December 2, Sunday
Dubai
Arabian Center: Traditional entertainment and giveaways, yola dances, free henna for women and a falcon display. A digital canvas will be displayed in the mall where customers can draw their wish, worth up to Dh5,000.
Global Village: National Day concert featuring Ali Al Katheeri, Ali Al Naqbi and Fadhel Al Mazrouei and raffle to win a Chevrolet Camaro 2013. Doors open from 4pm, concerts from 8pm; Call 04-3624114.|
Al Nasr Leisureland: Ice show featuring junior skaters supported by Ice Stars Skating Club. Show at 6.30pm, free entry. Call 050-5594589.
Mirdif City Centre: Flash mob performance at 5pm, national anthem playing at 7pm, a march by the Dubai Customs inspectors and surprise grand finale event.
Ductac, Mall of the Emirates: Freej Folklore, a blend of dance, music, animation and stage performance. English show at 3pm, Arabic at 6pm, free entry. Call 04-3414777.
Jumeriah Beach Road: National Day motor parade organised by the Community Development Authority at 3pm between Union House in Jumeirah and Jumeirah Beach Residence with Ferrari, Corvette, Harley Davidson and classic car clubs.
Dubai Festival City: Ahlan Bollywood featuring Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Zarine Khan and Sophie Choudhry. Tickets Dh180, Dh300, Dh500, Dh1,500 and Dh4,000. Call 04-4515222 / 050-7676922 or log onto creativehubevents.com
Magic Planet: Freej Characters to celebrate UAE National Day showcasing local customs and heritage of the UAE. Timings: Mall of the Emirates from 5-6pm, Mirdif City Centre from 7-8pm, Deira City Centre from 9-10pm, Sharjah City Centre from 3-4pm, Ajman City Centre from 5.30-6.30pm and Fujairah City Centre from 8.30-10pm.
Downtown Dubai: National Day parade, 3pm, along Emaar Boulevard, with traditional and international floats, live entertainment, heritage and cultural activities.
Abu Dhabi
Breakwater: Traditional market at Heritage Village organised by Emirates Heritage Club with food and handicrafts, falconry and camel riding and a traditional boat race, 5-9pm.
Abu Dhabi Heritage Village: Cultural festival and a two-day Sailing regatta.
Yas Island: Union Day Parade, creatively-dressed cars and 4x4s will vie for a share of a Dh100,000 ‘Best Decorated’ vehicle competition. From 5pm, winners will be announced by 9pm.
Ferrari World: Free admission for a child under 1.5m for every adult ticket purchased; for resident families only, until December 3. ferrariworldabudhabi.com.
Sharjah
Sharjah City Centre: Cutting of a 41kg cake decorated with the colours of the UAE flag, 8.30am.
Sharjah Aquarium and Sharjah Maritime Museum: Maritime parade, Emirati wedding, competition for best Emirati costume and Emirati meal, marine band and traditional competitions, from 2.45-7pm. Details at sharjahmuseums.ae
Al Majaz Waterfront: Cultural dances (5-10pm), firework displays (9pm) and multimedia shows in the Sharjah Fountain (8pm, 9pm and 10pm); art exhibition (November 27-December 6) and exhibition by the Woman’s Union Association in Sharjah (on display November 28-December 7). Also December 1.
Qasba: Daily activities from November 28-December 3, including stage performances and workshops by Sharjah Police, 9pm-midnight. Also, signing of the National Day card (November 29), National Day marathon (November 30), Emirates Society stand (7pm-9pm daily), carnival, performances by UAE bands, exhibition by students from the University of Sharjah’s College of Fine Arts and Design (11am-9pm daily) and workshops: origami (5-9pm, November 26); drawing with the Emirates Fine Arts Society (10am-4pm, November 27); mixed media (5-9pm, November 30).
December 3, Monday
Dubai Festival City: Spirit of the Union celebrations from 6pm, with performances and fireworks.
December 4, Tuesday
Dubai
Capital D Studio: “We Built This City” exhibition of photos taken by the public and uploaded to Instagram with the hashtag #webuiltthiscity. Mention @sauceloves and @capitaldstudio and the images stream directly to www.shopatsauce.com/webuiltthiscity. 41 selected instagram shots will be turned into a #webuiltthiscity installation at the event in Al Quoz at 7.30pm. Call 04-3415339 / 04-3463393.
