Arabic-speaking shopping assistants at Munich Airport
Munich Airport is offering Arabic-speaking shopping assistants for travellers, from this week until September 10. The on-request service is available free of charge at Terminal 2.
"They will be available to bridge any cultural or language gaps between passengers and the personnel serving them in airport shops," said an airport spokesman. "The native Arabic speakers can also guide travellers through the Terminal 2 shopping world and provide detailed information on offers and products. The service will be free of charge for passengers, and is intended to provide them with a pleasant shopping experience."
The shopping assistants can help with questions on sales tax refunds or customs formalities and should be easy to spot, with uniforms embroidered with “Arabic Shopping Assistant”.
Munich Airport is the gateway to Bavaria, which rivals London and Paris as a summer destination for Gulf travellers, attracted by luxury shopping, medical facilities and the destination's safety. For more information, see www.munich-airport.com
Le Grand Bellevue reopens in Switzerland, with luxury spa
Hotel Le Grand Bellevue in Gstaad, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, has reopened for the summer with a new 3,000-square-metre spa. Le Grand Spa, one of the largest in the country, offers 17 different "wellness experiences", including a hay sauna, infra-red sauna and Himalayan salt grotto. There is also a new garden with a yoga space and outdoor relaxation pool and an indoor relaxation area with water beds. Treatments range from goat milk and honey baths with mountain botanicals to Alpine salt scrubs, mineral-rich Egyptian Rasul mud masks. Rooms cost from Chf340 (Dh1,318) per night including taxes (www.bellevue-gstaad.ch/hotel-switzerland).
Two more Marriotts in Poland
Visitors to Poland can now check into the Sopot Marriott Resort & Spa, between Gdansk and Gdynia on the Baltic Sea. The resort has 145 rooms, two restaurants, and one of the biggest spas in the country, with 35 treatment rooms and four swimming pools. Double rooms from Pln546 (Dh549) per night including taxes. In September, Marriott will open a 91-room hotel in the cultural centre of Wroclaw (www.marriott.com).
Boutique hotels in Hamburg
Overlooking the shops, cafes and waterways of Hamburg's Old Town is Sir Nikolai, a luxury 94-room boutique hotel. A member of the Berlin-based Design Hotels, the Sir Nikolai is anointed with curated art, vintage rugs, a glass roof and marble, and a restaurant called the Izakaya Asian Kitchen & Bar. Rooms from 155 euros (Dh663) per night including taxes (www.designhotels.com). Also in the German city, The Fontenay opens on October 15. The luxury lakeside hotel will have 131 rooms and suites, with double rooms from 355 euros (Dh1,519) per night including taxes (www.thefontenay.de).
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
More coverage from the Future Forum
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
