Sharjah Biennial and Sharjah Art Foundation director Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi. Photo: Sebastian Boettcher
Sharjah Biennial and Sharjah Art Foundation director Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi. Photo: Sebastian Boettcher
Sharjah Biennial and Sharjah Art Foundation director Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi. Photo: Sebastian Boettcher
Sharjah Biennial and Sharjah Art Foundation director Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi. Photo: Sebastian Boettcher

Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi looks back on 20 years with Sharjah Biennial


Hareth Al Bustani
  • English
  • Arabic

This year's Sharjah Biennial marks a spectacular anniversary — its 15th event in 30 years. Having overcome a series of pandemic-induced delays, the biennial has returned in triumphant form, with 300 artworks from 150 artists scattered across the emirate until June 11. The UAE's longest-running arts event, it has grown into one of the most eagerly anticipated highlights of the international art calendar.

Also celebrating a personal milestone is the Sharjah Biennial and Sharjah Art Foundation director Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, who draws not only on two decades of running the event, but a lifetime immersed in the arts in the emirate.

“Art and culture was part of my life growing up in Sharjah,” Sheikha Hoor says. “Growing up, Sharjah being a place of culture was always instilled in the people here,” she adds.

“I'd never been to any other biennial except for Sharjah Biennial. From the London Philharmonic to Shakespeare plays, I saw everything in Sharjah when I was very young." Even as she enjoyed cultural outings during trips to the UK, she says: "The moments that really moved me were when it happened at home.”

  • Sharjah Biennial 15 is being hosted by five cities and towns across Sharjah. Pictured here is the Old Al Dhaid Clinic, which is one of the sites Sharjah Art Foundation has taken over and repurposed for the event. All photos: Sharjah Art Foundation unless mentioned otherwise
    Sharjah Biennial 15 is being hosted by five cities and towns across Sharjah. Pictured here is the Old Al Dhaid Clinic, which is one of the sites Sharjah Art Foundation has taken over and repurposed for the event. All photos: Sharjah Art Foundation unless mentioned otherwise
  • Sharjah Biennial curator Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi says it was important to include the farmland town of Al Dhaid this year. Pictured, inside the Old Al Dhaid Clinic is Felix Shumba's Nocturnal Body (2022)
    Sharjah Biennial curator Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi says it was important to include the farmland town of Al Dhaid this year. Pictured, inside the Old Al Dhaid Clinic is Felix Shumba's Nocturnal Body (2022)
  • The 20,000-square-metre Kalba Ice Factory has also been totally renovated for the event
    The 20,000-square-metre Kalba Ice Factory has also been totally renovated for the event
  • The factory hosts artworks such as Nari Ward's Duty Colossus (2023 )
    The factory hosts artworks such as Nari Ward's Duty Colossus (2023 )
  • The site has also hosted performances, such as Abdulrahim Salem's Unknown Sailor (2023), produced by Sharjah Art Foundation
    The site has also hosted performances, such as Abdulrahim Salem's Unknown Sailor (2023), produced by Sharjah Art Foundation
  • Visitors at the Kalba Ice Factory, 2023
    Visitors at the Kalba Ice Factory, 2023
  • Pictured at Hamriyah studios is Mary Sibande's A reversed retrogress, scene 1 (2013)
    Pictured at Hamriyah studios is Mary Sibande's A reversed retrogress, scene 1 (2013)
  • Sharjah's famous Flying Saucer building is also making an appearance. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic / Sharjah Art Foundation
    Sharjah's famous Flying Saucer building is also making an appearance. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic / Sharjah Art Foundation
  • Situated inside is Kambui Olujimi's In The Dark, We Lose Our Edges (2022)
    Situated inside is Kambui Olujimi's In The Dark, We Lose Our Edges (2022)
  • Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Palace and Farm is also part of the biennial. Pictured is Gabriela Golder's Arrancar Los Ojos / Tear Out the Eyes (2023)
    Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Palace and Farm is also part of the biennial. Pictured is Gabriela Golder's Arrancar Los Ojos / Tear Out the Eyes (2023)
  • Gabriela Golder, Ojos rotos / Broken Eyes
    Gabriela Golder, Ojos rotos / Broken Eyes
  • The Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Palace and Farm is also hosting Michael Rakowitz's 'Return' (2004-ongoing). Photo: Danko Stjepanovic / Sharjah Art Foundation
    The Sheikh Khalid Bin Mohammed Palace and Farm is also hosting Michael Rakowitz's 'Return' (2004-ongoing). Photo: Danko Stjepanovic / Sharjah Art Foundation
  • Michael Rakowitz, Shetakha for Borrowed Landscape
    Michael Rakowitz, Shetakha for Borrowed Landscape
  • The coastal region of Khorfakkan is also part of the event. Pictured at Khorfakkan Art Centre is Maharani Mancanagara's Hikayat Wanatentrem Story Telling (2018)
    The coastal region of Khorfakkan is also part of the event. Pictured at Khorfakkan Art Centre is Maharani Mancanagara's Hikayat Wanatentrem Story Telling (2018)
  • Works by Hiroji Kubota on show as part of Sharjah Biennial at Sharjah Art Museum. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Works by Hiroji Kubota on show as part of Sharjah Biennial at Sharjah Art Museum. Antonie Robertson / The National

