Time magazine has released its annual list of the World's Greatest Places, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai both being mentioned.
This year's guide includes 100 destinations divided into two categories: places to stay and places to visit.
Dubai’s One Za’abeel is one of the places to stay, as Time describes the development as a “head turner” praising its stunning architecture and highlighting its impressive culinary offerings. This includes Qabu by Spanish chef Paco Morales, DuangDy by husband-and-wife duo Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones and Tapasake, a poolside restaurant at the top that overlooks the UAE's longest infinity pool.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi is included in the places to visit section, with the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island. “Arriving at a particularly tumultuous time for the world, Abu Dhabi’s Abrahamic Family House, combining a mosque, synagogue and church aiming to promote mutual understanding, feels more important than ever,” the publication says.
Other mentions from the region include Dar Tantor in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, which is hailed for its mix of modernity and tradition and Our Habitas Ras Abrouq in Dukhan, Qatar, listed for its luxurious villas and unique activities, revealing more of the country's appeal. Additionally, Bab Al Salam Mosque in Muscat is described as “a minimalist wonder bathed in natural light”; Bahrain’s Pearling Path in Muharraq is praised for its ability to attract both residents and visitors; and the Sharaan Nature Reserve, Saudi Arabia, is recognised for it’s “untouched physical beauty and raw nature history”.
"Travel industry trends often reflect the id of humanity: what the collective we desire most when unburdened from daily stressors and responsibilities," the magazine's editors write about the list. "While last year's list featured 50 cities, this year we decided to explore even more − and more specific − establishments that stand out in their field, and the world."
Last year's list included Sharjah for its cultural offerings and as a “hub for contemporary art and design”.
The full list of Time's World's Greatest Places 2024 can be found below.
Time’s best places to visit 2024
· Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi, UAE
· Pearling Path, Muharraq, Bahrain
· Bab Al Salam Mosque, Muscat Oman
· Sharaan Nature Reserve, Saudi Arabia
· Maui Cultural Lands Lahaina, Hawaii
· Kamba African Rainforest Experiences, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of the Congo
· WA EV Network, Western Australia
· Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, Manchester, England
· Hassan Fathy's New Gourna Village, Luxor, Egypt
· Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum, Marrakesh, Morocco
· Reethaus, Berlin
· Ivomo Tea Cooperative, Gisakura, Rwanda
· Bar Magritte, Brussels
· Buffalo AKG, Buffalo, NY
· Yum Cha, Santiago, Chile
· Saka Museum, Jimbaran, Indonesia
· The Diyarbakir Express, Turkey
· Iris, Hardangerfjord, Norway
· Grootbos Florilegium, Gansbaai, South Africa
· Dive Tutukaka, Tutukaka, New Zealand
· CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
· VYN, Simrishamn, Sweden
· Kunstsilo, Kristiansand, Norway
· Manam Chocolate, Hyderabad, India
· International African American Museum, Charleston, South Carolina
· Ibera Provincial Reserve, Corrientes province, Argentina
· Zeyrek Cinili Hamam, Istanbul
· Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, Switzerland and Italy
· Air CCCC, Singapore
· Baths of Caracalla, Rome
· Magugu House, Johannesburg
· Sanxingdui Museum, Guanghan, China
· The Rabbit hOle, North Kansas City, Missouri
· Naar, Himachal Pradesh, India
· Ruta de los Abastos, O'Higgins region, Chile
· Aranya, Beidaihe, China
· Hornsgatan Slow Fashion District, Stockholm
· Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, Palm Springs, California
· Museum of Solutions, Mumbai
· Olivia Foundation, Mexico City
· Putep ‘t-awt, Cacouna, Quebec
· teamLab Borderless Digital Art Museum, Tokyo
· La Maison Rabelais, Amboise, France
· EDP Art Reef, Albufeira, Portugal
· Origem, Salvador, Brazil
· CERN Science Gateway, Meyrin, Switzerland
· Museum of Mountain Jews, Red Village, Azerbaijan
· Montgomery Whitewater, Montgomery, Alabama
· Via Transilvanica, Romania
· Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida
Time’s best places to stay 2024
· One Za'abeel, Dubai
· Dar Tantora, AlUla, Saudi Arabia
· Our Habitas Ras Abrouq, Dukhan, Qatar
· Modern Elder Academy, Santa Fe, New Mexico
· White Desert, Antarctica
· Angama Amboseli, Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya
· Bambu Indah, Ubud, Indonesia
· Vermelho Hotel, Melides, Portugal
· Sun Ranch, Coopers Shoot, Australia
· Highland Base, Kerlingarfjoll, Iceland
· Snow Peak Long Beach Campfield, Long Beach Peninsula, Washington
· Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel, Amalfi, Italy
· Belmond's Eastern & Oriental Express, Malaysia
· Sinchi Wayra, Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
· Boca de Agua, Bacalar, Mexico
· Kantishna Roadhouse, Denali National Park, Alaska
· Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Koh Samui, Thailand
· Burhan Wilderness Camps, Bardiya, Nepal
· Le Grand Mazarin, Paris
· Silversands Beach House, St George's, Grenada
· Dunas de Formentera, Formentera, Spain
· Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Dolomites, Italy
· Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux, Norway
· The Wayback, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
· Sangwa Camp, Haa Valley, Bhutan
· The Manchester, Lexington, Kentucky
· Raffles London at the OWO, London
· Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase, Big Water, Utah
· 100 Princes Street, Edinburgh
· Kwetu Nairobi, Nairobi
· Hofe Trail, Osttirol, Austria
· Natural Selection's Guided Cycling Safari, Okavango Delta, Botswana
· Fontainebleau, Las Vegas
· Mine + Farm Inn, Guerneville, California
· Casa Lucia, Buenos Aires
· Wukalina Walk, Tasmania, Australia
· Melesin Distillery, Leskovik, Albania
· Potlatch Club, the Bahamas
· De Durgerdam, Durgerdam, the Netherlands
· Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
· Caiman House, Yupukari, Guyana
· Communal Kutaisi, Kutaisi, Georgia
· Warren Street Hotel, New York City
· Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection, Fort Worth, Texas
· Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat, Lake Pukaki, New Zealand
· Silvestre Nosara, Nosara, Costa Rica
· Reverb by Hard Rock, Hamburg
· World Equestrian Centre, Ocala, Florida
· The Inn at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island, Michigan
· Omni Homestead Resort and Warm Springs Pools, Warm Springs, Virginia
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
