Chaat.Chai.Chatter, Hum Pakistani...UAE Se

It's been 25 years since the the first edition of Global Village was launched in the UAE. Each year, the family destination sees thousands of visitors enjoying shopping and trying out different world cuisines.  

We take a walk around GV and especially focus on the Pakistan pavilion which has top class products being sold such as leather, marble items, Pakistani cotton fabrics and much more.  And of course Pakistani fast food is a must try. Covid is still around and strict SOPs are being followed at GV. 

Make sure you keep your mask on whenever you visit!  

Hope you'll enjoy the tour as much as I did and yes, don't forget to watch the end :)  

@Global Village Dubai القرية العالمية 

Dubai Butterfly Garden is the world's Largest Covered Butterfly Garden and consists of 10 custom built domes and a butterfly museum. It is located right next to Dubai Miracle Garden. This is the best weather to visit the indoor garden. Each dome is filled with thousands of lovely butterflies, 50 varieties of butterfly in different sizes and colors naturally alive, flying around the visitors, and standing over the flowers and plants.  Here I take a guided tour and recommend that if you are taking children along, make it an educational trip for them where they can learn about the lifecycle and feeding habits of butterflies. 

 Enjoy the trip!  

Here is a map of the location:   https://goo.gl/maps/GTbXLrPjCjbU9Dpj8   

The garden is open daily from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm during weekdays, weekends and public holidays. Ticket cost AED55 and free entry for children below three years old and people of determination.

Akhtar Bano has been living in Dubai for the past 57 years. She is among the very few Pakistanis who have been residing in the UAE for so long that she has seen the country when it was known as the Trucial States. I talk to her about life 57 years ago, the growth of Dubai and her life in this throwback interview.

After months of uncertainty, the Covid vaccine has finally been manufactured and is also being given to UAE residents.   The process started earlier in the month of December. Recently, both types of vaccines have been made available to UAE residents.  However, many people are still skeptical and apprehensive.  I speak to Dr Mohamed Rafique, Medical Director, Pulmonologist and Sleep Specialist at Prime Hospital in Dubai and he answers all questions related to the vaccine. (This episode has been recorded on December 12).  The vaccine is available here: In Dubai: Dubai Parks and Resorts Field Hospital Dubai Health Authority (DHA): toll free number to book appointment: 800342 In Abu Dhabi: The vaccine is available at all clinics run by Seha and at hospitals and clinics run by VPS Healthcare. Bookings can be made for Seha clinics by calling 80050 or visiting www.seha.ae In Sharjah: The vaccine is available at Wasit Medical Centre, from 4pm to 9pm. In Ajman: The vaccine is available at Al Humaidiya Centre, from 9am to 12.30pm and 5pm to 8.30pm. In Umm Al Quwain: The vaccine is available at Al Bait Metwahid centre from 8am to 1pm. In Fujairah: The vaccine is available at Murashied Medical Centre.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is on a two-day visit to the UAE. In a Press Conference held on Friday, December 18, 2020, he said that India is planning surgical strikes against Pakistan. He also said that the current issue of suspension of visas of Pakistanis to UAE will be resolved soon. Watch the full press briefing.

Pakistani schools in UAE have been facing a lot of challenges over the past several years. Many of these are community schools founded in early 70s with fees ranging between AED300-600 and hasn't changed much over the years. Salaries of teachers have been below average while the infrastructure has been falling apart. Hence, the quality of education provided has also been below par.  Ratings from Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) have been 'weak' for several years until last year when HH Sheikh Rashid Pakistani School achieved the acceptable rank which was good news for the community. This school and a couple of others in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are managed by the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai. Here I speak to the Consul General of Pakistan to Dubai, Ahmed Amjad Ali on what changes are being done, how much is being spent on the uplift of these schools, the impact and the future of Pakistani schools in the UAE.

An Emirati man has set a Guinness World Record by building the world's largest dhow. Majid Obaid Al Falasi's dhow was officially certified by the Guinness World Records on October 28, 2020. Al Falasi tells me he plans to soon set sail for Karachi in 'Obaid' where his father built his first dhow.  The majestic dhow measures 91.47m in length and is 20.41m wide. To visualize this, it is the length and almost half the width of a standard American football field, floating over the Indian Ocean. Hypothetically speaking, balancing this huge structure on either its bow or stern vertically would make this dhow stand almost as tall as the Big Ben in London.