DubFest 2014

If you have nary a clue of what your upcoming weekend entails then head over to the Al Ghurair Centre in Deira. Running until the 29th of March, DubFest is a free event which brings together 30 different acts from break dancers to comedy and acrobatics and every child's favorite: the balloon sculptor. What's On did a small article on DubFest and the breakdancers in the video were preforming at Al Ghuraur Centre while my friend and I were there on the weekend.

We had gotten ourselves a table at Cafe Gerard and sat back to watch an acrobat from Australia.

The Aussie acrobat

The fearlessness, determination and training that must go into her routine is truly awe inspiring and our table at Cafe Gerard was the perfect place to view it from. We decided on a late lunch as well and went for mushroom soup, a turkey and cheese panini. The food was not bad, I feel that the panini could have had more fresh vegetables in it and taste wise it wise quite neutral. My friend also ordered a iced cappuccino which was delicious.

The panini with frites

Dancers inside Al Ghurair Centre

Al Ghurair Centre is easy to access from Union Metro Station especially for those who have no patience for driving in Deira; I am guilty of that. The event is free and runs until the 29th of March. The shows, of which there will be about 300, run from 16h to 23h on weekdays and 14h to 23h on weekends. Take your kidlets and have some fun enjoying the different shows at Al Ghurai Centre.

Dubai International Horse Fair 2014

Today starts the 10th Dubai International Horse Fair in the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event goes from the 20 to 22 of March. Unfortunately you cannot register online any more but there is still at the door registration available. Entry is free. Definitely go if you are a horse enthusiast or just to want to gather more information on equestrian activities in the UAE.

Show timings:

Day        Timings

Thursday (20th)          11 am - 8 pm

Friday (21st)               2 pm - 8 pm

Saturday (22nd)         11 am - 8 pm

Performance Arena Schedule:

Thursday 20th March

11:30 am: Dubai Police K9 Demonstration

1:00 pm: Polo Chukkas / Polo Cross Class

2:00 pm: Farrier Demonstration

2:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

3:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

4:30 pm:  Spanish Horse Performance

5:00 pm: Farrier Demonstration

5:30 pm: Polo Chukkas  / Polo Cross Class

Friday 21st March

2:15 pm: Farrier Demonstration

2:30 pm: Polo Chukkas / Polo Cross Class

3:00 pm: Farrier Demonstration

3:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

4:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

5:30 pm:  Spanish Horse Performance

6:30 pm: Polo Chukkas  / Polo Cross Class

Saturday 22nd March

11:15 am: Auctions Presentation

11:30 am – 7.00 pm: Horse Auction

Let me know what you think of it. Have a great weekend.

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Historical Al Ain

Unlike the rest of the emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates, the emirate of Abu Dhabi has two major cities: Abu Dhabi (our nations capital) and Al Ain. Far away from the coastal waters of the gulf, Al Ain is a border town straddling Oman. Popular for its designation as a "visa run" destination, Al Ain also boasts the impressive Jebel Hafeet and the lesser known Al Mubazzarah Historical Dam. Al Ain is popular as a summer destination for locals because of its cooler climate in the summer and in keeping with the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed it is wonderfully lush with greenery. On top of Jebel Hafeet is the Mercure Hotel where one can enjoy a meal out on the terrace restaurant overlooking the valley and desert below. Be sure to dress warmly, depending on when you go, as the temperature can be quite cool. The road which snakes up Jebel Hafeet is well maintained and has look out points along the way. Al Ain also has some old forts and museums which one can visit but be aware that on Friday they are only open from 15h00 to 17h00. The forts themselves are quite sparse as the below fort map will illustrate.

A rather sparse fort inside the city

Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain

looking into Al Jahili Fort

wall of the fort

Outside of the city on the way to Jebel Hafeet is the Al Mubazzarah Historical Dam which is located by a vacation village of small houses at the foot of Jebel Hafeet. There is a small sign explaining the historical significance of the site and is a good place to stretch your legs and let the kids explore around a bit it you have been in the car too long.

cliff face by the dam

on top of the dam

The Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet Al Ain Hotel  is a great, albeit only, option for the top of Jebel Hafeet destination. Having lunch at the terrace restaurant over looking the valley and desert below was a lovely end to the trip. The service as well as the food was excellent.

driving up Jebel Hafeet

driving up Jebel Hafeet

at the Mercure restaurant

Al Ain is easy to visit from Dubai as you only need to follow the E66 (Dubai - Al Ain Road). From Abu Dhabi simply follow the E22 (the aptly named Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Road). Once in Al Ain there are plenty of signs directing you to different historic sites and the like.

* as per the norm this post is not sponsored

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The UAE is home to many fine examples of architecture: Burj Khalifa, Burj al Arab, Emirates Palace and, the most stunning jewel in its architectural crown, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi and can easily be reached from Dubai. The website offers maps for easy navigation. There is also plenty of covered parking at the mosque if you arrive by car.

Gulf News did a tour of the mosque which gives a nice overview of what you will see and expect when visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

As the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a fully functioning mosque it is important to observe the opening times of the mosque if you are not a Muslim. The mosque is available for all religions to tour and there is no entry fee to visit.

General visiting hours are from Saturday to Thursday 09h00 to 22h00 and you may walk through on your own. The last entry is at 21h30.

NOTE: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is closed for tourism activities (and open for worship) on Friday morning and opens again after 17h00.

When visiting the mosque you mus also follow the Islamic rules for dressing. There are abaya available for women who do not have the proper dress.

The below are photos from the last time I was at the mosque.

outside the mosque

Looking towards the prayer hall

Inside the prayer hall

Reflection pools

As the sun slowly sets

Gorgeous symmetry

Ladies/Goddess Night at Oeno

Ladies night: almost as big a Dubai institution as Friday brunch. The past Tuesday saw me down at The Westin Mina Seyahi after we had completed what was to be completed (apologies for being cryptic) we saw that we still had a moment to drop by Oeno for its ladies night. Though there it is called Goddess Night and rightfully so. We are all a goddess in our own right.

Goddess Night is every Tuesday from 19h-23h00 and includes unlimited bubbles for the goddesses. The Oeno site will give you a break down of the different offers they currently have and a good one to also try would be the Wind Down Nights which is on Wednesday from 20h-23h00 and for AED195 there are 50 wines to try as well as various cheeses and nibbles to enjoy while listening to a live band.

I quite liked the atmosphere and interior design of Oeno. It was definitely edging towards more of an industrial look compared to the rest of The Westin. It is layed out over two stories and also has a terrace outside. When you enter there is a giant wall of wine along the right side of the room and the inside contains various seating options. Definitely come here if you want to  try out some of the wine offerings that Dubai has. Cheers!

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