Thousands of revellers across the UAE welcomed the New Year in style on Thursday, enjoying spectacular fireworks displays at a social distance.
At the stroke of midnight, loud cheers echoed through Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates as well-wishers bid farewell to a turbulent 2020.
The New Year's scenes looked decidedly different from years gone by because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Dubai, families and friends, clad in face masks, gathered in Downtown Dubai to catch a glimpse of the world famous Burj Khalifa fireworks and laser light display.
Onlookers were hit with a blaze of colour and noise as the night sky lit up when fireworks blazed outwards from the world's tallest building.
Partygoers stood apart on floor stickers and wardens patrolled the streets to ensure strict safety protocols were being followed.
Although restrictions were in place and the crowds were smaller than in years gone by, residents and tourists were able to have a safe and celebratory night.
Before the show was under way, Burj Khalifa displayed the flag of each country as they entered the New Year and intermittent fountain displays set to songs from around the world kept revellers entertained as the clock counted down to midnight.
Tribute was paid to frontline workers, giving thanks for "our heroes" during a challenging year.
The UAE’s 2021 celebrations were every bit as jubilant in the other six emirates.
Abu Dhabi city played host to dramatic fireworks displays in four locations, including Yas Island, Al Wathba and Al Maryah Island.
Onlookers on the Corniche enjoyed a dazzling spectacular against the backdrop of the Arabian Gulf.
On Yas Island, fireworks roared through the sky after being let off from Yas Marina Circuit, illuminating the local hotels and theme parks.
Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Festival had a dazzling fireworks display that lasted for 35 minutes to welcome 2021.
It set two Guinness World records for the show. The first record was set for the longest-running fireworks show, which ran continuously for 35 minutes with fireworks launched from 16 towers.
The second was for the longest Girandola fireworks show in the world.
Both shows were held amid strict precautionary measures. The Festival's organising committee distributed free masks and sanitisers and ensured that social distancing norms were observed, while also checking the temperature of visitors at the entry gate.
In Ras Al Khaimah, the emirate did little to disappoint as it set off 8,500 kilograms of fireworks for a jaw-dropping, 10-minute display that stretched more than 4km along the coast on Al Marjan Island.
Crowds were unable to gather at the popular New Year’s Eve spot but they could tune in to social media to watch the display live.
Guests at nearby hotels also enjoyed the colourful views from afar as they rang in 2021.
"We are sending a message of positivity to the world from here in Ras Al Khaimah, urging people to move forward with confidence after what was an unprecedented year," said Abdulla Al Abdouli, a member of the event organising committee.
Before the celebrations, authorities across the country urged the public to celebrate the New Year safely and help to battle a rise in Covid-19 cases.
Dr Saif Al Dhaheri, spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, emphasised the need to abide by Covid-19 safety measures while ringing in 2021 at public and private gatherings.
Dr Al Dhaheri highlighted the importance of wearing masks and adhering to social distancing rules.
On Thursday, the UAE's leaders wished the country and the world a happy and prosperous new year.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said 2020 had been a year of challenges and accomplishments.
"A year in which the true values of our country appeared, a year in which we proved that we are the strongest in our unity, in our tolerance, by our giving,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I wish well-being to my country and the Arab world with each passing year. May mankind move forward towards a brighter, better and greater future.”
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
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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
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
More coverage from the Future Forum
RESULT
Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Barbie
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