Hello and welcome to Weekender – the newsletter that guides you through all the highlights of our Weekend edition.

The capital in colour
The capital in colour

Our photographers' most striking images of the year.

Saladin Sawan at work
Saladin Sawan at work

'A quarter were children': One surgeon's traumatic memories of operating on the victims of Gaza's war.

Navigating Syria's new political economy: Rivalries, rising rents and an emerging elite.

Could Sam Rasoul become the second Palestinian American in Congress?

Culture

On the edge of our seats...
On the edge of our seats...

From Adolescence to Pluribus, our favourite TV shows of 2025.

The hardest part of hearing Hind Rajab's voice in the cinema was the hope that she would be rescued.

Restaurant of the week: Why Billionaire Dubai is still bang on the money.

Entrepreneur Kanessa Muluneh
Entrepreneur Kanessa Muluneh

Money & Me: ‘My goal is to reach a personal net worth of $1bn.’

Future Beat newsletter: The stories shaping tomorrow's world.

Goa's Kuswar treat
Goa's Kuswar treat

The many flavours of an Indian Christmas tell stories of migration, memory and exchange.

Find out how well you've kept up with the news of the last seven days in our Quiz of the Week.

Plus much, much more in our latest Weekend edition.

And in case you missed it last week: Delusion, paranoia, spiralling - the dangers of outsourcing your life to chatbots.

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

Company%20Profile
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Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
​​​​​​​Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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