The annual Dubai Shopping Festival has come to an end, but as always, the weekend’s calendar is full of fun and entertaining events for visitors and residents of the city. Sports competitions, music shows, parties and expositions will leave no room for monotony, so don’t waste your weekend in sleeping late and watching TV! There’s always something to surprise you in Dubai.
Several sporting events will entertain the fans this week in Dubai. The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2014 have already started on Saturday, so if you are fans of the royal game, head to the outskirts of the city, at Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club, Arabian ranches. The Silver Cup Tournament will run for another week, so you have enough time to get a ticket and enjoy the many events and parties, hosted by the organizers. The Al Marmoum 2013/2014 Camel Racing Season is also running, but the most entertaining sports event in Dubai this week is no doubt the inaugural edition of Dubai Tour. This is the first professional cycling event for the emirate and the UAE and it has attracted the best riders on the planet. The race starts with a Downtown Stage, comprising of 10-km time trial around the Burj Khalifa this Wednesday and runs for four days, in which 16 teams will compete for the cup. Even if you’re not really into cycling, you will be glad to see the UAE national team also taking part in the tour in addition to the riders from Sky Dive Dubai.
Another huge event taking place in Dubai this week is Sara Brightman’s concert on Thursday and Friday at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The legendary soprano is promoting her latest solo album “Dreamchaser” during her world tour and the Dubai performance is part of the first edition of the Dubai Classics. The festival is also bringing one of the most prominent regional singers, the Lebanese soprano Majida El Roumi on Saturday. Besides selected pieces of “Dreamchaser”, Brightman will please her fans with some of her most popular songs, so the two shows are not to be missed! Doors open at 7.00 pm, the show starts at 9.00 pm and tickets’ price is ranging from AED 350 for the balcony to AED 2000 for royal seating.
The other festival to kick off this week is Swiss Days Dubai 2014, which will present Thomas Leuenberger, or the world’s slowest clown, and Martin O and his Dancing Voices solo show. You can see them for free at DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates at 8.00 pm this Friday. On Saturday, the festival features the classic, chamber music band I Salonisti, better known as The Titanic Band, because of the role in James Cameron movie from 1997, where they play while the ship is sinking. Their performance is also starting at 8.00 pm and the entry is free.
Parents who look to find a private school for their kids in UK will have the opportunity to meet representatives of 30 boarding schools during this year’s UK Boarding School Exhibition Dubai. The event will be useful not only to British families, based in the UAE, but also many emirati families and foreigners who want to provide their children with high quality education. This is becoming an increasing problem, especially in Dubai where private schools tuition costs are going up every year, while the quality of education cannot be compared to what’s offered in the UK or the US. The exhibition will take place at 2.00 pm on 7th and 8th February at the Grosvenor House. In addition, the entry is free, so everyone can receive advice and guidance before making the important decision of which school to choose.
If you wonder where to take the kids this week, you can visit the popular Lebanese children’s show, Ghinwa, which is performed in English and French. It is coming in Dubai on Friday and Saturday as part of the Dubai Center for Special Needs’ initiative and is raising funds to support the students of DCSN. It will be great fun for little kids, so head to Center for Special Needs and do a good deed.
Of course, you can also shop or have fun at the Global Village and the many entertainment options it offers. It will continue until the end of the month, so if you still haven’t seen it, take your family and friends and go!
