SIR BANI YAS ISLAND // Al Ain's 500,000-square-metre Heritage Village, constructed in December for National Day, is now a permanent celebration site for cultural festivals and will host events for this Municipality Month.
Matar al Nuaimi, the executive director of infrastructure and assets for Al Ain Municipality, has confirmed plans to "bring as many events as possible there because people like simplicity and they like heritage".
He said the Heritage Village had proved to be "a community gathering place".
Mr al Nuaimi made the remarks in an interview at Sir Bani Yas Island, where he and other municipal executive directors gathered for a leadership workshop.
"It pleased people and it created a reason for them to gather in a simple place and a happy place," he said, adding that weekly events could be hosted there. "That has a good impact on people."
The village has small avenues and dozens of thatched huts where people can demonstrate traditional weaving methods and sell their wares, such as snacks or scarves.
"They can see what our old people used to sell there, what the past generations used to do, national dancing is valuable there, traditional skills like ladies embroidery and weaving," he said. "It's just to reflect what our people used to do in the old times."
Mr al Nuaimi said the municipality was considering expanding or improving some of the structures. An outdoor majlis area, for instance, was exposed to strong winds and could be reinforced and stages can be set up for concerts and traditional dance performances.
"One of the changes that we thought about was to construct a rest area where you have this tent made of wood and the floor is sand," he said. "There are many visitors to Al Ain Municipality, we can take them there to have lunch or dinner. If I want to invite anybody, I can take them there and show them the Al Ain desert."
Mr al Nuaimi said there were no plans yet to establish the Heritage Village as a daily tourist centre, similar to the village run by the Emirates Heritage Club in Abu Dhabi, but he did not rule out the idea.
"It's not going to be working 365 days, but maybe we will reach a time where it is going to be in operation for the full year. We don't know yet, but this is a successful idea."
mkwong@thenational.ae
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
