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Road to Net Zero

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Road to Net Zero

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Weekend edition

The group of retired British military personnel during the trek from Saudi Arabia to Jordan. Photo: SFCBF's Nasir, Bekri, Tayi & Lawrence Tribute Trek

UAE adventurer leads trek in Lawrence of Arabia’s footsteps

Quiz of the week

Find out how well you’ve kept up with the news of the past seven days

Associated News and Nick Donaldson / The National

Weekend EssayTrump’s WHO exit is a chance for it to change

Cryopreservation could dramatically extend a woman's reproductive years while improving quality of life. Photo: PA Wire

How women in Abu Dhabi can now delay menopause by up to 10 years

Egyptian designer Nesreen Sharara at Blickling Hall, a Jacobean mansion in the English countryside. Photo: Gerald Peachey

The Cairo craftswoman inspired by the patterns of an English mansion

How much of an impact can five phone-free days have? Unsplash / Jonas Leupe

ColumnWhat did I learn from going five days phone-free?

Ruchika Tandon, a neurosurgeon, is one of thousands of Indians who fell prey to a 'digital arrest' scam last year. Photo: Ruchika Tandon

'Digital arrest': The scam defrauding Indians of thousands of dollars

Syrian artists frequently travelled abroad in the 1960s. Leila Sneir is pictured here during her studies in Cairo. Photo: Atassi Foundation

Why Syria’s golden age of art is at risk of being forgotten

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, centre, meets Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, left, and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. AFP

Lebanon forms first government since 2022 to tackle ceasefire challenge

Hezbollah must not be in Lebanon’s government, says US envoy

Saudi Arabia and UAE condemn Israeli remarks on Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia

Najib, left, and Samer Aweis at their rented home in the suburbs of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. Photo: Patricia Martisa for The National

Palestinian sons await reunion as father appears on Israel prisoner swap list

Dozens of Palestinians sent to UAE’s floating hospital since start of ceasefire

The severance of USAID funding is expected to immediately affect critical support for vulnerable groups in Jordan, including people with disabilities and millions of refugees. AFP

USAID aid halt hits Jordan’s economy with immeasurable ripple effect

Israel frees 183 Palestinians after Hamas releases three more hostages

Trump calls Gaza takeover plan a ‘real estate transaction’

In focus

Tennis - WTA 500 - Abu Dhabi Open - International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - February 8, 2025 Switzerland's Belinda Bencic and daughter Bella celebrate with a trophy after winning her final match against Ashlyn Krueger of the U. S. REUTERS / Amr Alfiky

Bencic fights back to beat Krueger and claim Abu Dhabi Open crown

Fi Lahza is a romantic drama series that will be streaming on TOD this Ramadan. Photo: TOD

The best Arabic TV shows to watch in Ramadan 2025

Deena Zaghout, 17, now lives with her family in a tent in Deir Al Balah. Photo: Nehaya Zaghout

Complex PTSD reduces Gaza teenager’s mental function to that of a child

Saudi Arabia's information and communications technology sector was the largest and fastest growing in the Middle East and North Africa, accounting for 4.1 per cent of GDP, data from the US International Trade Administration shows. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Leap 2025: Saudi Arabia’s tech strategy offers a model for diversification

From viral TikTok trends to bustling Christmas markets in Europe, Dubai chocolate is turning heads far beyond its home city. Getty

CommentDubai chocolate is elevating the UAE's brand, one bite at a time

For the first time, Anthony Mackie stars in the title role of Captain America. Photo: Marvel

Inside the reshoots and character controversy of Captain America

A rendering of Wynn Al Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah. Photo: Wynn Resorts

UAE’s $3.8 billion gaming resort takes shape with 80 per cent of rooms completed

Arsenal train at the NAS sports complex in Dubai. Photo: X/Arsenal

Arsenal in Dubai: Arteta hopeful of boost as Gunners begin UAE training camp

Video

Three Israeli hostages released from Deir Al Balah in central Gaza

The hostages, Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy, were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza before being transferred to the Israeli military.

Trump pushes to move Palestinians out of Gaza, but at what cost?

Trump pushes to move Palestinians out of Gaza, but at what cost?

Joy as family of Israeli hostage find out he is set to be released

Joy as family of Israeli hostage find out he is set to be released

US envoy says inclusion of Hezbollah in Lebanese government a red line

US envoy says inclusion of Hezbollah in Lebanese government a red line

Captain America producer Nate Moore on Brave New World's character changes

Captain America producer Nate Moore on Brave New World's character changes

Gaza ceasefire

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House. EPA

Trump calls Gaza takeover plan a ‘real estate transaction’

A child inside a vehicle in Khan Younis as wounded and sick Palestinians prepare to leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing for medical treatment abroad. EPA

Palestinians leaving Gaza under EU supervision on ‘one-way’ journey

Palestinians sit by a fire next to their tent in an area littered with rubble from buildings demolished during the Israeli army's ground and air offensive against Hamas in Gaza City. AP

‘Live in a tent or leave’: Israel blocking Gaza rebuilding tools

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP

Netanyahu joins Trump in claiming US troops not required for Gaza

Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said 'no third party has the right to tell it what to do'. EPA

Spain rejects Israel’s suggestion that it accepts Palestinians from Gaza

FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses to members of the Security Council about the Middle East situation, including the Palestinian Question at UN Headquarters in New York City, U. S. , January 20, 2025. REUTERS / Eduardo Munoz / File Photo

UN chief warns Trump to avoid ‘any form of ethnic cleansing’ after proposal to take control of Gaza

US President Donald Trump, left, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Bloomberg

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘profoundly illegal’, experts say

Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in northern Gaza. US President Donald Trump has called for them to be resettled elsewhere. Reuters

Gaza is forever Palestinian, war-weary residents tell Trump

A march marking the anniversary of the killings of leaders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force near Baghdad in 2020. AFP

US legislators call for action against Iraq’s Iran-linked paramilitary groups

Letter signed by 10 Republican representatives demands that Baghdad cut ties with groups associated with Tehran

Africa's property boom is a lure for UAE developers

Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan shared a heartfelt photo of baby Princess Iman with King Abdullah II. Photo: Instagram

Jordanian royal family release heartfelt photo of baby Princess Iman with King Abdullah II

UK orders Apple to grant it access to worldwide users' cloud data, report says

Mourners attended a service at a church in Orebro, Sweden, for Salim Iskef, a victim of Tuesday's mass shooting. Reuters

Grief for Syrian refugee killed in Swedish shooting

Upset in Delhi as Kejriwal loses seat and BJP defeats AAP

Dh1 million Arab Hope Makers winner to be announced this month

US ramps up pressure on Iranian oil with new sanctions on exports

Russia’s ‘million-man’ casualty count makes Trump’s peace plan favourable for Kremlin

Business

Culture

DeepSeek has upended an AI ecosystem previously dominated by models such as OpenAi's ChatGPT Deepak Fernandez / Getty Images

DeepSeek’s breakthrough will fuel sovereign AI race

Abu Dhabi’s ADQ signs agreement to explore investment opportunities in Vietnam

Why short-term bonds are an attractive investment option

Culture

Sotheby’s CEO: First Saudi auction reflects Gulf’s rise in global arts scene

Brooding and full of sorrow – why Tchaikovsky masterpiece still move us today

Music & On-stage

Fi Lahza is a romantic drama series that will be streaming on TOD this Ramadan. Photo: TOD

The best Arabic TV shows to watch in Ramadan 2025

Beyond the Headlines

Beyond the Headlines

Delve deeper into the biggest stories from the Middle East and around the world

Culture Bites

Culture Bites

Your guide to the arts and culture scene in the UAE

Business Extra

Business Extra

The stories, companies, trends, tech, Innovation and leaders shaping your world

Trending Middle East

Trending Middle East

What’s trending today? We bring you the latest social media trends from the Middle East and around the world

Pictures of the Day

Paintings by French artist Henri Rousseau are projected on to the limestone surfaces of a former quarry in a multimedia exhibition at the Carrieres des Lumieres in Les-Baux-de-Provence, southern France. EPA

A model presents a creation by Christian Cowan at New York Fashion Week. Reuters

Michal Cohen, front left, the mother of Israeli hostage Ohad Ben Ami, and other relatives celebrate as they watch his release from captivity in Gaza on television, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Getty Images

Palestinians climb a billboard structure in Deir Al Balah, Gaza, to watch the handover of Israeli hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire and hostages-detainees exchange deal between Hamas and Israel. Reuters

Bharatiya Janata Party workers celebrate the BJP's lead in the Delhi Assembly elections, at party headquarters in New Delhi, India. EPA

Kelly Slater of the US winning his heat and advancing into Sunday's quarter-finals of the World Surf League Lexus Pipe Pro at Pipeline, on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. AFP

Kashmiri fishermen row their shikara, a traditional wooden boat, home at sunset on the Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir. AP Photo

Protesters in Bratislava, Slovakia, demonstrate against the goverment of Prime Minister Robert Fico. EPA

Paintings by French artist Henri Rousseau are projected on to the limestone surfaces of a former quarry in a multimedia exhibition at the Carrieres des Lumieres in Les-Baux-de-Provence, southern France. EPA

A model presents a creation by Christian Cowan at New York Fashion Week. Reuters

Michal Cohen, front left, the mother of Israeli hostage Ohad Ben Ami, and other relatives celebrate as they watch his release from captivity in Gaza on television, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Getty Images

Palestinians climb a billboard structure in Deir Al Balah, Gaza, to watch the handover of Israeli hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire and hostages-detainees exchange deal between Hamas and Israel. Reuters

Bharatiya Janata Party workers celebrate the BJP's lead in the Delhi Assembly elections, at party headquarters in New Delhi, India. EPA

Kelly Slater of the US winning his heat and advancing into Sunday's quarter-finals of the World Surf League Lexus Pipe Pro at Pipeline, on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. AFP

Kashmiri fishermen row their shikara, a traditional wooden boat, home at sunset on the Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir. AP Photo

Protesters in Bratislava, Slovakia, demonstrate against the goverment of Prime Minister Robert Fico. EPA

Paintings by French artist Henri Rousseau are projected on to the limestone surfaces of a former quarry in a multimedia exhibition at the Carrieres des Lumieres in Les-Baux-de-Provence, southern France. EPA

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Business InsightsDeepSeek’s breakthrough will fuel sovereign AI race

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Dubai property prices and rents 'set to keep rising for next few years'

Palestinian sons await reunion as father appears on Israel prisoner swap list

MrBeast did not rent Giza Pyramids for 100 hours, Egyptian authorities say

UAE’s $3.8 billion gaming resort takes shape with 80 per cent of rooms completed

Women in Abu Dhabi can now delay menopause by up to 10 years

Dubai internet users report cuts to services

Saudi Arabia and UAE condemn Israeli suggestion to build Palestinian state in kingdom

US envoy says inclusion of Hezbollah in Lebanese government a red line

US envoy says inclusion of Hezbollah in Lebanese government a red line

Sheikh Mohamed meets Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss AI collaborations

Sheikh Mohamed meets Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss AI collaborations