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☆ Dubai reveals massive plans for the world’s busiest airport
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A mammoth airport in Saudi Arabia has already set records for size, but new plans in Dubai are ratcheting up the race to be the world’s busiest airport by passenger volume. Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Airport currently wears the crown as the largest airport in the world by area. “It will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, and all operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to it in the coming years,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, said Sunday when outlining Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects’ strategic plan. The other, Dubai International Airport, was just ranked the No. Dubai AirportsAt present, Dubai World Central’s primary role is as a center for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul – “MRO” in industry parlance.

Persons: Saudi Arabia’s King, Atlanta’s, Jackson’s, It’s, Al Maktoum, Markus Mainka, That’s, ” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ”, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, X, Paul Griffiths, Abu Dhabi’s, Foster Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International, King Fahd, Atlanta’s Hartsfield, Jackson, Al, Al Maktoum International, Dubai International Airport, Dubai International, Dubai Aviation Engineering, Emirates Cargo, UAE, Emirates, Dubai Airports, Hamad International Airport, Kuwait International, Partners, Sharjah International Airport, Air Locations: Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, Hartsfield, Al Maktoum, Saudi, Qatar, Muscat , Oman, Gulf, Kuwait, British, Dubai’s, Sharjah

☆ Nowhere for the water to go: Dubai flooding shows the world is failing a big climate change drainage test
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Michelle Castillo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Dubai flooding last week illustrated how urban engineering is failing a major climate change test. The United Arab Emirates' city and others like it built on previously uninhabitable areas reflect 20th century urban development ideas that result in the blocking of natural water absorption systems. What's known is that Dubai was built on sand, a natural environment which lets water seep into the soil very easily. But by pouring massive amounts of concrete on top of Dubai's natural terrain, the developers effectively blocked the soil from absorbing water. Plastic products don't absorb water well, and when they end up in landfills around the world, massive piles of trash contribute to a global backup of natural drainage systems.

Persons: Ana Arsky, Arsky Organizations: United Arab, UAE, CNBC Locations: Sharjah, UAE, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it's

CNN —Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, remained in disarray Thursday after unprecedented heavy rain led to airliners having to negotiate flooded runways. Delays and cancelations caused by the flooding have led to ongoing congestion at Dubai International Airport. The tarmac of Dubai International Airport was left submerged. Some residents were seen rowing canoes outside their homes, and one viral video on social media showed residents wake boarding on a flooded street in a residential area. Amr Alfiky/ReutersOther videos from social media showed water rushing through a major shopping mall and inundating the ground floor of homes.

Persons: Rula Rouhana, Mohit Mehta, ”, “, ” Mehta, Amr Alfiky, Mister Funk, Christopher Pike, Madiha Khawaja, Khawaja, Sheikh Zayed, cleanups, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al, Nahyan Organizations: CNN — Dubai International Airport, Emirates, Flydubai, “, ”, Dubai International Airport, Rula, Reuters, United Arab, Dubai International, CNN, UAE, “ Emirates, Bloomberg, Getty Images Municipal, Abu Dhabi . Schools Locations: United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Gurgaon, India, Amsterdam, UAE, Gulf of Oman, Oman, Iran, London, Sheikh, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi

☆ Zaha Hadid Architects unveil Muscat waterfront development
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Rym Bendimerad | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Oman’s capital of Muscat is set to get an expansive $1.3 billion waterfront development, designed by globally renowned Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). The 3.3 million square-meter Al Khuwair Muscat Downtown and Waterfront development will include a residential complex, a marina, a cultural district, numerous canal walkways and a ministerial campus. ZHA’s associate director, architect Paolo Zilli, told CNN he spent around a year finalizing the model he presented to Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning. In Muscat, the population is projected to increase from 1.5 million to 2.7 million by that year. “There are a lot of changes,” Dr. Khalfan bin Saeed bin Mubarak al-Shueili, Oman’s Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, Zaha Hadid, Paolo Zilli, ”, ZHA, Khalfan bin Saeed bin Mubarak, “ Organizations: CNN, Oman’s Ministry of Housing, Urban Planning, Oman Ministry of Housing, Urban, Oman’s, Housing, ”, Zaha Hadid Architects, Guangzhou Opera House, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Muscat, Khuwair Muscat Downtown, Oman, “, Guangzhou, China, Wolfsburg, Germany, Sharjah, United Arab

