The National Geographic Society has teamed up with UK tour operator Titan HiTours to launch National Geographic Journeys (www.ngjourneys.co.uk) with a variety of escorted trips including a two-week trip to China with VIP access to the dig still unearthing its terracotta warriors. The visit to Xi'an, now famous for its 6,000 strong army, ends in a meeting with the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Xi'an to learn about the country's Muslim heritage. The tour also visits Beijing's traditional neighbourhoods to find out about feng shui, a walk along a section of the Great Wall, a three-day cruise down the Yangtze river, the modern city of Shanghai and the canals of Suzhou. The trip costs from US$3,573 (Dh13,125) per person, land only and full board, including a National Geographic expert on hand to answer your questions and entrance fees to the attractions. Tours depart on June 22 and September 7, 2010. To book, call 0044 800 988 5173.
Forget mooning about under twinkling stars, the Soneva Fushi Six Senses resort in the Maldives is offering guests the chance to gaze at a solar eclipse on January 15, with an astronomer on hand to explain what all the fuss is about. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon covers the sun in perfect alignment causing the sun to appear as a bright ring in the darkened sky. This January's event will be visible in a narrow, 300km-wide band across central Africa, the Maldives, south Kerala, northern Sri Lanka and parts of Burma and China. It will only be visible in the Indian Ocean for approximately 11 minutes at 1.30pm, so time your trip to the buffet with care. A two-night stay from January 13 to 15, half board, including some alcoholic beverages, stargazing tutorial, a spa treatment and eclipse cruise, costs $1,848 (Dh6,788) per person staying in a standard double room (www.sixsenses.com; 00 960 660 0304).
This week in another gloriously inviting part of the world, Krabi in southern Thailand, Ritz-Carlton opened Phulay Bay, the first of its boutique, Reserve-brand hotels. Set on the shores of the Andaman Sea, Phulay Bay has 54 secluded one-bedroom villas as well as an ESPA spa, and promises to indulge the whims of its guests from cooking lessons to meditation sessions with local monks, elephant trekking and seaplane tours of the local islands. A resort pavilion with tropical garden views, outdoor tub and terrace costs from $697 (Dh2,557) per night, including taxes. To book visit www.ritzcarlton.com or call 00 66 7 562 8111.
The Fairmont hotel in Abu Dhabi still has availability for its New Year packages, which include two nights' accommodation and dinner on New Year's Eve. Deals cost from $979 (Dh3,595) for two, including taxes. Visit www.fairmont.com/babalbahr or call 02 654 3333 for more details.
Anyone wanting to spend the New Year in Dubai can take advantage of a low opening room rate at the new Media One Hotel in Dubai Media City. The funky hotel has 250 "hip" and "cool" rooms and 10 "calm" and "chill out" suites. The rooms combine cutting-edge design with practicality and facilities include Wi-Fi internet, a pool and sun deck, a gym with men's and women's steam and sauna rooms, two bars, three restaurants and a business centre. From now until January 10, the hotel is offering double rooms from Dh510 per night including tax and breakfast, and New Year guests get free access to pool parties and the New Year's Eve White party. Visit www.mediaonehotel.com or call 04 427 1000. For anyone wanting to hire a vehicle over the New Year period, Holiday Autos UAE is offering cars In Abu Dhabi, the Fairmont hotel still has availability for its New Year packages, which include two nights' accommodation and dinner on New Year's Eve. Deals cost from $979 (Dh3,595) for two, including taxes. Visit www.fairmont.com/babalbahr or call 02 654 3333 for more details.
Royal Caribbean's inaugural 7-night "Dubai cruise", on the 2,501-passenger ship Brilliance of the Seas, will depart from Dubai on January 18, calling at Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, before returning to Dubai. Inside cabins are priced from $719 per (Dh2,640) person, based on two sharing an inside cabin and excluding taxes and gratuities. Cruises depart every week until April: for more details visit www.royalcaribbean.com or call 001 866 562 7625.
travel@thenational.ae
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A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
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
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
