We’re rather excited about all the events, parties, restaurants and venues that are coming up in 2012, so we tracked down those in the know on the arts, fashion, dining, sports and spas scenes to look into their crystal balls and tell us what their predictions are for the new year.
Art
Abu Dhabi’s art scene developed in leaps and bounds during 2011. We asked Andrew Field, one of the capital’s most interesting fine artists, what’s coming up this year.
‘With artists continually searching for space to work a solution may be on the cards in 2012. Abu Dhabi Art Hub has announced their galleries can be rented to a group of artists. I predict that members of Abu Dhabi Art Squad will make the most of this opportunity to continue developing their work. I predict one or two new art galleries to open somewhere (not sure where) in Abu Dhabi as The Louvre Abu Dhabi starts to emerge from the desert.
Art education is going to continue to become more and more important in schools and more artist-led initiatives will be set up for the younger generations to take part in. After the huge success of the Science Festival along the Corniche, I would like to see an Art & Crafts Fair in 2012. I predict WOMAD 2012 to be one of the highlights in the art calendar, as it attracts a diverse range of gifted and talented international artists to engage within the community.
Throughout the year there will be a host of exhibitions by leading contemporary artists, inlcuding possibly a Damien Hirst retrospective exhibition. Workshops will continue to gain in popularity as the Abu Dhabi public embrace the creative opportunities on Manarat Al Saadiyat. The end of the year will bring Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2012 to the shores of Saadiyat Island and it will be a huge success, with the focus on promoting the work of emerging and established Emirati artists. Hopefully some local artists and homegrown talent will gain enough recognition to exhibit at next year’s biggest art event to raise the profile of the local art scene through an international platform such as Abu Dhabi Art Fair.’
www.andrewfieldfineart.com.
Sports
Abu Dhabi is becoming renowned for it’s annual world-class sporting events, but what about the sports scene for us ordinary folk? If you’re more about taking part than just spectating, there’s going to be plenty for you in 2012. Ravi Bhusari is the co-founder of Duplays (www.duplays.com) a sports group that arranges social, recreational and competitive sport leagues and events for adults. They’re always ahead of the curve when it comes to activities and fitness so we asked Ravi for his thoughts on the sports scene in the year ahead.
‘I think that as people continue to become informed about how the lifestyle choices you make in your 20s and 30s impact your health later in life, Abu Dhabi residents will continue to incorporate sport and
activity into their daily ‘diet’. Besides popular sports like football (soccer) and basketball that tend to be competitive, many people are looking to outdoor activities that take advantage of what the emirate has to offer – beautiful beaches and water. We’ve seen a lot of inquiries about organized beach volleyball as well as water sports such as stand up paddle boarding.
I think the sports event that will have the most impact on Abu Dhabi is the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship where Tiger Woods will be making his debut. Tiger Woods is still golf’s biggest draw and the fact that he’s chosen to play in Abu Dhabi will be good for the capital.’
Dining
Since eating out is such a big deal in Abu Dhabi, we trusted none other than our very own in-house expert, Food Editor Elest Ali, to tell us what the capital’s dining scene has in store this year.
‘I’m hopeful that 2012 is going to be the year that Abu Dhabi’s restaurants are finally going to start paying more attention to customers’ special dietary requirements. Gluten, wheat or dairy intolerant diners, for example, have been suffering for years because of badly-informed waiting staff or a lack of variety on the menu. But recently, hotels in particular have been paying more attention to these issues (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr is leading the charge). And we’re asking those annoying, dietary requirement questions at every restaurant we review, so I’m sure it’ll catch on in 2012. In terms of new restaurants, there will be heaps of new options in the hotels on Saadiyat Island – which have amazing views too. Look out for our reviews of these in the next few months, as we’ll be subjecting them all to Time Out scrutiny!
I’m also looking forward to trying out Park Rotana’s new restaurant in February, the Amador Restaurant and Cellar. It’s the three Michelin-starred chef Juan Amador’s new fine dining spot and sounds like it’s going to be terrific!
Gourmet Abu Dhabi is going to be the big foodie event of course, and we’re particularly looking forward to trying Japanese chef Hal Yamashita’s creations (he’ll be at the InterContinental’s Yacht Club), as he’s promised to use only local produce in his dishes.’
Fashion
We all looked fabulous in 2011, with our trench dresses, big bangles and, of course, slavishly copying everything the Middleton sisters wore. But we’re over all that now and it’s time to concentrate on new looks for 2012. So where to start? We asked Sumayyah Al Suwaidi, Owner/Managing Director of Grafika boutique what we should be wearing next year.
‘We will see more long flowing dresses and prints of flowers, birds and abstract art. Bright colors and more earthy tones are going to be a huge hit this upcoming season. I will be showcasing a whole new collection from my line SEEN in London for the first time during London Fashion Week, my line will be taking the catwalk at the A La Mode International Fashion Show on February 17!’
5 unmissable events of 2012
HSBC Golf Championship, Jan 26-29: Tiger Woods will be in the capital in a few weeks time, along with many more top players to take part in this golfing
tournament at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Gourmet Abu Dhabi, Feb 2-17: Foodies will be salivating at the very thought of this gourmet extravaganza, which sees some of the world’s finest chefs take over the kitchens of Abu Dhabi to produce some truly spectacular menus during the festival.
ADIHEX, Sept 5-8: The yearly hunting and equestrian exhibition is becoming one of Abu Dhabi’s most memorable regular events. Expect everything from camel auctions to saluki beauty contests to take place.
Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Oct 2-11: We always look forward to the glamour that the ADFF brings to the capital. Movie stars, parties and inspiring films are always on the agenda, so we can’t wait to see what’s on the program for 2012.
F1 Grand Prix, Nov 2-4: It’ll be here again before you know it – the fast cars, the crowds, the adrenaline and all the racing action that comes with F1. We’ll let you know the moment tickets go on sale.
Spas
We’re already pretty spoilt for choice with spas in Abu Dhabi, from the super-luxe to the cheap and cheerful. But Jill Downie, Managing Director of Aziza Communications, whose clients include a number of Abu Dhabi beauty spots, let us in on what we can expect to see more of this year.
‘The spa industry is definitely going to be more focused on the male market this year. It’s become far more socially acceptable for gents to be into grooming and mani-pedis. There are lots of cool new salons and spas opening that have a rugged, manly look which appeals to the guys. In fact the more you put a sports angle on a treatment – a massage for sore muscles for example – the more they go for it. They’re also becoming more interested in soft surgeries: botox and fillers are on the increase for men. As for the girls, they’re getting increasingly conscious about what exactly goes on their skin, and so the focus is becoming more about natural products. They’ve also seen so many lip fillers go wrong that they’re being more careful about what they get done and where, so word of mouth recommendations are going to be more important than ever. Plenty more spas are going to be opening in Abu Dhabi this year, as it’s still an unsaturated market. People want special offers and value for money. They still want the feel good factor but are less inclined to pay a lot, so I predict that crossover spa-salons will do extremely well in 2012.’
