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With more than 90 per cent of homes in Gaza destroyed or damaged, Mohamed Al Khalidi was overcome with emotion to see his still standing on returning to the north-west of the enclave after 15 months of war.
His younger brother Zain, 17, was not so lucky, killed by gunfire. "We lost Zain, the dearest thing we had," Mr Al Khalidi told The National. "Even if we had 100 homes destroyed, it would not be as painful as losing a family member."
Since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect and the two sides began exchanging hostages for detainees, many Palestinians displaced by the Gaza war have been making their way home by any means necessary. Transport is almost non-existent and many have undertaken arduous journeys on foot carrying their belongings and their children.
Mr Al Khalidi walked alone for four hours to reach his flat in Gaza city from the south of the strip, carrying only a small bag and his door key tied to a white ribbon hanging from his neck, along with an unwavering hope to see his home.
The trek was far from easy. Almost 70 per cent of the city has been flattened by Israeli bombing. Across Gaza, an estimated 50 million tonnes of rubble cover the landscape. When those returning arrive at their destination, many have nowhere to shelter because their homes have been destroyed and sleep in tents or in the street.
"The road was long and very difficult. I was very excited to return, but on the way I was very upset by the sights of the displaced families," Mr Al Khalidi said.
Seeing his home intact was a bittersweet moment. "When I returned, it was full of memories of Zain," he added. The bedroom he had shared with his brother was undamaged, along with clothes they both wore that were hanging in the wardrobe.
Mr Al Khalidi and his family were forcibly displaced five times in the past year, taking shelter in a tent and carrying with them a constant fear of Israeli bombardment, all the while grieving for Zain.
"We will fix the house and clean it up because it holds many memories for us," he said. "At the beginning of the war, we did not know anything about its fate, but after a long time we learnt it was safe, thank God."
When the current ceasefire took hold on January 19, it was an emotional moment for the family. Mr Al Khalidi began his walk home a few days later, wanting to clean up the house and prepare it for the arrival of his parents after a 15-month hiatus from the family home.
"My feelings during the ceasefire were very mixed, between joy and sadness, but we were very relieved when the massacres stopped," he said.
A feeling of belonging engulfed him the moment he stepped inside his home again. "All the tired feelings left me," he told The National.
Apart from some broken windows and dust covering every surface, Mr Al Khalidi said the apartment was in a better condition than many others in the neighbourhood where most were reduced to rubble.
"After I arrived home, I felt strange," he said. "I forgot all about life in the tent, as if I had been in my house for a long time and had become very accustomed to it, even after an absence of more than a year."
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
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Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
