Author: Sam Allcock
Sam Allcock
Sam Allcock is a seasoned media professional and content strategist with a passion for storytelling across digital platforms. As a contributor to Abu Dhabi Week, Sam brings a sharp editorial eye and a deep appreciation for the culture, innovation, and lifestyle that define the UAE capital. With over a decade of experience in journalism and public relations, he covers everything from local events and business trends to travel, dining, and community highlights. When he's not writing, Sam is exploring the hidden gems of Abu Dhabi, always on the lookout for the next story worth sharing.
A devastating suicide bombing at a church in Syria’s capital on Sunday night has left 20 people dead and more than 50 injured, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Damascus since the fall of the Assad government in late 2024. The explosion took place at Saint Mar Elias Church in the Dweila’a neighbourhood of Damascus, during evening prayers. According to Syria’s Interior Ministry, the attacker, identified as a member of the Islamic State (ISIS), entered the church armed with a firearm, opened fire on worshippers, and then detonated an explosive vest. The Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday that…
Seoul, South Korea – Kia has officially launched the Tasman, its first-ever pickup truck, designed to deliver class-leading off-road performance, robust towing power, and best-in-class comfort. Developed on a brand-new body-on-frame platform, the Tasman aims to redefine what a midsize pickup can offer in terms of versatility, capability, and innovation. Built for the Wild and the Road With a reinforced frame offering up to 1,151kg of payload and a towing capacity of 3,500kg, the Tasman targets a global market of drivers who demand both rugged utility and refined daily usability. The pickup features four-wheel-drive standard on off-road variants and boasts…
The 6th edition of the Dubai Open Basketball Academies Championship concluded with resounding success, drawing more than 1,500 male and female players across five youth age categories, from under-10 to under-19. Representing 87 teams from 22 public and private academies—including renowned clubs like Al-Nasr and Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai—the championship showcased the rising talent in the UAE’s basketball scene. Organised by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) in collaboration with the UAE Basketball Association and event partners Sports Mania and Sports 360 X, the championship underlined Dubai’s continued commitment to nurturing sports talent in alignment with government policies on youth development. Spanning…
Emirates is gearing up for the summer travel season with a refreshed line-up of kids’ toys and onboard amenities, staying true to its family-friendly reputation. Ahead of the school holidays, the airline expects nearly one million young passengers to fly with Emirates and enjoy an upgraded onboard experience tailored just for them. The new range of kids’ kits is themed around Emirates’ global sports and cultural sponsorships, covering everything from football and tennis to literature and music. Designed to spark curiosity and excitement, the kits come in three age-specific categories: 0–2 years, 3–6 years, and 7–12 years—each offering 12 collectible…
This summer, the library at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) is home to a striking display of graphic novels, but not from a new collection. Instead, they are the final projects of a groundbreaking course titled History and the Graphic Novel, where students blended art, family memory, and historical research into visually rich, emotionally powerful narratives. The course, taught by Associate Professor of History Dr. Karine Walther, challenged 12 students to explore how graphic novels can serve as secondary historical sources. It also asked them to look inward—interviewing family or community members and translating those stories into original, illustrated novels.…
Omnix International has officially launched its highly anticipated HOT Systems laptops, the first 18 x 16-inch ultra-high performance mobile workstations designed specifically for creative and technical professionals in the Middle East. This marks a major step forward in mobile computing for industries like architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), digital content creation, and AI development, where extreme processing power and reliability are non-negotiable. These cutting-edge devices are powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 200HX and AMD Ryzen™ 9000 HX processors and come equipped with NVIDIA RTX™ 5080 and 5090 GPUs based on Blackwell architecture—setting a new standard in mobile workstation performance. Omnix…
As businesses around the world ramp up their artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, a strategic approach is proving essential for success. According to the BCG AI Radar 2025, one in three companies plans to invest more than $25 million in AI technologies this year—highlighting the growing urgency for IT leaders to implement AI with precision and purpose. This urgency is echoed in SAP Concur’s CFO Insights 2025 survey, where 58% of finance leaders, especially those managing travel and expense (T&E) functions, confirmed plans to invest in AI. Yet, for these investments to translate into meaningful outcomes, a disciplined approach to deployment…
Henkel Consumer Brands Middle East & Africa (MEA) has won the Gold Award for Sustainable Brand Owner of the Year at the Prime Awards MEA 2025, held in Dubai. The prestigious accolade celebrates Henkel’s regional leadership in sustainable packaging, particularly its efforts to scale circularity and reduce plastic waste across the beauty and personal care sector. The award recognizes Henkel’s Gliss recycled PET initiative, which introduced shampoo bottles made from 50% recycled PET across MEA markets. The rollout marks a significant leap in promoting responsible consumption and strengthening infrastructure for circular packaging in a region where sustainability efforts often face…
As part of its participation in the 66th Beirut Arab International Book Fair, the American University of Beirut Press (AUB Press) hosted a thought-provoking discussion titled “The Arabic Language: Its History, Present, and Future.” The event featured renowned Arabic linguist Professor Ramzi Baalbaki in dialogue with scholars Malek Chaker and Amina Sleiman, and was supported by the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Chair in collaboration with AUB’s Center for Arts and Humanities. Held before a diverse audience of political figures, scholars, and linguists from across the Arab world, the conversation explored the evolution of the Arabic language, from its…
ASUS, in collaboration with technology partner MarsSys, successfully concluded ‘The Tech Social’, a forward-looking event dedicated to innovation and the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. Held at the Grand Sheraton Hotel in Dubai, the event brought together key decision-makers, educators, and tech influencers to explore how AI is reshaping learning environments across the UAE and beyond. Focusing on AI’s transformative impact on education, the event highlighted ASUS’s commitment to providing robust, enterprise-grade technology solutions tailored for modern classrooms. From All-in-One (AiO) devices to Chromebooks, ASUS showcased its diverse product ecosystem aimed at enhancing digital learning experiences for…