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
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
The flights Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class. The cruise UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
