Top things to do in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from August 8-10
Summer camps for kids
Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2025 offers a vibrant mix of summer camps for kids across the city until 31 August, blending fun with learning at top cultural and recreational venues. At Al Jalila Cultural Centre, children can explore abstract art and Emirati heritage through hands-on workshops in the Burst of Imagination camp, while the Bel Remaitha Summer Camp in Nad Al Hamar keeps active kids engaged with taekwondo, swimming, football and more, with flexible passes available. For young science enthusiasts, Children's City in Creek Park hosts daily themed workshops covering topics like nature and technology, making it an educational yet playful option for families.
Ladies night
Every Sunday night, experience a roaring 1920s revival at one of Dubai's most talked-about Ladies Nights. For Dh200, ladies can enjoy a curated set menu and unlimited beverages from 9.30pm to midnight, complemented by dazzling live entertainment, glamorous costumes, and a Gatsby-style venue. Men can join the evening with a set menu for Dh300. Call 04 554 9418 for bookings.
Indulge in tacos and karaoke this weekend
Spice up your Saturday nights with Chalco's Cantina's Taco and Karaoke Night Brunch on August 9. From 8 to 11pm, dig into unlimited tacos crafted by the in-house Mexican chef, paired with free-flowing select beverages — all for Dh220 per person. Located in Dubai Marina, the evening also invites guests to take the stage for karaoke, with a prize worth Dh500 for the best performance. Perfect for a lively night out with friends.
Indoor walking club
Looking for a fitness fix without the heat? Yas Mall's new Walking Club offers a free indoor wellness session every Saturday (as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays) from 8am to 9am. Open to all ages and fitness levels, the initiative turns the mall into a crowd-free walking trail, giving participants a refreshing start to their day. Sign up at the Fashion Entrance and enjoy exclusive post-walk perks like 25 per cent off at Lululemon and The Giving Movement, complimentary samples at Good Health Nutrition, and food offers at L'ETO, Avobar, and Vapiano.
Premium Japanese dining
Salvaje Dubai, the globally acclaimed modern Japanese restaurant with a bold Latin twist, has unveiled its new Premium Menu — an elevated dining experience featuring indulgent seafood and meat selections. Highlights include a vibrant ceviche platter with five varieties of marinated seafood, a lavish sushi spread with optional caviar, and premium cuts like A5 Wagyu and a Tomahawk Steak MB9+, all served with bold accompaniments. Located in The Address Opera and set against lush, golden interiors, Salvaje offers the perfect backdrop for a chic night out and fine dining. On Fridays and Saturdays, from 7pm to 2am, and on Sundays, from 7pm to 1am. For reservations, call 04 570 3653.
Hit the dance floor
In the mood for some house and electronic music? Far From Office returns this Saturday, August 9, with a night designed to disconnect you from the ordinary. Set in Gaba at Marina Promenade, expect a sonic journey through house and electronic music — from deep grooves to high-energy rhythms with sets from DJ Bva, Arkive, and Julees. Free entry for ladies, Dh150 for gents (includes two beverages). Doors open at 8pm and the music runs till 3am.
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Khaleej Times
29 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
Suraj Narredu's Ascot dream becomes a reality in Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup
It was while watching a grainy video clip of Frankie Dettori's 'Magnificent 7', that unforgettable day in 1996 when the Italian superstar rode seven winners from seven rides at Ascot, that first lit the spark in a young Suraj Narredu. At the time, Narredu was just a teenager growing up in an Indian family steeped in racing tradition. But watching Dettori's feat didn't just fuel a boy's dream; it set him on a course that would forever change his life. 'That day changed everything for me,' Suraj told Khaleej Times from Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England. 'To see one rider dominate at the highest level, at a place like Ascot, triggered something in me. That's the moment I decided I wanted to be a jockey.' Fast forward to 2025, and Narredu, now 40 years old and India's most decorated active jockey, has returned to Ascot to lead the newly introduced Asia Team at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, the world's premier international jockeys' competition. Launched in 2000, the Shergar Cup, supported by its title sponsor since the beginning, features four teams of three riders each representing Asia, Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and the Rest of the World. The riders will compete individually over six races to score points, with the highest scoring team winning a share of the total purse of £500,000. While many stories this week will also focus on top riders like British sensation Hollie Doyle or ten-time Swedish champion jockey Per-Anders, Suraj's emotional return to the racecourse where he once cheered his uncle, Malesh Narredu, from the stands, is at the heart of the 2025 Shergar Cup. With over 2,400 wins and 110 Indian Classic victories, Suraj has nothing left to prove at home in India, but at Ascot, among world-class peers, he sees a platform to elevate not just himself, but Indian racing as a whole onto the international stage. 