Beshara: The most captivating pictures of the week

  • President Sheikh Mohamed presents the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize for Health to representatives from Jade (UAE), during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Cen. Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court
    President Sheikh Mohamed presents the 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize for Health to representatives from Jade (UAE), during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Cen. Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court
  • Dacia Sandriders' Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah, right, and Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin celebrate after winning the 48th Dakar Rally 2026 in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on January 17. Al Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia. AFP
    Dacia Sandriders' Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah, right, and Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin celebrate after winning the 48th Dakar Rally 2026 in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on January 17. Al Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia. AFP
  • An ice fishing enthusiast prepares to cast his fishing line into a hole on Lake Rydwan near Lowicz, Poland, on January 15. EPA
    An ice fishing enthusiast prepares to cast his fishing line into a hole on Lake Rydwan near Lowicz, Poland, on January 15. EPA
  • An airliner flies past the rising waning crescent moon prior sunrise in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on January 16, 2026. AFP
    An airliner flies past the rising waning crescent moon prior sunrise in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany on January 16, 2026. AFP
  • A visitor explores the Bubble Planet exhibition at Arena Berlin in Berlin, Germany, on January 15. The experience features a series of themed rooms engaging all five senses, including virtual reality, optical illusions and ball pits, and runs until March 29, 2026. Reuters
    A visitor explores the Bubble Planet exhibition at Arena Berlin in Berlin, Germany, on January 15. The experience features a series of themed rooms engaging all five senses, including virtual reality, optical illusions and ball pits, and runs until March 29, 2026. Reuters
  • Slovenia's Prevc Domen in action during the men's Individual HS137 training jump at the Ski Jumping World Cup in Sapporo, Japan, on January 16. Reuters
    Slovenia's Prevc Domen in action during the men's Individual HS137 training jump at the Ski Jumping World Cup in Sapporo, Japan, on January 16. Reuters
  • A man holds his dog to be blessed outside St Anton Church in central Madrid on January 17. Anthony the Abbot (San Anton) is the Catholic patron saint of animals. EPA
    A man holds his dog to be blessed outside St Anton Church in central Madrid on January 17. Anthony the Abbot (San Anton) is the Catholic patron saint of animals. EPA
  • A view of a blooming flower in a garden in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 16. EPA
    A view of a blooming flower in a garden in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 16. EPA
  • Grey cranes flocking on Agamon Lake in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve as the Sun rises in northern Israel on January 15. The Hula Valley is home to an immigration sanctuary for hundreds of millions of birds migrating from Europe and Asia to Africa and back during the spring and autumn seasons. AFP
    Grey cranes flocking on Agamon Lake in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve as the Sun rises in northern Israel on January 15. The Hula Valley is home to an immigration sanctuary for hundreds of millions of birds migrating from Europe and Asia to Africa and back during the spring and autumn seasons. AFP
  • Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaks to members of the England Women's rugby team during a reception following their World Cup win in 2025, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, on January 15. AFP
    Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaks to members of the England Women's rugby team during a reception following their World Cup win in 2025, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, on January 15. AFP
  • Indian Hindu devotees cook Pongal on the roadside during the Pongal or Makar Sankranti festival celebration in Bangalore, India, on January 15. Cows and bulls are decorated with bright colours during this Hindu thanksgiving festival, celebrated after the harvest season. Pongal, a very popular dish in South Indian states, is made by boiling rice with milk, jaggery, and other sweeteners. EPA
    Indian Hindu devotees cook Pongal on the roadside during the Pongal or Makar Sankranti festival celebration in Bangalore, India, on January 15. Cows and bulls are decorated with bright colours during this Hindu thanksgiving festival, celebrated after the harvest season. Pongal, a very popular dish in South Indian states, is made by boiling rice with milk, jaggery, and other sweeteners. EPA
  • The Day of Solidarity aerial parade takes to the skies along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi on January 17. Organised by the Ministry of Defence, the parade featured elite pilots of the UAE Armed Forces, including the renowned Al Fursan aerobatic team. Victor Besa / The National
    The Day of Solidarity aerial parade takes to the skies along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi on January 17. Organised by the Ministry of Defence, the parade featured elite pilots of the UAE Armed Forces, including the renowned Al Fursan aerobatic team. Victor Besa / The National