Abu Dhabi’s Wahat Al Karama is known in English as the Oasis of Dignity – and it is breathtaking in every sense.
From a glittering pool specifically built to reflect the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, to 31 imposing aluminium slabs leaning against each other, Wahat Al Karama is an awe-inspiring site.
But its smallest details impress most.
It was built in only seven months and inaugurated on November 30, 2016 – the same date that the UAE lost its first soldier in 1971, in the battle of Greater Tunb against the Iranians.
The 46,000 square metre site opposite the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque commemorates those who government has named its heroes. The many commuters who pass by the site might not be able to see the poems engraved on the leaning slabs of aluminium, or the narrow, horizontal structure supporting these slabs, engraved with the pledge of the UAE.
The smallest detail at Wahat Al Karama is symbolic, from its name and design, which was chosen to reflect the heritage of the UAE, to a small stream of water that travels through the different “stations” and “pavilions” symbolising the UAE’s first irrigation system.
The spine supporting the slabs is meant to represent the UAE’s soldiers, those who hold the country together. Without them the nation would topple.
Names of the heroes are not on the slabs but engraved on book-sized panels made of melted-down tank armour in the Pavilion of Honour.
The panels are set in the walls of a circular enclosure with even more leaning slabs. These are made of glass and there are eight of them – one for each of the emirates, and an eighth representing the servicemen and women.
Each panel has the name of the soldier engraved, and the year and country where they died.
Most recently, there are those who have lost their lives in Yemen and Afghanistan. There is only one woman – Sgt Mahra Mohamed Al Zaabi – who died in 2004 in the UAE during military training.
So particular is the attention to detail that the enclosure has a 24-hour cooling system so that the panels do not fog over with the UAE’s humidity. Water swirls anti-clockwise in a small infinity pool a few metres before the pavilion.
The pool is symbolic on two levels. One shows the soldiers’ sacrifices are kept in the history of the UAE; the other that their comrades will carry on their work.
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Every day, whether rain or shine, a dozen servicemen in uniform visit Wahat Al Karama to salute the UAE’s heroes.
On official visits and special occasions, the centre pool is drained and a wreath is placed on the aluminium panels.
Thousands of people visit Wahat Al Karama each day and the amphitheatre can host 1,200 people, but again, Wahat Al Karama’s grandeur lies in the small details – in the olive and palm trees planted to show heritage and love, and in the bushes grown to attract birds so that the only sounds you hear are of water streams and bird song.
It is, as the museum’s guide reads, “a timeless tribute to commemorate and honour the Emirati heroes who sacrificed their lives in the service of the country”.
Ceremonies to mark Commemoration Day will be held by ministries and institutions across the country tomorrow. The UAE flag will be raised at half-mast at 8am. A minute of silence will be held at 11.30am, followed by the raising of the UAE flag and the national anthem to honour Emiratis who have died in the line of duty.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Barings Bank
Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal.
Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson.
Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