'This isn't just about me ticking off a dream,' he says. 'It's about putting India on the global map. I want the racing world to sit up and take notice of Indian jockeys and the level of talent and dedication we have.' Suraj's teammates include Japan's Ryusei Sakai and fellow countryman Mirai Iwata, winner of the 2023 World All-Star Jockeys title. 'I've met both of them; they're amazing guys,' says Suraj. 'We connected immediately. We were sharing stories about our countries' racing scenes. It's incredible how much respect there is between us.' As for preparation, Suraj says his build-up has been razor-focused. 'From the moment I knew I was invited, my whole life pivoted to preparing for this,' he said. 'Gym sessions got longer, and I cut back on racing in India to avoid injury. Competing here means you're up against the best; there's no place to hide. It's no place to be anything but your fittest, sharpest self.' The sheer scale and history of Ascot, which was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, isn't lost on him either. 'Riding at Ascot is like a cricketer walking out at Lord's or a tennis player stepping onto Centre Court at Wimbledon,' he says. 'This is hallowed ground. This is my Lord's, my Wimbledon.' When asked what a victory would mean, Narredu doesn't pause; the answer comes with the conviction of someone who's chased this Ascot dream for 16 long years. 'It would be the dream fully realised,' he says. 'But more than that, it would be a statement: that Indian jockeys belong on this stage. I hope it inspires young riders back home to chase that same dream I had watching Frankie.' Suraj's Asia Team faces three formidable rivals. Great Britain & Ireland is led by Hollie Doyle, joined by Robbie Dolan and Joanna Mason. Europe is captained by Per-Anders Gråberg, with Delphine Santiago and Darrio Di Tocco completing the trio. The Rest of the World team, led by Karis Teetan, includes Aussie star Hugh Bowman and debutante Katie Davis. a US stakes-winning jockey who recently featured in Netflix's Race for the Crown. For Dubai Duty Free the event is about elevating global talent and celebrating diversity. 'We are delighted to support this further step in the development of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, which continues to evolve to reflect our shared values and the spirit of top international competition: said Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi. 'We very much look forward to seeing how this year's competition plays out and to welcoming the jockeys at one of the world's greatest horseracing venues, particularly those making their Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup debuts.' Shergar Cup Team Line‑Up (2025) Team Europe Per‑Anders Gråberg (Sweden, captain) Dario Di Tocco (Italy) Delphine Santiago (France) Great Britain & Ireland Hollie Doyle (Great Britain, captain) Robbie Dolan (Ireland) Joanna Mason (Great Britain & Ireland) Asia (new for 2025) Suraj Narredu (India, captain) Ryusei Sakai (Japan) Mirai Iwata (Japan) Rest of the World (ROW) Karis Teetan (Mauritius, captain) Hugh Bowman (Australia) Katie Davis (USA) - making her Shergar Cup debut
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai sees the rise of divorce healing camps for women
Last month, two Indian women residing in Sharjah, Vipanchika Maniyan and Athulya Satheesh, tragically died by suicide. The unrelated deaths, occurring just days apart, left the country, particularly the Indian expat community, stunned. Since then, disturbing details about the lives of these women have emerged through interviews with the victims' families and friends, who allege that the women had been abused and tortured by their husbands for dowry. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Arabian Sea, content creator Rafia Afi was busy organising a series of camps called Break Free Stories, in her state, Kerala, in southern India. The three-month-old initiative had received significant attention from the Indian media and was praised for offering a non-judgmental, informal space where women who were divorced, widowed, or separated from their partners could meet and connect with one another. Afi had received an overwhelming number of messages from Indian women in the UAE, asking her to consider bringing the camp to the country. 