☆ Dubai wants to build the biggest airport in the world. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

To put that in perspective, that’s nearly 63 million more travelers than the world’s current busiest airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International, handled in 2022 and nearly 100 million more than Dubai International. philipus/Alamy Stock PhotoThe recent Dubai Air Show, held at a purpose-built venue at Al Maktoum International Airport in 2023, offered some intriguing hints about what’s ahead for DWC – and some insights into Dubai Airports’ long-term strategy. “We have prioritized expansion and investments at DXB to meet our customers’ requirements and plans,” Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports CEO, tells CNN. Changing the business modelNew artist renderings haven't been released in a decade, but Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths says the team will soon be working on ambitious new designs. It will have capacity for 185 million passengers per year, or almost seven times the number it handled in 2022.

Persons: Al Maktoum, it‘ll, that’s, Hartsfield –, let’s, DWC, ’ Al Maktoum, DWC –, ” Paul Griffiths, ”, Griffiths, ” Griffiths, “, haven't, Paul Griffiths, “ We’re, Mohammed bin Rashid, Nadine Itani, Abu Dhabi’s, Foster Organizations: CNN, Al, Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai World, Dubai Airports, Dubai International, Al Maktoum International, Hartsfield, Hartsfield – Jackson Atlanta International, Emirates Cargo, UAE, ‘, ’ Al Maktoum International, Dubai Air, Dubai, AFP, Traveller, Emirates, University of Surrey, Hamad International Airport, Kuwait International, Partners, Sharjah International Airport, Air, Riyadh Air Locations: Budapest, Al Maktoum, Dubai, Dubai’s, Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Emirates, England, India, Middle, Europe, Qatar, Muscat , Oman, Bahrain, Gulf, Kuwait, British, Sharjah, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi

JERUSALEM (AP) — A liquor store has opened in Saudi Arabia for the first time in over 70 years, a diplomat reported Wednesday, a further socially liberalizing step in the once-ultraconservative kingdom that is home to the holiest sites in Islam. The store sits next to a supermarket in Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter, said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a socially sensitive topic in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia remains one of the few nations in the world with a ban on alcohol, alongside its neighbor Kuwait and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has banned alcohol since the early 1950s. As Saudi Arabia prepares for a $500 billion futuristic city project called Neom, reports have circulated that alcohol could be served at a beach resort there.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, King Abdulaziz, Prince Mishari, Cyril Ousman Organizations: JERUSALEM, Washington Post, Workers, Saudi, Arab News, Saudi Research, Media, U.S . State Department, United Locations: Saudi Arabia, Islam, Riyadh, Saudi, haram, Islam . Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Jeddah, Mecca, Neom

☆ Winning images from 2023 Travel Photographer of the Year contest reveal world’s beauty and tragedy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Mist rising from the Tuscan hills, a tiny fish staring at the ocean from inside the neck of a glass bottle, and a pangolin tucked contentedly under the chin of her carer are among the winning entries from the 2023 Travel Photographer of the Year competition. Shot all around the globe, the images illuminate both the beauty and tragedy that arise when humans interact with the natural world. Judges crowned Slovenian photographer AndreJa Ravnak the overall winner for her depictions of dream-like European landscapes, after considering more than 20,000 images submitted by photographers from more than 150 countries. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Caden Shepard Choi won the Young Travel Photographer of the Year award for her black-and-white series of photos depicting the Navajo people of Chinle, Arizona herding sheep, shearing them and then weaving with the wool. All the winning photos can be viewed online, or at an exhibition held at the NEC in Birmingham, UK from March 16-19 and at Xposure in Sharjah, UAE.

