Dhanusha Gokulan

DUBAI - Shopping malls in the UAE are often compared to an oasis in the desert. People from all nationalities and walks of life gather at ‘local watering spots’ to meet, eat, hangout, spend time and most importantly ‘shop’. Day or night, weekends or weekdays, daily-recorded footfalls in shopping malls go into several thousands.

Following months of speculation, rumours are rife that Apple’s iPad3 will be unveiled on March 7 at an event in San Francisco.

Quintessential to the Arab world, the soulful strains of the string instrument Oud greets you almost everywhere in the UAE.

DUBAI - Nestling in the midst of narrow lanes and bylanes of the Naif area is the ‘Electronic Souq’ which has scores of small stores that sell the latest models of branded gadgets and gizmos. There is no electronic item that is not
available there.

DUBAI — Raffle draws for luxury cars are attracting more visitors to the
malls in Dubai. At Dubai Mall, on the closing day of the Festival on May 29, a Bentley Continental Flying Spur will be given away.

DUBAI — Conditions in Dubai were really hot for this time of the year 
with the mercury hitting 44.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday. According to 
the duty forecaster at the Dubai 
Meteorological office, the temperature recorded was higher than in previous years for the same month.

SHARJAH — Sharjah Museums Department officials have called for collaboration among the seven emirates to promote the country’s museums, culture and heritage.

UMM AL QUWAIN — Covering an area of a little over 15 metres, Al Dour area on the Umm Al Quwain-Ras Al Khaimah highway looks like nothing but an empty stretch of land with occasional patches of farmland. But local archaeologists have uncovered important remains of the third century civilisation — “Umm Al Nar”.

DUBAI — Indian expatriates in Dubai, including leading entrepreneurs, expected a promising outlook for the country following the sweeping win by the Congress-led UPA government in the 2009 Indian elections after results were announced on Saturday.

DUBAI — Walking through the alleyways of Trade Routes in Dubai Festival City one can enjoy the soulful strains of chords played on a traditional Oudh, while browsing through a selection of exquisite antiques, Persian carpets and traditional Arabic musical instruments.