'Although they were financially independent, they were lonely and struggled internally without good friends, close family members or a companion as everyone leads busy lives in the UAE,' explains Afi, when we speak. She'd heard about the first case of suicide (the second case was reported later), and it added a sense of urgency to her plans to bring the camp to the UAE. She decided to organise a meet-up quickly and timed it to coincide with a personal trip. The first 'divorce healing camp' — a staycation at Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport in Al Qusais — was held on July 19 and 20 with about 10 women attendees. 'None of us slept — we played games, shared our stories, laughed, danced, and had so much fun,' she smiles, adding that she hopes to organise more camps during future visits to the country. 'My aim is to normalise divorce,' continues Afi, who got divorced last year. 'Women are so scared of divorce that they are choosing death over it. But I want to tell them to never lose hope.' Dealing with divorce Sharjah resident Surya, whose name has been changed to protect privacy, remains haunted by memories of her marriage and is convinced that her life might have ended the same way if not for her parents' unwavering support. She recounts harrowing details of her marriage, alleging that her ex-husband had extramarital affairs, overwhelming debt, and was physically and sexually abusive. Although he lived in Dubai, Surya was shuttled between Kerala and the UAE. 'Out of fear, my children and I would lock ourselves in the bathroom and spend many nights sleeping on the floor,' she recalls, via Google Meet. After eight years of marriage, she finally filed for divorce in Kerala. But her troubles continued as she struggled to cope during the separation period and was diagnosed with clinical depression. Her brother, who lived in Sharjah back then, encouraged her to come to the city in 2019 for a change of pace. 'I got a job within three months and my life changed completely after that,' she smiles. But the psychological aftershocks of the trauma continue to linger even today. 'I completely understand what the two women might have gone through,' she says. 'In India, you have friends and close family members you can confide in. But in the UAE, when you're confined to a flat with an abusive husband, you feel trapped.' 'I still face stigma as a divorcee here,' she continues. 'When I started building my own house in my hometown, or even when I go on a work trip now, I hear so many rumours about me within my own friends' circle. There have been many times when I've collapsed on the floor, crying, unable to take it anymore.' A non-judgemental space for divorcees Surya learnt about Afi's popular divorce camps in Kerala and the upcoming one in Dubai through Instagram. She signed up instantly, applied for leave from work and prayed fervently that it wasn't a scam. 'I asked my friend to call and check on me,' she laughs. But what followed, she says, were two days that made her laugh in a way that she thought was no longer possible. 'We all sang, danced, shared our grief and cried,' she adds. The women bonded through fun, ice-breaking games and two-hour chats by the pool — funnily, most of the women weren't carrying swimwear and one of the attendees offered to rush back home to gather all the clothes that she could for her newfound friends. Later, the women, now fast friends, walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner, their lively banter and energy reminiscent of college days. 'At dinner, Rafia encouraged us to recall and hone our long-forgotten talents,' adds Surya. Shifna, whose full name has been withheld upon request, was also one of the camp participants. 'I'm going through a tough time, so it felt good to be able to relax a bit at the camp,' says the Dubai resident who separated from her husband about four months ago after two years of marriage. She explains that her mental health suffered so much during the relationship that she had to quit her job, and she's now searching for work before her visa expires. Through the camp, the women realised that there is great strength in sisterhood. 'We were very lucky to find each other at the camp and become close friends because we still face challenges that our other friends, who haven't been through similar experiences, may not understand. I can share my emotions openly with my friends from the camp, and we give each other strength,' says Shifna. Surya recalls how one of the women, whose divorce verdict was due the next day, danced her heart out. 'She told us that she was dancing in public for the first time,' she smiles. 'We all danced and sang until 3am.' None of the women wanted to call it a night, so instead, they sat down and shared their stories. 'For the first time, I realised that I am not alone,' she says, adding that they were up until 6am. Before leaving, the women exchanged handwritten notes and hugs. One of the women, who had been separated from her husband and was unsure about proceeding with the divorce, found the camp cathartic and declared that she has decided to move forward with it, says Surya. 'We all still keep in touch through our WhatsApp group, which is very active, and have vowed to meet-up often even though we will miss Rafia's presence,' she adds.
