Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.
Fireworks at Burj Khalifa welcome 2025 in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
It is said the Babylonians, more than 4,000 years ago, were the first to celebrate a new year, with festivals, gifts and pledges. And while the ancient people of Mesopotamia celebrated this in the spring, known as Akitu, and still marked each year by Iraqi Assyrians, its legacy is a ritual that has spread across cultures to become a near-global event that we will ring in on Wednesday at midnight.
With it, despite the usual ticking of the clock and the normal passage of one day to the next, we will usher in a new beginning with a collective hope for renewal, a chance for positive change and a commitment to do or be better.
The feeling of promise and anticipation as we peek over the starting line of 2026 is a powerful lens for looking ahead – and as you’ll discover below, there is plenty to look forward to.
Yaqeen Kankar, a Syrian girl with spinal muscular atrophy, was given Zolgensma in Dubai this year. Itvisma is an advanced treatment using the same drug. Antonie Robertson / The National
But first, to a medical milestone that is expected to offer a lifeline to children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Hospital in Abu Dhabi has made history by becoming the first in the world to deliver pioneering gene-therapy treatment, Itvisma. The one-dose drug works to replace the defective SMN1 gene responsible for the debilitating disease and, unlike earlier forms of treatment, it can be used on patients beyond infancy.
SMA, which is thought to affect one in 50,000 people globally, causes a broad spectrum of severity. In its most severe form, the disease can be fatal before a child’s second birthday and is the leading genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers. Milder cases may not show symptoms until much later in childhood or adulthood.
The advancement is the latest measure in a UAE-wide effort to improve the lives of patients with SMA. Clinicians expect families from around the world to travel to the Emirates to receive the life-changing treatment – a single dose that could transform thousands of lives. Read the full story here.
Quoted
'The most valuable things we give, and give to ourselves, are not always the ones that take up space. Often, they are the ones that stay with us long after the season has passed'
Tourists enter the Khufu Pyramid via the so-called Robbers' Tunnel. Photo: Getty Images
From the depths of the pyramids to the far side of the Moon, James Langton has been busy looking at events the world can expect in 2026.
In his round-up of what the coming year has in store is a record-breaking natural phenomenon, some major milestones for human endeavour and plenty more celebrations – read it here.
He has also delved into the happenings on the UAE horizon – from the much-anticipated national passenger rail network to new laws aimed at improving health or helping the environment. You can read that round-up here.
Faisal Al Zaabi has scoured the listings and new releases for you to create this bumper list of 30 films to look forward to in the next 12 months.
If you’re looking for inspiration for those resolutions – whether it be more challenges or travel – this collective effort from across our newsroom has plenty to inspire: our top 16 destinations for 2026. And for those who want challenges and travel, take inspiration from our intrepid reporter and runner, Lizzie Porter, who has shared her round-up of marathons she has completed across the Middle East.
Snapshot
A traditional dance during a mass wedding reception at Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood. Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues. Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity. Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
