The best (and worst) April Fool's pranks we've seen in the UAE this year
Did they get cha?
Every year, we here at What’s On HQ have to remind each other to not believe every press release we get as we draw close to Saturday, April 1. Not only do we want to be the ‘fool’, but we also don’t want to share the wrong information with you, our readers.
This year, there were a few emails and chats doing the rounds that had us scratching our heads. Some of them were pretty believable and definitely got us. The others, well…not so much.
Here are a few April Fool’s pranks in UAE that stood out.
Emirates
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Believability rating: 8/10
Okay, Emirates, you kinda did get a few of us in Team What’s On with this one. The caption accompanying the cool realistic video reads, ‘We’ve conquered the skies, and now, we’re charting course to take over the seas! Introducing Emirates Sealine – our ultra-luxurious cruise liner.’
Why was it so believable? Well, it is Emirates after all, so we can expect nothing but magic. But secondly, it was the details really. Emirates’ very first flight was to Karachi, Pakistan way back on October 25, 1985. So, when it announced its first cruise was to Karachi next year, it seemed authentic. Sadly, it is not and we will not be able to enjoy an Emirates cruise to ‘the city which never sleeps’ next year.
Oh, and the fact that the newly appointed Chief Maritime Officer at the helm of Emirates Sealine was called Captain Jack Shallow made us LOL fairly audibly in the office.
Well played, Emirates. Well played.
Heinz
Believability rating: 7.5/10
Ketchup fans would have been clapping their hands at the sight of this bottle. A press release issued to us stated ‘Heinz, makers of the world’s favourite ketchup have dreamed up a double-ended ketchup bottle that could provide the solution to problems facing fans worldwide. The Heinz Ketch-Up & Down bottle has two lids that mean no matter which way up you store it or use it, ketchup connoisseurs can access every last drop.’
Ingenious? Kind of – yes, but when we noticed the date, it made us go ‘hmmm….’. If this bottle was indeed real, they picked a really bad date to go live with the news.
So, you could only imagine the confused/shocked look on our faces when we received a parcel from Heinz with the bottle inside. Let’s be fair, we prefer ANY squeeze bottle rather than whacking a glass bottle on the back to get the ketchup out.
Sadly though, this was indeed a prank but we got to give props to Heinz for actually creating a few of these for the day. Maybe, just maybe, Heinz will realise that this really is a great idea and actually go ahead with producing it for real. Either way, we’re going to call the bottle we did receive a ‘limited-edition’.
Careem
Believability rating: 2/10
Careem knows its brunch-loving Dubai audience too well and decided to prank us with a ‘new service’ called Careem Brunch. According to the news, the new service would be ‘Available in Dubai from the 1st of April 2021 (was the year a typo, Careem?), the Careem Brunch will appear as a new ride-hailing option via a tile on the Super App’s interface, making it easy to book the experience with a few clicks.’
Customers will be picked up by a captain who will provide a picnic basket with food items put together from a list of the most popular food spots in Dubai. The meal can be enjoyed while being driven around the emirate’s most beautiful sites. The cost? Dhs299 – the standard cost of a brunch with soft drinks.
Of course, this brunch isn’t real… but hey, lucky for residents, there are plenty of other brunches in Dubai to pick from that don’t include you enjoying it in a car.
KHDA
Following requests from parents and students to have permanent distance learning one day a week, we’re pleased to announce that starting immediately, distance learning will take place on Saturdays. Like right now. Your wellbeing is important to us. pic.twitter.com/PKEGRbNI8R
— KHDA | هيئة المعرفة والتنمية البشرية بدبي (@KHDA) April 1, 2023
Believability rating: 3/10
The social media team at KHDA in general need a round of applause for their sense of humour. Their funny tweets and comments (aka burns) sometimes make people wonder if they were hacked. The tweet on April Fool’s day divided the crowd though, with some comments applauding their sense of humour, but of course, there were others who just had to take the fun out of it.
Gymnation
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Believability rating: 5/10
Last year, Gymnation UAE put out a not-so-believable The Palm Gymeirah post (sorry, bro). This year, however, it came up with a slightly more believable idea showcasing the launch of The World’s First Leg-Day-Slide. The caption reads, ‘Leg days are hard… Leg days are even harder when you have to crawl down 27 @gymnation_me stairs on your way home! The Leg-Day-Slide helps to take the pain away.’
According to the post, you will get to the bottom in just 5.6 seconds and it’s temperature regulated to soothe your glutes as you slide. As per any gym’s usual (and very annoying) terms and conditions, members will only be able to use it once per visit and members are not permitted to climb the stairs again for another go.’
So, we’ve seen the AI posts on Museum of the Future and several others, so we knew this wasn’t real, but to be fair… we were slightly upset.
The Smash Room
Believability rating: 1/10
The Smash Room was offering up a chance for broken-hearted souls to get revenge on their ex with ‘Revenge Package’. Essentially, The Smash Room would send their team to your ex-partner’s house to smash and break all their meaningful belongings.
I mean, it would kind of help with the grief, but not very believable Smash Room. Plus, if someone had to do the job, erm… scratch that. *walks away humming Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats*
Images: Supplied
