Al Shindaga Watch-Tower

Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khatab Mosque

The Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khatab mosque was established in 1986 and expanded in 2003. It was rebuilt in 2001 to its current form. I understand that the current design and architecture was inspired by the Blue Mosque of Istanbul.

It is only one of 3 mosque in UAE which give access to non Muslims and can accommodate over 2000 people at a time. 

The mosque is located in the Safa 1 area of Jumeirah off Al Wasl Road.

Visit other mosques in Dubai by clicking here 

Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khatab mosque

The Lime Tree Cafe, Jumeirah

It is kind of difficult to imagine that in these years of being in Dubai, I had never been to The Lime Tree Cafe. Somewhat of an iconic location and a big favorite with the expat population in Jumeirah, I had driven past the cafe many times in the past. 








So when a bunch of friends suggested we meet for brunch at TLTC, I wasn't going to let go of the opportunity. It is a nice quaint place located in an old fashioned villa along Jumeirah Beach Road. 

I guess the place has itself become some sort of a landmark in Jumeirah and has a large group of loyal customers. It has a lovely feel of 'happiness' all through. 

Mosques of Dubai

Satwa Mosque

A mosque in Jumeirah

Jumeirah Mosque

Al Khatab Mosque

Jumeirah Lake Towers - JLT

Ramadan - A spirit of giving

Ramadan is here. 

The holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calender, is a time for for fasting for the Muslim population. Each day of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink and smoking from dawn to dusk. The time is also spent in increased spirituality, humility and devotion. During this period, Muslims also refrain from all forms of entertainment or enjoyment.

This is also the time for selflessness and charity towards the needy. It is amazing to see the momentum towards charity across all areas of Dubai. From individual efforts to very organised large scale charity events, charity takes center stage in Dubai during Ramadan. One of the most common form of charity is distribution of food to the needy during Iftar, the meal that signifies breaking of the fast at sunset. Lots of organisations distribute food to need workers in the city.

I had the opportunity to witness one such event organised by Axiom Telecom, a local company based in Dubai. Axiom has plans to distribute over 1500 meals everyday during Ramadan across several points in Dubai. 

Dubai Dhow Wharfage

Dubai Dhow Wharfage is one of the still surviving areas that bring the Dubai of yore to life. Located along the northern banks of Dubai creek, the wharfage is home to hundreds of traditional dhows that transport diverse cargo all across the region. 

Uptown Motor City

Located off Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road (Old Emirates Road) and right next to Dubai Autodrome is this beautiful gated community of Uptown Motor City.

Made up of mostly low rise buildings, this gated community is a favourite destination for Dubai's expat population. The community boasts of large parks, several swimming pools and other modern amenities.  While the large gated community is a completely residential complex, it has a nice mix of retail experiences right outside its's main gate. Some of the retail establishments include Spinneys supermarket, Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Lucky Pizza, Chin Chin restaurant, a couple of banks and pharmacies and even a cosy Mother Care outlet.

For more resources on Uptown Motor City, click here and here.

Dubai's street graffiti

Titled ' Connecting Minds, Creating the Future' is this 140 mtrs long wall covered in graffiti. Located along Beach Road, this awesome exhibit is right next to Dubai Ladies Club or Jumeirah Beach Park in Jumeirah. 

Formula 1 Grand Prix - Abu Dhabi

What a splendid end to the fifth edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The sheer superlative performance of Sebastian Vettel this year was further stamped by a huge 30 second margin from the second placed Mark Webber. After having sealed his championship in the previous race in India, there was no letting go by the world champion. Vettel raced as though this was the deciding one.  

Although a big fan of the Mercedes team, I was happy to see the Red Bull team finish 1 - 2 in the end. They truly deserved the honor. In the end my favorite Lewis Hamilton had a few spots of bother today and was lucky to finish seventh. He could have well finished at the head of the pack today if not for the unfortunate incident in the last lap of the qualifiers yesterday. 

The organizers lived up to most of the promises having put up an extraordinary show for the day. The village was buzzing with excited all through the day with lots of stuff to do. As for me I thoroughly enjoyed the big race experience changing tyres at the NBAD stall.  

One area that needs attention is the maps and directions around the place. While I consider myself a bit challenged when it comes to finding my way around, I was surprised to see the number of confused people struggling to reach their seats. And a few of the attendants seemed as confused as the fans.

In the end what a splendid finale to the 3 days of fun. Well done to the guys in Abu Dhabi. 

Time Stood Still

It was almost as if time stood still for a few minutes. As I walked out of Karama Centre in Karama, I noticed Asatullah. A cobbler by profession, he plys his trade right outside the rear entrance of Karama Centre. Amidst all the glitz and glamour of Dubai, here is the other side of Dubai. The old world charm still survives.

Asatullah is originally from Afghanistan but has moved his family to Pakistan. He claims to be in Dubai for about 15 years although he also mentions that this could be completely wrong and that he may be a resident of Dubai for much longer. There is something amazing about the way he goes on with his work with very little change in his tools over the years. He uses the most basic of tools and may have never seen the kind of tools which cobblers use today.

If one were to observe the spot where he sits, you couldn’t help notice the businesses everywhere. Everybody seems to be in a tearing hurry to get things done. And yet when you sit with Asatullah, it’s almost as if time stands still. It is the old world charm of Dubai that we seem to have lost completely.

Dubai scores another first - Blackberry Q5

Dubai scored yet another first and continues to take a leadership position in the global mobile devices business. Blackberry laucnhed its latest introduction to its portfolio, the Blackberry Q5, at a global launch in Dubai today. Customers in Dubai will be able to buy the model 2 weeks before the rest of the world where the model is expected to launch in the first week of July. This is the first of Blackberry's BB10 offerings in the mid segment with the new model expected to retail at AED 1,499/-. Based on a dual core 1.5 GHz processor and Blackberry's popular keypad, a whole new segment of customers will now be able to experience the new BB10 operating system.

The Blackberry Q5 is available exclusively at the new Blackberry store being opened at Dubai Mall. The launch of Blackberry Q5 also coincides with the opening of the first Blackberry store in the Middle East. As per media reports the store is being operated locally by Axiom Telecom. The store was opened by Blackberry's COO Christian Tear today. Huge queues were seen at the store in Dubai Mall, with customers all waiting to pick up the new Blackberry Q5 while it lasts.