Much of the country's focus has been on events that have occupied the attention of the art and travel markets.
At the Dubai Airshow, manufacturers displayed the latest innovations in aviation technology. In the capital, attention was firmly on Abu Dhabi Art, where more than 140 galleries from 52 cities across 37 countries brought their work to display, and sell, in the UAE. I loved wandering around and seeing works by Palestinian, Turkish and Nigerian artists, as well as the galleries championing home-grown creatives.
From a travel point of view, the highlight in the art calendar had to be Nomad Abu Dhabi, the international art fair that gave new life to Zayed International Airport's decommissioned Terminal 1.
Nomad Abu Dhabi at Zayed International Airport's decommissioned Terminal 1. Victor Besa / The National
Driving up to the terminal was a nostalgic experience, and I loved the commitment to the travel theme, from checking in and being handed a boarding pass to seeing the Abu Dhabi Duty Free signs still in place, along with the famed tent-like roof of the main hall. Plus, with Jumeirah on board as the hospitality partner, there was a noticeably luxurious feel to the event.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the fair, which he said “embodies Abu Dhabi’s vision to preserve and reuse its historic buildings in innovative and sustainable ways”, Abu Dhabi Media Office reported.
My artistic highlight was Lebanese artist Ali Cha'aban's 12pm Class, a Persian carpet shaped like a paper aeroplane, which was displayed by Etihad Airways in front of the check-in counters at the old terminal. It felt like a fitting installation.
Ali Cha'aban's 2019 work 12pm Class on display at Nomad Abu Dhabi. Farah Andrews / The National
Nomad is a travelling art show and has now closed in Abu Dhabi. It has stops planned in St Moritz in February and the Hamptons in June, and a return to the UAE for next year has been announced.
Staying in the UAE, we have a long weekend on the horizon. Many of the Emirates' residents will be enjoying two days off work for Eid Al Etihad this weekend. The holiday, which marks the anniversary of the founding of the UAE on December 2, 1971, is the perfect time to book a staycation for two extra days of downtime. You'll find our guide to some of the best deals for the holiday weekend here.
JA Beach Hotel when it opened in the 1980s, then known as Jebel Ali Beach Hotel. Photo: JA Beach Hotel
One real gem is the JA Beach Hotel, which Deepthi Nair recently discovered has kept its charm in the 40-plus years it has been open. Deepthi checked in during the run-up to National Day, and you can read her full review of the Jebel Ali hotel here.
And finally, music to the ears of many UAE travellers this week: Air Arabia has announced that it is launching direct flights from Sharjah to London, starting at Dh999. Direct economy flights from the UAE to the UK can typically range from Dh2,800 to Dh5,000 and more, depending on dates and airlines, so this will be a welcome introduction for many budgets.
Starting on March 29, the route will operate twice a day with flights to London Gatwick operated by an Airbus A321neo LR aircraft. On-board service will include the in-flight streaming platform SkyTime and the airline's SkyCafe. Bookings for the route are now open. Read more here.
Waimarino Lodge is on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. Photo: Waimarino Lodge
It's around about this time every year that I start planning the next year of travel. So, if you're like me, our guide to 26 hotels opening around the world in 2026 will come in very handy.
There are a handful on our list that have caught my eye, including the Capella Kyoto in Japan and Amanvari, Mexico, which are both slated for a spring opening.
I am not sure that a trip to New Zealand is on the cards for me in 2026, but one look at the Lake Wakatipu views from the Waimarino Lodge in Queenstown has shot the hotel straight to the top of my dream stays list. Read more about the anticipated openings here.
We compiled a similar list for hotel openings this year, which you can find with this link.
Having opened in 1997, it's considered a legacy hotel on the relatively young UAE hospitality scene. But from restaurant overhauls to room renovation – doors closed for five months in 2018 for a substantial refresh – it's in no danger of getting left behind.
More recently, this involved last year's makeover of Al Bahar Villas, the hotel's more deluxe, exclusive accommodation offering. You can read Hayley Kadrou's review of the villas here, which she says have a Bali boho meets Dubai luxe feel.
The Xixia Imperial Tombs, which have been newly awarded Unesco World Heritage recognition. Photo: John Brunton
Travelling to China, it is tempting to head straight for the big-city attractions of Beijing and Shanghai. But on John Brunton's first trip to the country, he decided to eschew the tourist hotspots for an adventure to Ningxia.
This little-known, tiny province nestled on the stark mountainous border with Inner Mongolia and the Gobi Desert is a destination full of surprises. Read all about what John found in this remote destination here.
For frequent flyers, a mini grab-and-go first aid kit is well worth putting together: something that contains all the essentials you could need while travelling. Mine contains plasters, a small pair of scissors, tweezers, antiseptic wipes, a roll of bandage, painkillers (ibuprofen or paracetamol), antihistamines, stomach medication, motion sickness tablets, a hydrocortisone cream and bite relief. Just note that if you're carrying it in your hand luggage, you'll need to check the size of the scissors.
The National produces a variety of newsletters across an array of subjects. You can sign up here. To receive The Editor's Briefing, our Editor-in-Chief's weekly newsletter – exclusive to registered readers – rounding up the top stories of the week, sign up here.
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.
LILO & STITCH
Starring:Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
The EU imports 90 per cent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister. "We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know. “All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.” It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins. Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement. The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