Persons: AndreJa Ravnak, “ I’ve, ”, “, Athanasios, Martin Broen, Armand Sarlangue, Shepard Choi, Lilly Zhang Organizations: CNN, Conservation, Young, NEC Locations: Siberia, Mexico, Chinle , Arizona, Pennsylvania, Birmingham, Xposure, Sharjah, UAE

☆ When people move out, wildlife moves in: 10 abandoned places reclaimed by nature
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The temple and surrounding forested areas were abandoned three centuries later, when the king moved the capital of the empire away from Angkor. People started moving out in the 1990s and by 2002, the village was completely abandoned. People started moving out in the 1990s and by 2002, the village was completely abandoned. The Whanganui River holds 18 fish species including eels, freshwater crayfish and black flounders. Graham Harries/ShutterstockLocated off the Pembrokeshire coast in west Wales, stands a time capsule in the form of a long-abandoned island fort.

Persons: Prohm, King Jayavarman, Alexander Arndt, Angelina Jolie’s, “ Lara Croft, pileated gibbons, silvered, Johannes Eisele, Leo Francini, Marcio Martins, University of São Paulo, Martins, “, Al Madam, Giuseppe Cacace, Yasuyoshi Chiba, James Beasley, allan wright, Kilda, Graham Harries, Shutterstock, Nicholas Mueller, ”, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Wildlife Alliance, ., Steam, SS, Titanic, Cyclone, University of São, Google Arts & Culture, National Institute of Ecology, Al, Getty, United Arab, Japan Earthquake, University of Georgia, TED, UNESCO Locations: CNN —, Europe, Ta Prohm, Cambodia, Angkor Thom, Khmer, Angkor, Shengshan Island, China, AFP, Houtouwan, Shengshan, Zhoushan, Mangapurua, , New Zealand, Nowhere, Mangapurua Valley, New, Whanganui, North, Australia, Grande, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Marcio, Korea, South Korea, Al Madam Village, UAE, Al, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sharjah, Fukushima, Japan, St Kilda, Scotland, Scotland’s, Kilda, Atlantic, Soay, Boreray, Fort, Wales, Pembrokeshire

☆ Gaza conflict takes toll on Palestinian players, says PFA official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Smoke rises in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 16, 2023. The match is being played in neutral venue of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, because of the conflict. "Everything changed after Oct. 7 with the start of the conflict in Gaza," Palestine Football Association (PFA) media manager Ahmed Rajoub told the National media outlet. "All sporting activities stopped completely in Palestine, and the football team was forced to move to Jordan. "We just can't get the players focused on the game when people are killed and injured every day since the conflict started," he said.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Ram's Faisal Al, Ahmed Rajoub, Khalid, Mohammed, Rajoub, Mohammed Rashid, Rashid, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Robert Birsel Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Lebanon, United Arab, Al, West Bank, Palestine Football Association, National, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Beirut, Australia, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, UAE, Kuwait, Bengaluru

☆ Lebanon and Palestine draw 0-0 in World Cup qualifier held in UAE
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Palestine drew 0-0 with Lebanon on Thursday in a World Cup qualifier played without fans in the United Arab Emirates due to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Despite starting official training only four days ago, the Palestinians started the game well. Karim Darwich missed a good chance for Lebanon three minutes into the second half and Palestine, ranked 94th by FIFA, had a Tamer Seyam shot saved by Lebanon goalkeeper Moustafa Matar. Lebanon's Ali Al Haj shot into the side netting after 87 minutes before Matar saved Oday Dabbagh's close-range shot with his out-stretched leg in the final minute. The Palestinians usually host games at Al-Ram's Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium on the West Bank but they will meet Australia next in Kuwait on Nov. 21.

