, organised 35 years ago by Sheikh Zayed, the Founding President of the UAE and a keen falconer. This year's event will be held at various venues across Al Ain, including Al Jahili Fort.
The week-long event will include workshops for adults and children, camel and saluki racing, and a photography competition.
In addition, a three-day camp will start on Sunday for falconers and their birds to hunt in a traditional manner, on camel, horse and foot.
Dr Nick Fox, the technical supervisor of the festival, said visitors would discover that there was much more to falconry than met the eye.
"I thought heritage was about history," he said. "Actually, it is about the future. How do we pass on things to the next generation? When we look at falconry, we're not just looking at a bird, we're looking at the culture."
He said younger generations needed to learn about the pursuit, from the poetry written about it to how falconry equipment is made.
Last year, falconry was recognised by Unesco, the United Nations cultural agency, as intangible cultural heritage.
Its inclusion on a Unesco list of such heritage reflected the growing interest in the pursuit, said Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, the director general of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, which organised the festival alongside the Emirates Falconers Club.
The camp, said Dr Fox, would support falconry's place on Unesco's list. "We will have achieved what we promised Unesco in our action plan to bring back sustainable hunting. This can be a model for the future.
"We can establish more areas in the country which can be managed long-term for sustainable hunting, which will benefit our young people."
The festival also aims to promote falconry worldwide, as well as to increase ties to the international community, said Abdullah Al Qubaisi, the festival's director. "The camp is an opportunity for making acquaintances and exchanging experiences between Emirati and international falconers," he said.
There are thought to be 5,000 falconers living in the UAE.
zalhassani@thenational.ae
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg
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About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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