UAE: India International Influencer Awards is back in its ninth edition
An event that's known for honouring trailblazers from around the world, this year's edition will welcome celebrities from India and across the globe, alongside top international influencers, entrepreneurs, professionals and investors.
Conceptualised by Kunal Thakkar, founder of Eventz Factory, IIIA is co-organised by FHM Events and RABS Market.
This year's edition promises an extraordinary night of glamour, recognition, and inspiration. It's supported by associate sponsors 1X Property, MELTZ Chocolate, SAP Property, Sellwin Traders. TickBox PR is the official public relations partner partner.
The IIIA has grown into a platform that recognises influence and fosters meaningful connections between leaders from various industries. Attendees can expect red carpet glamour, high-profile networking, and a celebration of talent and impact across fashion, business, digital innovation, lifestyle, and entertainment.
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The National
an hour ago
- The National
Ten cool art exhibitions to breeze through the UAE summer heat
The reputation of UAE summer as a time when life comes to a sweltering standstill, is a thing of the past – particularly on the arts scene. Galleries have begun embracing the season, with some new exhibitions rolling out and others being extended well into the hottest months. From photography as a medium of reckoning to an exhibition that brings streets into a gallery setting and another that champions farmers, there is a lot to see across the UAE. Here are 10 to get you started. No Trespassing at Ishara Art Foundation Curated by Priyanka Mehra, No Trespassing is Ishara Art Foundation 's first summer exhibition. The show brings street aesthetics into the gallery, with six artists engaging with urban materials as both subject and medium. Works by Fatspatrol (Fathima Mohiuddin), H11235 (Kiran Maharjan), Khaled Esguerra, Rami Farook, Salma Dib and Sara Alahbabi turn building materials, pavements, signage and surfaces into acts of mark-making. Rather than define what the street is, the exhibition reflects how it's used, as a space that's chaotic, curated, lived-in and constantly rewritten. Monday to Saturday, 10am-7pm; until August 30, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai Cartographies, Revised at Manarat Al Saadiyat This exhibition is the culmination of a four-month residency at The Photography Studio at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Seven emerging artists from across the world take a cartographer's approach to image-making, using it to chart personal histories and narratives. Aman Ali's photographs, for instance, trace maternal love through worn hands. Reem Hamid projects shifting rhythms of stillness and movement via sand and performance. Fares Al Kaabi mourns demolished homes and a bygone time through windows and doorways. Monday to Sunday, 10am-8pm; until September 1; Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi Upside Down, by Morteza Khazaie at Leila Heller Gallery In Upside Down, Morteza Khazaie uses wood to make tall, curved forms inspired by trees bending to wind and storms. The sculptures show how trees endure without breaking by adapting to the elements. The works evoke a powerful metaphor for individual and societal change, transforming under pressure but nonetheless enduring. The use of wood in this context is also interesting. The material carries a sense of growth and history, while underscoring the resilience found in nature. It embodies the juxtaposition between pliability and strength. As curator Farshad Mahoutforoush said: 'Through these works, I wanted to explore how softness can be strength, and how being 'upside down' might simply mean seeing things differently.' Monday to Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday, 11am- 7pm; until September 15, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai Architectures of the In-Between at Aisha Alabbar Gallery The three artists featured in this exhibition all identify architecture as a bedrock to their practice. Yet, they have gone on to reinterpret the discipline in new and diverse ways. Atefeh Majidi Nezhad hangs lace like memory in her Zero-G series. Nevine Hamza gives form to nebulous metaphysical ideas through photography, digital art, collage and painting. Finally, Layla Juma renders social structures into minimalist geometries, revealing coded systems through drawing, installation and sculpture. Monday to Saturday, 10am-6pm; until August 23; Aisha Alabbar Gallery, Dubai Between Sunrise and Sunset, by Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim at Maraya Art Centre A seminal work by important Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Between Sunrise and Sunset was commissioned by the National Pavilion UAE and featured at the 2022 Venice Biennale. The work is now on display at Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah. The exhibition, which is in its final month, has been organised with the support of Lawrie Shabibi and the National Pavilion UAE. The exhibition features three paintings by Ibrahim, but the titular installation is the centrepiece, taking the entirety of the second-floor gallery space. The installation features 128 sculptural forms, each unique in shape, size and colour. The sculptures are arranged in a gradient, ranging from more vivid hues to the dulled and monochrome palettes that allude to nighttime. For Ibrahim, the work is meant to reflect the diversity of the UAE, both environmentally and culturally, while