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Why artist Marita Setas Ferro has been crocheting sea creatures
With its kaleidoscope of colours, underwater marine life has been an eternal muse for textile artist Marita Setas Ferro. Luminescent corals, vibrant sea anemones, and shimmering sea beds are reinterpreted through intricate knitting and crochet techniques with her deft hands. Blending craft, culture and contemporary expression, the Portuguese artist brings alive marine and geological forms with yarn and needle. As part of her ongoing series, Things in Nature, a collection of soft textile sculptures, titled Anemones in Volcanic Rock, are currently on display at Hotel Indigo, Downtown, and at Double J Collective Gallery in Dubai. At the heart of Ferro's creations lie subtle messages around conserving environment and sustainable traditional textile practices. 'I wanted to crochet a piece that would invite engagement and provoke thought about these beautiful yet vulnerable marine creatures. Sea anemones with their vibrant colours, graceful organic forms, and spherical shapes have always mesmerised me,' says Ferro, who is the artistic director at Double J Collective Gallery, a European Union climate ambassador and a sustainability fashion specialist. The centrepiece of this series is a striking hexagram-shaped crochet installation in bold hues of grey, burgundy, saffron, and copper soldered together with metal rings. The threads used in the sculpture are carefully chosen from old shops with leftover stocks and yarn boutiques, to keep the craft practice eco-conscious. Found across all oceans, sea anemones are invertebrates that resemble blooming flowers; they are very flexible, with tentacles that can regenerate. While creating her installation, Ferro says, she was inspired by several intriguing aspects of the sea creatures. 'Regeneration and metamorphosis are integral to an artist's work. Anemones with their regenerative powers and poetic movements perfectly embody this concept. Their presence in my work is not just aesthetic but also metaphorical as they have the ability to reinvent, survive change and express beauty through transformation,' she details. In continuation with her artistic representation of marine natural elements Ferro has crocheted corals, starfishes and shells. Woven with spools of vivid yarn, the creatures appear as seen through a magnifying glass. At the eighth Espinho International Art Biennial, which opened in June 2025 in Portugal, Ferro presented Luminescent Corals — a captivating textile artwork inspired from bioluminescent corals found in the ocean's depths. 'During my research on marine life I discovered deep sea corals that emit bioluminescence. Even in darkness they glow with their internal light. And their colours are exceptionally eye-catching in deep blues, purples and greens. Some of them possess medicinal values. The fact that such tiny creatures hidden away from humanity could emit light and heal life was profoundly inspiring for me, and it became the seed for this namesake artwork,' she says. The series, Things from Nature, is an artistic alert, a call to protect the irreplaceable beauty of nature. Through her textile reinterpretation, the artist expects to evoke a sense of wonder and awareness about life underwater. 'I hope when people see my work, they not only admire it aesthetically but also reflect on the fragility of our planet and the urgent need to stop harming the very world that sustains us.' Her intense love for the sea and her attempt to capture its beauty with her needles stems from having lived along the seashore for many years. Born in 1967 in Beira, Mozambique, Ferro spent the first two years of her life barefoot on the beach playing by the Indian Ocean. Later, her family moved to Porto, a beautiful historic city in Portugal, shaped by granite and sea mist at the mouth of the Douro river. 'Our summers were spent by the seaside or in the countryside harvesting almonds, picking grapes, climbing trees, and tasting fruit straight from the trees,' she recollects. Her father, a nature-loving doctor, and mother, a ceramist, deeply influenced her love for nature and the arts. 'At home we would watch nature programmes by Sir David Attenborough and the underwater adventures of French diver Jacques Cousteau. These weekend family rituals planted lasting visual and emotional impressions on my mind that even today pulse through my artistic brain. When I began experimenting with thick yarn and crochet hooks, I naturally gravitated towards creating three dimensional forms, tactile sculptures that echo the complexity of marine life,' Ferro says. With her background in fine arts and sculpture, Ferro initially worked with metal, wood and leather. Later, as she discovered textile techniques, she instantly felt aligned with the flexibility of the material. Crochet came into her life 16 years ago, when she was 42. Until then, she says, she only knew how to knit. 'I made my first crochet sculpture in 2013 as a way to de-stress. I loved it so much that I kept creating. I exhibited my work for the first time in 2015 and again in 2018 in Portugal, but back then textile art was not widely understood. It was only in 2022, when I participated in World Art Dubai, that my work received due recognition,' she reveals. Today she finds crochet meditative and soothing. 'Now I crochet all the time. It's repetitive motions feel like I am having a quiet conversation with myself. I am most at peace with my hook and ball,' she adds. Her creative process involves watching documentaries, browsing through underwater photography books and collecting images of coral reefs and ocean landscapes. She then carefully selects threads and textures. The final artistic composition, she says, emerges intuitively as she crochets each element while mentally envisioning the entire piece. 'Each crochet sculpture takes hours of handwork. Anemones in Volcanic Rock has been one of my most lengthy projects. Between choosing materials, creating the metal structure, stuffing, hand stitching the backing and refining each detail, it took me around 400 hours.' Besides being a sculptor and crocheter, Ferro also runs an award-winning sustainable accessories brand focused on upcycling and zero waste, made with eco-friendly materials. In her role as an EU climate ambassador she creates awareness about climate change and the importance of sustainable handicrafts. 'Sustainability is our responsibility. It's about questioning how we live, create and consume. Overproduction and excess are wasteful and ultimately harmful. As artists and makers we must reflect deeply on the materials we use and the legacy we would leave behind,' she suggests. Textile art, agrees Ferro, is experiencing a powerful renaissance as a contemporary form of expression. Crochet and knitting are part of broader movements where traditional handicrafts are being revalued. 'Textile craft carries emotional resonance and cultural memory, which make them especially compelling. In an increasingly digital world, handmade, unpredictable and deeply human creations remind us of our connection with materiality, traditions and the beauty of imperfection,' she says.