Persons: Hassan Maatouk, Atta Gaber, Karim Darwich, Moustafa Matar, Lebanon's Ali Al Haj, Matar, Oday Dabbagh's, Ram's Faisal Al, Ashraf Hamed Atta, Toby Davis Organizations: United, Palestinian, FIFA, Al, West Bank, Australia, Thomson Locations: Palestine, Lebanon, Emirates, Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Sharjah, Asia, Kuwait

☆ New Zealand at the 2023 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Soccer · November 13, 2023Palestine's national soccer team begin their challenge for a place in the next phase of Asia's 2026 World Cup preliminaries in Sharjah on Thursday, facing off against Lebanon at a neutral venue due to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war in the region.

Organizations: soccer team Locations: Sharjah, Lebanon, Israel

☆ Ronaldo sparks fightback as Al-Nassr given Asian Champions League scare
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 2 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo was on target as Al-Nassr survived a scare in the Asian Champions League on Monday with the Saudi Pro League side coming from a goal down to hand Tajikistan's Istiklol a 3-1 defeat in Riyadh. The Asian Football Confederation said the game, which was due to be played in Isfahan's Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium, had been "cancelled due to unanticipated and unforeseen circumstances". In Group B, Uzbekistan's Nasaf climbed into pole position after claiming their second win in a row when Azizbek Amonov struck twice in a 3-1 win over Al Sadd of Qatar. Ruzikul Berdiev's team hold a two point lead over Sharjah from the United Arab Emirates, who beat Jordan's Al-Faisaly thanks to a 20th minute goal from Moussa Marega, an Asian Champions League winner with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in 2021. Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Senin Sebai, Istiklol, Ronaldo, Anderson Talisca, Luis Castro's, Al Duhail, Omid Alishah, Qasem Soleimani, Ali Jasim, Sanzhar Tursunov's, Siavash Haghnazari, Nasaf, Azizbek Amonov, Al, Ruzikul, Jordan's, Moussa Marega, Saudi Arabia's Al, Michael Church, Ken Ferris Organizations: Asian Champions League, Saudi Pro League, Brazilian, Iran's Persepolis, Iran's Sepahan, Saudi, Asian Football Confederation, Air Force Club, AGMK, Air Force, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Riyadh, Dushanbe, Saudi, Qatar, Isfahan's, Uzbekistan, Al, Ittihad, Al Sadd, Sharjah, Hilal

☆ Tosin Oshinowo on building a sustainable house in one of the world’s most exclusive neighborhoods
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Lamide Akintobi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lagos, Nigeria CNN —Architect Tosin Oshinowo is no stranger to versatility. She has designed one of the largest malls in Lagos, Nigeria, beach houses on the city’s coast and homes for internally displaced people in the north of the country. That exclusivity was one of the main challenges for the Lantern House project, says Oshinowo, with strictly enforced restricted working hours that made looming deadlines difficult to meet. Designed by Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo, the "Lantern House" is a private residence in the elite Banana Island community in Lagos, Nigeria. The Lantern House features five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, and large wardrobes such as this one.

Persons: Tosin Oshinowo, ” Oshinowo, ”, Tolulope, Oshinowo, “, you’ve, ” cmDA, cmDA Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Sharjah Architecture Triennial, United, United Arab Emirates, House Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, Nigerian, Sharjah, United Arab, Lagos State, Banana, Europe, Africa, West Africa

☆ Shabab Al-Ahli set up Al-Nassr clash in Asian Champions League playoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Shabab Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates will face Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr for a berth in the group phase of the Asian Champions League next week after the club from Dubai defeated Al-Wehdat 3-0 in a playoff on Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr his team mates will host the 2015 Asian Champions League runners-up in Riyadh next Tuesday after second half goals from Azizjon Ganiev, Renan and Munas Dabbur earned Shabab Al-Ahli victory over the Jordanians. Khurshid Giyosov scored the game's only goal two minutes into the second half to set up a clash with Qatari side Al-Arabi. In the eastern side of the draw, Vietnam's Haiphong equalised in the 88th to take their game against Hong Kong Rangers into extra time and they went on to win 4-1 win. The draw for the group phase of the Asian Champions League will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 24 with matches kicking off on Sept. 18.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Azizjon Ganiev, Renan, Munas Dabbur, Luanzinho, Uzbekistan's AGMK, Martin Boakye's, Khurshid Giyosov, Yumemi Kanda, Nguyen Tuan Anh, Yuri Mamute's, Mamute, Martin Lo, Lee, Michael Church, Ken Ferris Organizations: United, Saudi Pro League, Al, Asian Champions League, Dubai, League, Shabab Al, India's, Qatari, Vietnam's, Hong Kong Rangers, Hong Kong Premier League, Incheon United, Urawa Red Diamonds, Bali, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Shabab Al Ahli, United Arab Emirates, Riyadh, Shabab, Sharjah, India's Bashundhara, Iran, Seeb, Oman, Arabi, Haiphong, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur

