It was a night of pure divinity and inspiration. Naseer Shamma, the renowned oud player, sat on stage on an elaborate arabesque throne shimmering like a ghost in his pure white suit, the shiny material of his shirt catching the glimmer of the spotlight.
Looking at his face as he strummed at the oud, he seemed lost in the music, his eyes closed, a slight smile on his face. His foot softly pats on a foot rest and his head bobs slightly with the music. At one point he looks up and jokes to the band - what's our next song? I don't even remember.
The Iraqi oud master Naseer Shamma studied under some of the greatest oud composers in the Middle East to eventually become one of the most famous composers himself. The curly haired, slim man is usually found behind the Azhar mosque in Islamic Cairo surrounded by his students, male and female, giving gentle instruction on how to make the oud dance between their arms. He is such a master he taught himself to play the oud with one hand to honour a friend who lost his arm in Iraq's war with Iran.
Tonight, he mesmerises his audience with music he has composed to match ancient Sufi songs and prayers, a fitting theme for the second day of Ramadan. In between the playful, soulful, and heart wrenching compositions, he bows his head humbly and speaks softly into the microphone introducing his band or one of his compositions, reading the verses of the song.
At one point he is accompanied by a young songstress wearing a magnificent gold and black abya, her long hair delicately lacing her shoulders. She sings of divine adoration and admiration for God, as a tabla player keeps the beat and her voice matches the oud.
The most creative piece is one where Shamma makes the oud "speak" to the rest of the band's instruments. In this piece, Shamma plays a few chords on his oud, and one by one the violin, cello, tabla and the flute reply. Conversing in this way, engaged not only the band members to the joy of the audience, but also gave us an appreciation and a reminder that instruments and music are after all modes of communication. They speak to each other and to the listener.
Shamma's voice is soft, and his tone is thoughtful. He seems to be a sensitive soul yet not fragile. Something about the way he holds the oud makes him seem strong and in control, speaking to the instrument and caressing the strings.
As an Iraqi, Shamma has seen and felt his fair share of difficulties. Jailed in the late 80s for speaking out against the Saddam regime, he has said that his music has become darker as the violence rages on in his home country.
As an important part of Iraq's diaspora, he has many people coming to him to ask for help, and he has donated thousands of dollars to Iraqi aid through his concerts.
But he also helps Iraqis with their art. Later in the concert tonight, we hear form an Iraqi living in Europe who travelled all the way to Cairo to learn from Shamma and to evolve his style of singing and performing. Dressed in a smart suit and singing with his hands as well as his voice, we heard two songs about Ramadan and a glorification of the attributes of God.
As a person of Iraqi heritage myself, I feel a distant and unspoken connection to Shamma. As I see him on stage, I feel like I want to reach out to him and say hello in our shared dialect, but I know it seems silly. I feel like I can claim the great artist and he makes me proud that we share a background, language, and land.
While I've gone to several concerts of Lebanese and Egyptian artists, at this one, my heart bursts with happiness at the end of the performance. I feel like a relative or a close friend has just finished playing, someone I know. Even though we have never met, and perhaps never will.
Hadeel al Shalchi is a writer for the Associated Press, based in Cairo
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.