Good morning from The National on December 30, 2025.
Here is your digest of what is making the headlines in the Emirates.
The 2026 budget for Sharjah is up 3 per cent on this year's total of Dh42 billion. Getty Images
Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, approved the emirate's biggest budget yet ahead of the new year.
The figure of Dh44.5 billion ($12.1 billion) was agreed on to "foster financial sustainability [and] enhance cultural, scientific and economic prosperity", according to state news agency Wam.
A key facet of the budget was to underline the importance of ensuring security and safety, along with the sustainability of energy, water and food resources.
“The 2026 general budget adopts a three-dimensional approach," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi, chairman of the Sharjah Finance Department.
"The first dimension focuses on developing economic and social objectives and strategies to enhance the well-being and prosperity of the emirate's residents."
Residents are urged to seek medical advice if unusual or concerning symptoms develop following a mosquito bite. Alamy
UAE residents were urged to be alert to the dangers posed by mosquitoes after recent wet weather created ideal conditions for the insects to thrive.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention issued a warning that a larger number of mosquitoes in the Emirates could increase the risk of disease being transmitted.
Their numbers increased after periods of rain and UAE residents have noticed an increase following the heavy downpours this month.
A rise in mosquito numbers was also reported in April last year, when the UAE experienced its largest single day of rainfall since records began in 1949.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino speaks at the World Sports Summit in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said an unprecedented demand for 2026 World Cup tickets vindicated his organisation's controversial pricing structure for the tournament.
At the opening of the World Sports Summit at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on Monday, Mr Infantino said Fifa had received requests for 150 million tickets since they went on sale 15 days ago.
"This is absolutely crazy. And what is important and what is crucial is that the revenues that are generated from this are going back to the game all over the world," he said.
Fifa has come in for fierce criticism over the cost of tickets for the 2026 World Cup. Scotland manager Steve Clarke even warned supporters not to risk going into debt just to attend the tournament in North America.
Did you enjoy this newsletter? The National produces newsletters across an array of subjects. You can sign up to them here.
How to apply for a drone permit
Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
Submit their request
What are the regulations?
Fly it within visual line of sight
Never over populated areas
Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
Should have a live feed of the drone flight
Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024. It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine. Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages]. The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts. With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians. Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved. Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world. The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
