Beshara | The National

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.

Happy New Year,

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.

- Guest writer Sam Instone outlines why spending on experiences feels more meaningful than material purchases

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.