Manchester experience Abu Dhabi

MCFC’s official fans area, will be host to ‘Abu Dhabi Village’ for the end-of-season festivities at the Eastlands stadium.

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“Genuine Abu Dhabi experience in Manchester"

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Manchester City Football Club (MCFC), New F.A Cup winners, will celebrate its connection with the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, with a host of a fun-filled, family-orientated activities highlighting traditional Emirati culture, heritage and hospitality during the team’s final home fixture of the domestic top flight season against Stoke City on Tuesday May 17th.

 

The City Square, MCFC’s official fans area, will be host to ‘Abu Dhabi Village’ for the end-of-season festivities at the Eastlands stadium, where jubilant City fans will celebrate the club’s maiden UEFA Champions League qualification – clinched courtesy of a 1-0 home victory against league rivals Tottenham Hotspur last Tuesday. 

 

Specially-constructed sections for Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national carrier and MCFC shirt sponsor, and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which inked a deal for the emirate to be the club’s ‘Official Destination Partner’ last year, will expose City fans to a “genuine Abu Dhabi experience in Manchester.”

 

The MCFC-Abu Dhabi co-operation will be extended courtesy of six chefs from Emirates Palace hotel, including UAE’s Chef Ali Salem Ebdowa, chef of the first Emirati five star restaurant in the UAE, Mezlai, working alongside club chefs to provide corporate hospitality menus, as well as samples for fans in the ‘Abu Dhabi Village’.
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Interview with Chef Ali Salem Ebdowa

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Craig: Hi Chef, very nice to meet you, first of all tell our readers all about your signature dish and what's your favourite dish to cook? Chef Ali: My favourite dish is known as Mezlai, it is named after the restaurant where I work in Abu Dhabi, It's made from Chicken, slow roasted with special leaves, leaves that grow only in UAE. It's a very special dish.

 

Craig: We understand your biggest cooking influence is your mum, did she teach you how to cook? Chef Ali: Yes, she did, we we're living in Bratislava at the time, I had no cooking skills at this time and my mother insisted on teaching me to cook so i could feed myself properly instead of eating fast food, shortly after that I started a 6 months cookery course, once that was finished I returned to UAE and joined a cookery accademy, since then i've worked my way to the top and into the famous emirates palace in Abu Dhabi.

 

Craig: Do you feel as though you were born to be a Chef? Chef Ali: Absolutely, i like my job, i like to spend many hours in the kitchen, it's like my home.

 

Craig: You're now recognised as a famous chef in your country with 3 tv shows following your every move, Tell us more about your TV career... Chef Ali: (He smiles graciously) It's not for me to say if I'm famous or not, I hope to be, but that's for others to say, I just try to be the best I can be. I have a tv show on Abu Dhabi TV, one in Dubai and one where I cook for the famous celebrities of UAE.

 

Craig: How does it feel to be able to cook with confidence for people who influenced and inspired you as you were growing up in AUE? Chef Ali: Absoulutely brilliant, it's a real pleasure for me.

 

Craig: What do you like most about representing Abu Dhabi and the ADTA, and being able to travel the world spreading the word about middle eastern cooking? Chef Ali: Firstly, It is great fun for me to represent Abu Dhabi, it's a wonderful experience. I hope to be able to do it for a long time. Today is going to be a fantastic occasion for Manchester City and the club’s fans, a real celebration of its achievements on the field this season, It is also an opportunity for us to interact with fans, let them know a little bit about Abu Dhabi, our values, culture and heritage and hopefully convince some of them to come and experience the emirate for themselves.

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Two lucky City fans will definitely get the chance to experience Abu Dhabi. Etihad and ADTA have combined to offer a one-off chance to win a trip for two, including flights, four nights hotel accommodation and race weekend tickets, to this November’s Etihad Airways Formula 1™ Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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Fans can enter the free draw by completing a form
at the registration booth in Etihad’s display area
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The ADTA tent will feature various activities intrinsic to Emirati culture, such as henna painting, a falconer, a national attire photography stand and traditional calligrapher.

 

City line-up against Stoke for the Second of two encounters in four days - the sides met in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley. Manchester City sealed the game with a goal from Toure on 74 minutes to give the club its first trophy in 36 years. Well done the Blues!

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Design and edit by Craig Nelson | Follow Manchester Gossip on Twitter