Author: Stuart

Slow-roasted lamb legs turn on spits beside bubbling cauldrons of mutton haleem. The air thickens with ghee and coriander. By sunset, hundreds will queue for what Mumbai does best—and what’s somehow landed, for a second year, in the heart of Dubai’s most polished financial district. Carnival by Trèsind confirmed this week it’s reviving its Mohammed Ali Road pop-up for Ramadan 2026, following what the restaurant described as an “exceptional response” last year. The concept recreates Mumbai’s most famous Ramadan street food destination inside DIFC, where Michelin-starred restaurants typically dominate. The contrast isn’t subtle. Mohammed Ali Road transforms each Ramadan into…

PizzaExpress is betting that diners breaking fast this Ramadan want saffron moonlight risotto alongside their dates. The UK-born Italian chain rolled out its Iftar programme across 12 UAE locations this week, pricing set menus at AED 79 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi—a calculated pitch in a market where hotel Iftars routinely hit triple digits. The gamble centres on fusion. Dates and cinnamon Iftar churros. Baked doughballs drizzled with dates caramel. Sunset chicken fajita pizza. Called “Season to Gather, a Table to Share,” the campaign runs throughout Ramadan 2026 at PizzaExpress outlets from JLT to Fujairah, with service starting at sunset.…

Chinese travellers dropped US$230 billion worldwide in 2025, visiting 180 million destinations from Paris to Phuket. This May, Abu Dhabi makes its pitch for a bigger slice. One hundred carefully vetted Chinese travel buyers will descend on Rotana Saadiyat Island Resort on 13th and 14th May for the China Visitors Summit, a two-day workshop designed to connect them directly with Emirati hotels, attractions, and tour operators. The goal is blunt: convert meetings into bookings. For Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry, the arithmetic is compelling. The format leaves little to chance. Over two intensive days, suppliers—hotels, museums, transport firms, destination management companies—will…

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi walked through a facility employing 30,000 researchers on Thursday, examining the infrastructure that could reshape Sharjah’s media ambitions. The Deputy Ruler of Sharjah spent 13 February touring Huawei’s sprawling R&D village in Shanghai—2.2 million square metres spanning more than 100 buildings. The scale alone tells the story. Huawei Village, as the complex is known, houses laboratories dedicated to artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data analytics—precisely the technologies Sharjah’s leadership has identified as priorities for its media sector. Al Qasimi, who chairs the Sharjah Media Council, examined master plans showing how the facility…

Recycled tiger clam shells that stay warm for an hour. That’s the foundation of Pause Spa’s latest treatment, launched this February at Paramount Hotel Midtown in Dubai. The Lava Shell massage swaps traditional heated stones for smooth, polished shells that maintain therapeutic warmth without reheating—a mechanism the spa claims allows for deeper, uninterrupted muscle work. Each shell is crafted from recycled tiger clam material and infused with minerals, algae, sea kelp and essential oils. The 90-minute treatment costs AED 780. Therapists glide the contoured shells across the body in flowing and targeted movements, using the sustained heat to ease tension…

Saturday, 14th February lands at an unusual time this year. Valentine’s Day on a weekend means couples face a choice: spend the evening out, or reclaim daylight hours for something less conventional. Maison Mathis has picked the latter. The voco Dubai The Palm restaurant launches Le Brunch d’Amour on Valentine’s afternoon, running from 1pm to 4pm with a buffet designed around romance—and families. That second part matters. While most Valentine’s dining skews heavily towards couples seeking candlelit seclusion, Maison Mathis is pitching this as a celebration that children can join, complete with heart-shaped sugar cookies and brownies in a dedicated…

Alona Shevtsova, founder and CEO at Sends, has been rewarded with the Excellence in Finance Industry – Global FinTech Leadership Award at FiNext Awards Dubai 2026. The award was presented during the FiNext Conference, held on 11 February in Dubai, one of the largest fintech gatherings in the MENA and APAC regions. The award recognises executives who demonstrate sustained leadership, innovation, and responsible adoption of AI in regulated environments. “Dubai continues to demonstrate its role as a global hub for fintech innovation,” said Alona Shevtsova. “This recognition reflects the work our teams have done to integrate advanced technologies within regulatory…

Dean Elliott launches company addressing gap in health-oriented home design and renovation Sands Living has launched in the UAE with a focus on integrating wellness into residential construction and renovation. Founded by Dean Elliott, the company addresses what Elliott identifies as a gap in the residential construction market: homes designed to perform in the UAE environment while supporting health and longevity. Elliott brings over a decade of experience spanning construction and fitness industries. This background shapes Sands Living’s approach to residential projects, combining technical building expertise with knowledge of human performance and recovery. “While many homes in the region are…

Across the Gulf, 85% of organisations plan to increase AI spending this year, with UAE companies leading the charge. Yet the same firms now face a problem that no amount of investment can solve: their own employees won’t embrace the technology. A report released Saturday by Roland Berger Middle East reveals a striking paradox. UAE organisations have built governance frameworks, appointed ethics boards, and embedded AI into strategic plans at rates that outpace regional peers. Then they hit a behavioral wall. Resistance to change now blocks progress at 42% of organisations surveyed. Cross-functional silos trip up another 40%. Weak performance…

For decades, the UAE built its global reputation on oil wealth, architectural ambition, and a tax-friendly business climate. But 2026 marks a turning point in a quieter transformation – one that swaps crude barrels for card tables, and pipeline deals for player protection frameworks. The country is steadily positioning itself as one of the world’s next major regulated entertainment destinations, and the ripple effects are already being felt across hospitality, real estate, and tourism. A Regulatory Framework Built From Scratch The shift began in September 2023, when the UAE announced the creation of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA)…