8 things to do in Dubai this week

It’s one of the shortest working weeks of the year, as we take a few days off to celebrate the UAE’s 44th National Day. There’s plenty of ways to get involved, with a walk through the seven emirates for sporty types, a special party at BMI and, of course, multiple firework displays. In amongst all that there are new films at the cinema and plenty of nights out to be had. Enjoy!

Walk the 7 Emirates
Experience the UAE in full this National Day by ‘walking the seven emirates’. The 7k run has one kilometre representing each of the country’s emirates – dressing up in UAE colours is encouraged.
When: December 2
Where: Visit http://nasst.ae/Events to register

Celebrations @ City Walk
If, for you, no National Day is complete without the requisite fireworks display, get yourself down to City Walk on Dubai’s Al Wasl road. During the day the event will host activities of the facepainting and workshop variety for the kids, before descending into local dance and LED breakdancing pop-ups.  While the event will go on from the 2-5 December, only on National Day itself will you get to see a pretty special fireworks show, blazing over the city, but only for four minutes. Snap happy sorts will also be happy to learn that a roaming National Day photo frame will be present, ready to print out pictures there and then or email them to you to Instagram up and give your friends some FOMO.
When: 2 to 5 December
Venue: CITY WALK, Al Wasl Road

Blue Marlin: National Day celebration with Infinity Ink
The beach-based party spot is honouring National Day in its typically hedonistic style, holding a special brunch and live performance from Infinity Ink.  Featuring an assortment of fresh sushi, BBQ dishes and the establishment’s signature cocktails – the terrace and beach brunch will be packed in to a two hour slot between 2-4pm. Not that revels are localised to such a narrow time frame however, with the all-day party set to go on until at least 11pm.
When: December 2, 1pm-11pm
Where: Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE, Ghantoo, +971 56 113 3400

Bridge of Spies (PG13)
The cinematic dream team that is the Spielberg-Hanks partnership returns with Bridge of Spies, a tense Cold War thriller based on the real-life prisoner exchange negotiation between the Soviet Union and America. Hanks is cast as compassionately judicious US attorney James Donovan, the man tasked with securing the release of a captured American pilot, a job that puts him in both the national spotlight, and eventually behind the perilously dangerous Iron Curtain.
In cinemas now