Sheikha Hoor was first appointed curator of Sharjah Biennial 6 in 2003, and has served as the event's director ever since. Determined to present a momentous event for Sharjah Biennial’s 15th outing, she originally asked Nigerian curator, art critic and writer Okwui Enwezor to curate the show.

Enwezor was renowned for using art exhibitions to bring history, politics and social issues into a contemporary global setting. Having first experienced his work at Documenta 11 in Kassel, Germany in 2002, Sheikha Hoor was immediately struck by his radical embrace of postcolonialism, and idea of “thinking historically in the present”.

Reflecting on the experience, she says: “I thought, ‘Why is it that you have to come to Germany to Kassel, somewhere that I'd never heard of at the time, to see something like this?’

“I had the privilege to fly there, but what about people back home? I would love them to see Okwui’s exhibition. That was really the starting point — how can everybody here see that?”

When it came to approaching Enwezor many years later, it turned out the respect was mutual. Sheikha Hoor adds: “He was someone I looked up to, and he respected what we did in Sharjah.

“He said it was important to think historically in the present and to think about the history of Sharjah Biennial; to think about what it meant for the region, and beyond, and how it connected to other events that were happening at the time.”

Curator and art critic, the late Okwui Enwezor, envisioned the theme for Sharjah Biennial 15. Getty Images
Curator and art critic, the late Okwui Enwezor, envisioned the theme for Sharjah Biennial 15. Getty Images

However, shortly after, Enwezor fell severely ill with cancer. Before his death in 2019, Sheikha Hoor visited him in hospital and asked, "What do you want me to do?". She explains: "I didn't want to make that decision, having invited him to curate and then having to make a decision on what to do with what was or was not available. And he said ‘you do it’.”

The reasoning was very clear. “The more time I spent with his messages, the more I realised that he said ‘you do it’ because he meant ‘you know what these 30 years mean and you know what this place means and you live your context’.”

Sheikha Hoor built on Enzewor’s philosophy, gathering artists from across the globe, to present a stunning array of underrepresented and invigoratingly fresh voices.

From Japanese photographer Hiroji Kubota’s 1960s photographs of the Black Panthers, to Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons’s Afro-Cuban-centred explorations of diaspora, the works are strikingly curated — simultaneously weaving collective narratives together, while juxtaposing one another within thoughtfully arranged spaces.

This year, Sharjah Biennial is spread across five cities and towns across the emirate: Sharjah city, Al Dhaid, Hamriyah, Kalba and Khor Fakkan. Sheikha Hoor collaborated with artists on 70 new works, bridging past and present, and representing a diverse range of postcolonial histories. There are also several talks and performances taking place, including film and music programmes.

Sheikha Hoor leads a tour of the Sharjah Art Museum biennial exhibitions. Antonie Robertson / The National
Sheikha Hoor leads a tour of the Sharjah Art Museum biennial exhibitions. Antonie Robertson / The National

Despite the distance between the various sites, Sheikha Hoor has been careful to create a sense of balance.