☆ How the Middle East is preparing for the post-oil, EV era of transportation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Natalie Rose Goldberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. electric vehicle maker Lucid Group will set up its first overseas factory in Saudi Arabia, the company announced. The Middle East, a region long known for its oil and gas riches, is investing in a new, more sustainable future potentially dominated by electric vehicles. The electric vehicle sector is booming in Israel, with electric vehicle deliveries in the first half of this year over 210% higher than the same period last year. "There's a growing recognition that countries need to do something on climate," said Tammy Klein, chairperson of the Electric Vehicle Council. "I think Middle Eastern countries are no different."

Persons: Larry Fink, Amin Nasser's, Tammy Klein, Klein, Robert Falck, we'll, " Falck Organizations: BlackRock, Saudi, Lucid, Gauss Auto, Marson Group, Electric Vehicle Council, EV, Einride, UAE Ministry of Energy, Infrastructure Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco, Israel, Bahrain, American, U.S, Europe, UAE, Sweden, It's, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah

☆ Emirates is opening a new store that will allow passengers to check in and drop off their bags without having to go to the airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Emirates' new check-in store is 30 minutes from the airport by public transport, and 15 by car. The location should allow passengers to avoid long lines and crowds at the airport. Emirates is getting ready to open a store that would allow passengers to check in and drop off their bags without having to go to the airport. Much like an airline desk at any airport, it will also give passengers the option to book travel, according to Emirates. Emirates' robot check-in assistant is called Sara and is equipped to match faces with scanned passports and give passengers instructions.

☆ Artist of Black Portraiture Leads Turner Prize Shortlist
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Barbara Walker, a British artist who draws huge portraits of Black people onto gallery walls, and Jesse Darling, a sculptor whose works evoke fragile bodies, are among the artists nominated for this year’s Turner Prize, the prestigious British visual arts award. The four-strong shortlist was announced on Thursday at a news conference at the Tate Britain art museum in London. Walker, 58, is perhaps the highest-profile artist to be nominated, with works in the collections of Tate, the British Museum and the Yale Center for British Art. She is nominated for “Burden of Proof,” which appeared last year at the Sharjah Biennial in the United Arab Emirates, and included charcoal portraits of people affected by Britain’s “Windrush scandal,” in which some long-term British residents, originally from the Caribbean, were misidentified as illegal immigrants and threatened with deportation. Walker drew these portraits directly onto the gallery walls, as well as onto copies of the paperwork that the British government demanded the residents produce.

☆ A Ramadan etiquette guide for non-Muslims
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Saeed Ahmed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

If your Muslim co-worker takes a pass, understand. You don’t have to know when it begins …Ramadan isn’t like Christmas or Thanksgiving, as in everyone knows exactly when it’ll fall. … but please be a little flexibleHow we determine when Ramadan begins is decidedly old-school: You have to physically see the moon (even though there are apps for that). You can say ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ …There’s no “war on Christmas”-level controversy surrounding the greeting (it means “Happy Ramadan”). Your Muslim co-worker will appreciate the thoughtfulness.