also evoking the metaphorical breadth of night and day. Saturday to Thursday, 10am-7pm; Friday, 4pm-7pm; until August 1; Al Qasba, Sharjah New acquisitions and a VR experience at Louvre Abu Dhabi While Louvre Abu Dhabi is not holding a special exhibition this summer, there are plenty of new attractions to make it a worthwhile visit – no matter how many times you've gone before. The museum has introduced a new rotation of loans and acquisitions across its permanent galleries. The additions range from Roman portraiture and South Asian courtly art to modernist works. Highlights include a finely carved Roman cameo thought to depict Agrippa Postumus, mounted in an 18th-century British setting; a luminous ivory-and-gold casket from 16th-century Sri Lanka; Juan Luna's enigmatic Una Bulaquena (1895), on loan from the National Museum of the Philippines; and Kandinsky 's White Oval (1921), which marks a moment of transition for the legendary artist. Louvre Abu Dhabi has also launched a virtual reality experience. The Quantum Dome Project is a VR installation that unfolds over 25 minutes. It immerses participants in digitally reconstructed environments from three disparate and historic corners of the globe: ancient Rome, medieval Baghdad and Mughal-era India. Tuesday to Thursday, 10am-6.30pm; Friday to Sunday, 10am-8.30pm; Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi Everyman's Mountain, by Omar Al Gurg at Lawrie Shabibi Emirati photographer and designer Omar Al Gurg is presenting his first solo show with Everyman's Mountain. The exhibition at Lawrie Shabibi features 24 archival prints from a six-day trek up Kilimanjaro in 2021. From misty forests and regenerating moorlands to the fragile icy summit, Al Gurg's work shows the mountain as a shifting ecosystem, shaped by nature and human activity. The exhibition is as much a personal odyssey as it is a broader environmental mediation, a tribute to nature's quiet transformations and our collective duty to preserve them. Monday to Saturday, 10am-6pm; until September 12; Alserkal Avenue, Dubai The Peasant, the Scholar and the Engineer, by Asuncion Molinos Gordo at Jameel Arts Centre Spanish artist-researcher Asuncion Molinos Gordo's first major retrospective in West Asia surveys 15 years of her work on rural knowledge, land use and food systems. Gordo's work draws on anthropology and cultural studies. It reframes farmers as not only food producers, but also intellectuals and engineers. Their vernacular practices, she points out, may hold keys to sustainability. Works that are being featured in the exhibition include her famous World Agriculture Museum, which was first staged in Cairo in 2010 and won the Sharjah Biennial Prize in 2015. Another highlight is Como Soliamos, a 2020 rammed-earth installation echoing Andalusian and falaj irrigation techniques. Saturday to Monday, Wednesday to Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday; noon-8pm; until September 28; Jaddaf Waterfront, Dubai Unstable Grounds at 421 Arts Campus Unstable Grounds, the MFA graduate exhibition from NYU Abu Dhabi at 421, is a layered constellation of practices that reveal not just what is shown, but also what resists visibility. The exhibition features the works of eight artists, exploring themes of environment, displacement, memory and human connection, through installation, performance, video, sculpture and print. Highlights include Consequences of Circumstance by Hala El Abora, where images of birds, neither definitely dead nor alive, are carved on slabs of stone, disrupting the historical trope of the bird as a symbol of beauty and freedom. In The Sea is a Body which Moves, Adele Bea Cipste explores her evolving relationship to Abu Dhabi's shoreline across several works. In Gridlines, Jude Maharmeh presents hand-cut and incised clay-tiles that draw from the capital's urban aspect. Other installations question the limitations of materials, form and meaning. Danute Vaitekunaite, Mowen Li and Bao all examine their personal histories while experimenting with materials. Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-8pm; until September 7; Zayed Port, Abu Dhabi Time Heals, Just Not Quick Enough… at Efie Gallery Time Heals, Just Not Quick Enough… is a group exhibition curated by Ose Ekore. It features works by five contemporary artists: Samuel Fosso, Aida Muluneh, Kelani Abass, Abeer Sultan and Sumayah Fallatah. The artists come from different generations and use film and photography to reflect upon themes of growth and healing, while also showing how the mediums are barometers of change. Fallatah, for instance, reflects on experiences of the African diaspora in the Arab world by examining personal and family narratives. Sultan uses imagery of marine life to re-examine her family's migration from West Africa to Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. Abass, inspired by his father's letterpress printing company, layers images, texts and found objects to explore the passage of time. Fosso's self-portraits challenge identity and representation by embodying stylised personas. These are inspired by African-American fashion and West African pop culture, and draw on the magazine images that were brought to the Central African Republic by Peace Corps volunteers. Finally, Muluneh's surreal photographs show face paint, masks and Ethiopian motifs to subvert stereotypical representations of African women.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Meet the Indian-Syrian chef duo behind Manao, a Michelin-starred Thai restaurant in Dubai