“When I was growing up, you’d always have a big festival in Sharjah, and then a smaller one in one of the towns. And I thought ‘that's not fair — why do people think that there's room for more intellectual activity in the main city and then less for the countryside or for the coast?’"

She adds: “Each town also has a lot of artists there, so it kind of forces you to go. But it's also introducing people to the place. Biennials are also about discovering places for people who are coming from the outside. And the people in the towns are also very proud of having these spaces.”

Many sites, such as the immediately recognisable 20,000-square-metre Kalba Ice Factory have not only been used before, but have been totally renovated for the event.

“We have venues that we've had as part of the foundation for ages, but we didn't have time or budget to start renovating. So we’d do a semi-renovation, and sometimes I've actually postponed the renovation because I wanted to use the building as a shell. But now was the time to renovate,” explains Sheikha Hoor.

Kalba Ice Factory, pictured in 2023. Photo: Shanavas Jamaluddin
Kalba Ice Factory, pictured in 2023. Photo: Shanavas Jamaluddin

Aside from the Flying Saucer Building, other repurposed sites include a former vegetable market, medical clinic and kindergarten. With venues ranging from historical sites to modern landmarks, the programme weaves a tapestry across various pockets of Sharjah's history and its landscapes.

“There are many buildings that may have been demolished if we hadn’t repurposed them. So that was really special, that each town or city has a building that has a history and a memory there that we can also interact with.”

This year, Sheikha Hoor felt it was important to utilise Al Dhaid. “It’s a farmland area in the desert, like an Oasis town we all grew up going to. Many families have farms there that they visit for the weekend.

“There was a lot of renovation of old buildings and heritage buildings happening there. And one building that we've had for a while was an old preventive clinic. The people that run the clinic actually reached out to me and said, ‘come see our building, we want to move to a new building — but we don't want anything to happen to this building and we know that you'll look after it and look after our tree’. There's this massive tree when you enter. It’s beautiful.

“Then somebody said, ‘Oh, we're renovating this old palace there, take it,” she adds. “So there are all these little moments, but it's also about the people in the town, which is nice.

“Their children are the ones who are working as visitor guides. We hire locally. And at the same time, at one of the spaces, they’re already calling these buildings the Art Square.”

The biennial programme includes performances such as Abdulrahim Salem's The Unknown Sailor, (2023), at Kalba Ice Factory. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation
The biennial programme includes performances such as Abdulrahim Salem's The Unknown Sailor, (2023), at Kalba Ice Factory. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation

This sense of community is a crucial part of the Biennial’s DNA. Sheikha Hoor is passionate not only about creating engaging programmes for art lovers, but finding ways to draw in all members of the community into the programme —regardless of age or background.

She explains: “I'm going to remove the lampposts to give them ample space to play, to kick balls around, to play cricket. I’ll add a water fountain here, I’ll create lights coming from the buildings." Rather than "inviting an artistic intervention," she says it's "really about us thinking about how people use this space".

“So you see a lot of these moments of ‘we should have a little playground here’. We have little nurseries, baby changing stations — we’re really thinking about who our community is and I think that's really because of the 30 years — we’re looking back, while continuing the work that the biennial feeds into the institution.”

After all, she says, the Biennial is a journey. Although the curatorial philosophy has an intellectual foundation, what is perhaps most remarkable is how accessible they are to the general public — with each exhibition conveying the biennial's broad themes in emotional and digestible ways.

When asked about the universality of the programme, Sheika Hoor says: “I think you have to look at how different people experience the work and not look at it from top down.”

Sheikha Hoor has a fascinating approach to curating artworks around unexpected locations. Located at the Kalba Ice Factory is Doris Salcedo's Uprooted (2020–2022), composed of 804 dead trees and steel; 3000 x 650 x 500 cm. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation
Sheikha Hoor has a fascinating approach to curating artworks around unexpected locations. Located at the Kalba Ice Factory is Doris Salcedo's Uprooted (2020–2022), composed of 804 dead trees and steel; 3000 x 650 x 500 cm. Photo: Sharjah Art Foundation

Over her life, Sheikha Hoor has been able to experience art from several perspectives — visitor, artist, curator and director; which has given her a unique insight. “Meeting a lot of curators and artists, through their work, influenced everything that I'm doing today. It’s been the influence of everyone that I've ever worked with, or crossed paths with.

