Whether you want a weekend packed with sports, from tai chi to gymnastics, or prefer more gentle pursuits like visiting museums or taking advantage of the Dubai Summer Surprises shopping bargains, the city’s got all the bases covered.
Check out our top seven weekend activities here:
Take up Tai Chi at Alserkal Avenue
Why not take the summer to learn a new martial art? Starting this Saturday, you can learn Tai Chi, known for its breathing and defence techniques and health benefits, with Masters Hang and Luo from Shaolin Kung Fu, the first Chinese martial arts school in Dubai. The free hour-long classes run for nine weeks, from 21 July to 15 September. Be quick, the chance to become a martial arts master is only open to 15 people.
When: 21 July - 15 September 2018
Where: Nadi Al Quoz, Alserkal Avenue
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Hit the Heights of Humour at the Grand Millennium
Head to Barsha Heights on Thursday for a multinational trio of comics who will surely prove humour transcends borders. The Summer of Laughter 2018 line-up from The Laughter Factory includes one of America’s most respected stand-ups and TV actors, Jimmy Shubert, British radio and TV familiar Sally-Anne Hayward and Canadian Nick Beaton, who you’ll know from Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.
When: 19 July 2018
Where: Grand Millennium Barsha Heights
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A Feast for the Eyes and Mind at GPP Photobook Expo
Alserkal Avenue’s focal point for the city’s photography community, Gulf Photo Plus, is hosting an enthralling exhibition of 30 photobooks from 12 different countries. Visit the space to discover a variety of books, including handbound versions and experimental booklets from Bon-Gah, an artist collective in Tehran, to a 630-page publication by Ahmed Mater from Saudi Arabia, documenting the changes taking place in the cityscape of modern-day Makkah.Through this collection, appreciative visitors will be able to examine both contemporary photography practices as well as historical documentation of life in the region from a photographer’s perspective.
When: Until 31 August
Where: Gulf Photo Plus, Alserkal Avenue
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Start Training for the next FIFA World Cup
You might not fancy a kick about outside in the summer heat, but you can take the game indoors thanks to Dubai Sports World. Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre in association with Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Sports World occupies 25,000 square metres, offering sporting fun for the whole summer at Dubai’s largest exhibition and event space. If watching the FIFA World Cup inspired you to lace up your boots again, head to the venue for some pro advice from former Real Madrid legend Fernando Sanz at the La Liga Academy. There’s an enormous variety of other sports to get involved in too, along with an all-new gymnastics area.
When: 17 May - 8 September 2018
Where: Dubai World Trade Centre
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Get into the DSS Fun at The Outlet Village
This weekend, Dubai Summer Surprises hits The Outlet Village, Jebel Ali, with four days of music, entertainment, art and of course, the chance to meet and greet everyone’s favourite character, Modhesh. Expect classical music with a hilarious twist, with the UK's Comedy String Quartet; a ‘fantasy flowers’ experience; a pop-up market; Italian-themed live painting demonstrations and for the kids, the chance to hang out with Professor Slime, and make your own pot of green goo. All of this, of course, is wrapped around the exceptional daily deals and ‘spend and win’ opportunities running throughout the Dubai Summer Surprises season.
When: 18-21 July 2018
Where: The Outlet Village, Jebel Ali
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A ‘Marvel’ous Day Out with IMG World of Adventures
Check out the amazing meet and greet opportunities taking place on the special IMG Worlds of Adventure stand at Dubai Mall’s Star Atrium this weekend, with the chance to meet Marvel, CN and Lost Valley dinosaur characters. A ‘Lost Valley Tunnel’ offers an immersive sensory experience, then see yourself transformed on screen with Marvel's Ironman Experience, and battle Ultron on the streets of Dubai. Fans of Ben 10 can take part in Cartoon Network's super cool themed experience, where you become Ben 10 and fight villains. Visitors can also meet Thor, Spider Man and Marvel’s Black Widow. Pose in front of the giant IMG Green Screen with your favourite IMG Worlds of Adventure character and receive a take-home print courtesy of DigiPhoto.
When: 5 July - 4 August 2018
Where: Star Atrium, Dubai Mall
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Discover Iron Age Treasures in Dubai
Head to the historic Al Fahidi area this weekend to visit Saruq Al-Hadid, an interactive museum which uses state-of-the-art technology to explore the remote site on the edge of the Rub A-Khali desert. Saruq Al-Hadid, once an important metalworking centre three thousand years ago, is the first of a series of new museums set to transform Dubai’s historical district into a rich cultural zone.
Learn about iron age tools, stoneware, bronze pots, precious beads, gold jewellery and fossils, all on display at the museum. There’s a range of activities and experiences, with something for every age and interest level. While exploring the unresolved questions of the site, the galleries address the science and theories behind artefact discoveries and the chronology of the site. To round it all off, you can even carry out your own dig in a simulated archaeological excavation.
When: Ongoing
Where: Saruq Al-Hadid Museum, Al Fahidi Historical District, Bur Dubai
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