Persons: It’s, you’re, Francois Nel, it’s, Iftar, Ulet Ifansasti, Ramadan, ”, We’ll, Mubarak ’ … Organizations: CNN, TED, Getty Locations: United States, Al Noor Mosque, Sharjah, UAE, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Manila, Philippines, AFP

☆ Where are the safest places to travel in 2023? It depends on how you define 'safe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Dubai, United Arab Emirates Doha, Qatar Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Singapore, SingaporeParis topped market research company Euromonitor International's "Top 100 City Destinations" for 2022, but the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah, shown here, ranked highest in terms of health and safety. Its Travel Risk Map 2023 shows that much of North America and Western Europe — as well as places like Turkey, Israel, Japan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates — have "low" medical risks. Medical risks by country. This map does not reflect the Covid-19 outbreak currently occurring in China, said Dr. Irene Lai, medical director at International SOS. Safest places: security risksInternational SOS's Travel Risk Map also assesses security risks, which include crime as well as political violence such as terrorism and war, social unrest and susceptibility to natural disasters, according to the company.

☆ A luxury campground concept could leave guests floating between 2 mountains over 330 feet above ground — see how
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dubai-based Ardh Architect has designed a glamping site with tents suspended between two mountains. The two-person tents could start at an estimated $300 per pod. Instead of tents pitched in the dirt, the architecture studio's design features tents suspended almost 330 feet above the ground and between two mountains. Arqui9/Ardh ArchitectIf approved, the hanging campsite will have 10 two-person tents with the option for additional or fewer "pods." These motorized pods can then be individually lowered and raised, hanging about 328 feet off the ground depending on wind conditions.

☆ Dubai nixes its 30% alcohol tax in a bid to attract more tourism
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Dubai Municipality has temporarily stopped collecting the 30% fee from alcoholic beverage companies for a period of one year from the beginning of 01/01/2023 to the end of 12/31/2023. The companies authorized to sell in the Emirate of Dubai have been notified of this decision," Dubai Municipality wrote in a post from its official Twitter account. It also said that personal liquor licenses, previously a requirement for all Dubai residents for purchasing alcohol in shops and costing 270 dirhams ($73.50), are now free. Some Dubai residents were unhappy about the abrupt announcement, having recently paid the full fee for their yearly license. Woman sunbathers sit along a beach in the Gulf emirate of Dubai on July 24, 2020, while behind is seen the Burj al-Arab hotel.

☆ 5 key takeaways from Xi’s trip to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here are five key takeaways from Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Press Agency//ReutersDuring Xi’s visit, Saudi Arabia and China released a nearly 4,000-word joint statement outlining their alignment on a swathe of political issues, and promising deeper cooperation on scores of others. China is the world’s biggest buyer of oil, with Saudi Arabia being its top supplier. China is also keen to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on security and defense, an important field once reserved for the kingdom’s American ally. Saudi Arabia was, however, keen to reject notions of polarization, deeming it unhelpful.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. Russia got the jailed arms dealer back from the United States on Thursday after exchanging imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for him at Abu Dhabi airport. His notoriety was such that his life helped inspire a Hollywood film, 2005’s Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ Xi Jinping: Chinese president lands in Saudi Arabia amid tensions with US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Wednesday for a multiple-day visit, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported, amid frayed ties between the two countries and the United States. A purple carpet was rolled out for the Chinese president, and canons were fired. But Saudi Arabia’s grand reception of the Chinese president is only emblematic of the magnitude of their growing relationship, specifically around oil, trade and security. Saudi Arabia has also traditionally been China’s top oil supplier, with Saudi barrels making up around 17% of total Chinese oil imports as of last year, according to the Saudi-backed Arab News. Apart from oil exports, Saudi Arabia has this year ramped up its Chinese investments, which culminated in Aramco’s whopping $10 billion dollar investment into a refinery and petrochemical complex in China’s northeast.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who could be swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Russia wants the jailed arms dealer back in Moscow and is discussing a prisoner swap with the United States that could see him exchanged for Americans imprisoned in Russia including basketball star Brittney Griner. Reed was ultimately freed in return for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot jailed in the United States on drug trafficking charges. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. In interviews, Bout has said he attended Moscow's Military Institute of Foreign Languages, which serves as a training ground for military intelligence officers. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

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