“So for me, it was important that Sharjah is a meeting point. We did that with the March Meeting as well, because it was a crossroads where people can come and meet others from so many parts of the world.”

The theme of postcolonialism has also proved a particularly powerful bonding agent. “Sometimes, we have the same struggles, but we're so disconnected that we don’t realise that these injustices are happening in different ways.”

She adds: “We wanted to talk about places in the world that are relevant to what we're also going through and not always trying to adhere to a certain moment, you know, of building towers or futurism, but to reality.

“That reality is not about being in this echo chamber of the art world. It’s about bringing worlds together.”

Looking out over Arts Square, in the heart of Sharjah’s cultural district, she says: “Now when it gets dark, this area's full of children playing. We have this community of people who are just doing their own thing, and they know that they're all welcome to come see the shows.

“The children ask questions. So that's a generational thing. I've seen the difference within my 20 years for sure, and that’s the most rewarding part.”

Sharjah Biennial runs until June 11. More information is at www.sharjahart.org

SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday

AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)

Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)

Benevento v Parma (5pm)

Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)

Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)

Lazio v Spezia (5pm)

Napoli v Crotone (5pm)

Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)

Torino v Juventus (8pm)

Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

The Old Slave and the Mastiff

Patrick Chamoiseau

Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

Ticket prices

General admission Dh295 (under-three free)

Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free

Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets

ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Rub%20Al%20Khali%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Marmoom%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELiwa%20Oasis%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Khatim%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Al%20Quadra%20Desert%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

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Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

US%20federal%20gun%20reform%20since%20Sandy%20Hook
%3Cp%3E-%20April%2017%2C%202013%3A%20A%20bipartisan-drafted%20bill%20to%20expand%20background%20checks%20and%20ban%20assault%20weapons%20fails%20in%20the%20Senate.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20July%202015%3A%20Bill%20to%20require%20background%20checks%20for%20all%20gun%20sales%20is%20introduced%20in%20House%20of%20Representatives.%20It%20is%20not%20brought%20to%20a%20vote.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20June%2012%2C%202016%3A%20Orlando%20shooting.%20Barack%20Obama%20calls%20on%20Congress%20to%20renew%20law%20prohibiting%20sale%20of%20assault-style%20weapons%20and%20high-capacity%20magazines.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20October%201%2C%202017%3A%20Las%20Vegas%20shooting.%20US%20lawmakers%20call%20for%20banning%20bump-fire%20stocks%2C%20and%20some%20renew%20call%20for%20assault%20weapons%20ban.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20February%2014%2C%202018%3A%20Seventeen%20pupils%20are%20killed%20and%2017%20are%20wounded%20during%20a%20mass%20shooting%20in%20Parkland%2C%20Florida.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20December%2018%2C%202018%3A%20Donald%20Trump%20announces%20a%20ban%20on%20bump-fire%20stocks.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20August%202019%3A%20US%20House%20passes%20law%20expanding%20background%20checks.%20It%20is%20not%20brought%20to%20a%20vote%20in%20the%20Senate.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20April%2011%2C%202022%3A%20Joe%20Biden%20announces%20measures%20to%20crack%20down%20on%20hard-to-trace%20'ghost%20guns'.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20May%2024%2C%202022%3A%20Nineteen%20children%20and%20two%20teachers%20are%20killed%20at%20an%20elementary%20school%20in%20Uvalde%2C%20Texas.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20June%2025%2C%202022%3A%20Joe%20Biden%20signs%20into%20law%20the%20first%20federal%20gun-control%20bill%20in%20decades.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR

US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.

KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.

 

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)

Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)

Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)

SPEC%20SHEET
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Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you

 

 

How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
  4. Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
  5. Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Pathaan
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The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
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If you go

Flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.

The stay

Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Specs

Engine: 2-litre

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 255hp

Torque: 273Nm

Price: Dh240,000

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

SPECS
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Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE

Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000

Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6

Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm

Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

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Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

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Updated: May 10, 2023, 8:36 AM