The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin, is touting itself as the perfect home away from home for Middle Eastern visitors, and to ensure it lives up to the expectation, the city-centre hotel has expanded its offerings to provide an Arabian ambience. Services include Qurans and prayer rugs being made available to guests, as well as a staff welcome in Arabic and a halal menu. The Discover with You promotion costs from Dh1,160 per night, and includes accommodation, breakfast and hotel credit. It's valid until December 31. For more information, visit www.ritzcarlton.de/berlin.
Relax closer to home with Qasr Al Sarab
If you're looking for a quick, relaxing getaway without the hassle of flying, take advantage of the Spa Essence package from Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, located in the Empty Quarter. The new one-night package includes accommodation in a deluxe garden room, with breakfast and a two-and-a-half-hour spa itinerary. Guests will be treated to an hour Stress Release massage, an hour Elemis Modern Skin Facial and a 30-minute Oriental Foot Reviver massage. Visitors can also choose additional treatments from monthly spa offers, costing from Dh522. The package costs from Dh3,712, for two guests, including taxes. For more information, visit www.anantara.com.
A very rosy stay in untapped Oman
From April to May, the breathtaking Alila Jabal Al Akhdar resort in Oman transforms into a collage of spectacular shades of pink, as thousands of roses come to life down the mountainside. The resort's Rose Package, which is available until May 2, includes a two-night stay with breakfast, a welcome dinner, a guided tour of the rose terraces and a reviving rose facial for two. Set 2,000 metres above sea level, a stay at Alila Jabal Al Akhdar is at the centre of one of Oman's most untapped regions. The package costs from Dh4,055 per room. For more information, visit www.alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar.
Life is just beachy at Hotel Esencia
A beach holiday isn't complete without a beautiful stretch of sand, and one recently reopened hotel on Mexico's Caribbean coast ticks that box. Hotel Esencia is located on a private 50-acre estate surrounded by the Mayan Jungle. Originally built as a private hideaway for an Italian duchess, it was converted into a hotel in 2005, and is about an hour from Cancun. Fresh from a refurbishment, rooms cost from Dh2,920 per night for two people, including breakfast. For more information, visit www.hotelesencia.com.
mhealy@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Honeymoonish
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