Earning a Michelin star within just five months of opening is a rare feat, even more so when there isn't a celebrity chef leading the kitchen. Yet, that's exactly what Thai-inspired restaurant Manao did in May, becoming part of the 2025 Michelin Guide Dubai. Helmed by Indian chef Abhiraj Khatwani, 30, Manao is a reflection of his multicultural upbringing and a shared culinary vision with his mentor and business partner, Mohamad Orfali, the acclaimed Syrian chef behind Orfali Bros in Dubai, which also has one Michelin star. 'Honestly, it hasn't even fully hit me yet,' Khatwani, who was also awarded Michelin's Young Chef Award during the ceremony, tells The National. 'It feels more like a relief – for the team, for everyone who's supported us. But we're just doing what we set out to do, which is serve good food and make people happy.' Born in Jeddah, raised in Dubai and educated in Montreal, Khatwani says his path to the kitchen wasn't straightforward. But food, he adds, was always a part of it. 'We always had people over ... 20, 30 people every other day,' he recalls of his childhood. 'My mum cooked everything, so hospitality was a way of life.' After university in Canada, Khatwani chose to study culinary arts at a school outside London, which led him to working kitchens in Denmark as well as Thailand, where he began to develop a deep appreciation for Thai flavours. In 2018, after returning to Dubai, he opened The Yellow Monkey, a casual Thai eatery in JBR, which quickly earned a dedicated following. It was here that he first met Orfali, already a well-known TV chef then. 'I wasn't a big fan of Thai food,' Orfali tells The National. 'But after tasting Abhiraj's food, I fell in love. It was different – creative, balanced, exciting.' The Covid-19 pandemic lead to The Yellow Monkey shutting in 2020. The chefs' paths crossed again two years later. Orfali, who had already taken Orfali Bros to great heights, including earning its own Michelin star, was looking to expand his culinary empire and took Khatwani under his wing. Their mutual admiration evolved into a business partnership, and Manao was born, opening in December last year to immediate acclaim. An ode to Thailand, food at Manao is served via an 11-course tasting menu, shaped by Khatwani's expertise in the country's cuisine and the Orfali Bros formula of refined cooking techniques. You won't find your traditional green curries or pad Thai noodles here, but rather modern interpretations that blend flavours masterfully. Made in Dubai, for Dubai In many ways, the city of Dubai helped birth Manao, Orfali says. 'We wanted to add something new to the scene, something elegant but accessible,' he says. 'Thai at its soul, but with layers of global influence. 'We always say: 'If something works in Dubai, it can work anywhere,'' he adds. 'Dubai has one of the most diverse, demanding audiences in the world. If they approve it, it means something. 'Manao will only ever exist in Dubai. It's made for this city.' Like Orfali Bros, with its fresh take on Mediterranean cuisine, Manao is not supposed to be flashy. Even its location, in Jumeirah, close to Orfali Bros, was deliberately chosen and not intended to be a fine-dining destination. Chasing people, not stars Orfali Bros recently retained its Michelin star on the 2025 Michelin Guide Dubai. It also topped this year's Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list and earned a spot in the coveted annual listing's global ranking, coming in at No 37. 'We didn't set out to earn a Michelin star,' says Orfali. 'We're cooking for people. Our guests are our priority, and our team is our family. The stars come when you focus on what matters.' Orfali, who works alongside his brothers Wassim and Omar, is putting the finishing touches on his a new restaurant concept, Three Bros, set to open soon. As he has done with Manao and Khatwani, he wants to turn his attention to young chefs, giving them a platform to shine. 'That's my investment plan for now, to do more by giving an opportunity to other chefs from the team, and replicate the concept like what we're doing with Abhiraj,' says Orfali. As for Khatwani, he's staying grounded. 'We want to keep innovating, keep improving,' he says. 'I think we just have to keeping doing what we're doing.' But Orfali, who calls Khatwani 'the fourth bro', might have something more up his sleeve for him. 'I want to push him to do something Indian,' he teases. 'He'll kill it.'
UAE Moments
3 hours ago
- UAE Moments
Panchang for Saturday, July 12th, 2025, in Los Angeles, USA
🌅 Sun & Moon Timings Sunrise: 5:56 AM Sunset: 8:01 PM 🗓️ Tithi (Lunar Day) Krishna Paksha Dwitiya - Jul 11 01:38 PM – Jul 12 01:16 PM Krishna Paksha Tritiya - Jul 12 01:16 PM – Jul 13 12:32 PM 🌌 Nakshatra (Lunar Mansion) Shravana - Jul 11 06:06 PM – Jul 12 06:23 PM Dhanishta - Jul 12 06:23 PM – Jul 13 06:19 PM 🧘 Yoga Vishkambha - Jul 11 08:14 AM – Jul 12 07:01 AM Prithi - Jul 12 07:01 AM – Jul 13 05:30 AM Ayushman - Jul 13 05:30 AM – Jul 14 03:43 AM 🌓 Karana Garija - Jul 12 01:30 AM – Jul 12 01:16 PM Vanija - Jul 12 01:16 PM – Jul 13 12:57 AM Vishti - Jul 13 12:57 AM – Jul 13 12:33 PM ⚠️ Inauspicious Timings Rahu - 9:27 AM – 11:13 AM Yamaganda - 2:44 PM – 4:30 PM Gulika - 5:56 AM – 7:41 AM Dur Muhurat - 07:48 AM – 08:45 AM Varjyam - 10:22 PM – 11:58 PM ✅ Auspicious Timings Abhijit Muhurat - 12:30 PM – 01:26 PM Amrit Kaal - 07:50 AM – 09:27 AM Brahma Muhurat - 04:20 AM – 05:08 AM ♋ Zodiac Information 📅 Lunar Month Amanta - Ashadha Purnimanta - Sravana Saka Year (National Calendar) - Ashadha 21, 1947 Vedic Ritu - Grishma (Summer) Drik Ritu - Varsha (Monsoon)
