Why Amsterdam?
This enticing city, set around a labyrinth of criss-crossing romantic canals, quite simply ticks all the boxes for a perfect weekend break with a fabulous choice of places to stay, blockbuster museums, fun shopping and a dazzling dining-out scene, far removed from the rather stodgy image of Dutch cooking. And right now, Amsterdam has a host of events that make it even more inviting. Tomorrow, the majestic Rijksmuseum finally reopens its doors after 10 years of renovation, allowing art lovers the chance to view masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals.
At the beginning of May, the incomparable collection of Vincent van Gogh paintings returns from its temporary home in the Hermitage Amsterdam to the Van Gogh Museum, newly modernised to cope with the ever-increasing crowds. Spring also sees the beginning of a series of concerts and festivals to mark the 400th anniversary of the construction of the city's iconic canals. The biggest celebration of all will be on April 30 for the coronation of the nation's new king.
A comfortable bed
The most sumptuous suites in town are in the new Dutch Masters wing of the palatial Hotel de l'Europe (www.leurope.nl; 00 31 20 531 1777), where double rooms cost from €485 (Dh2,345), excluding taxes. For the ultimate romantic experience, reserve a room at the Pulitzer (www.pulitzeramsterdam.com; 00 31 20 523 5235) where double rooms cost from €250 (Dh1,200), excluding taxes. The hotel links over 20 merchants' mansions from the 17th century into one unique luxury resort.
Two hotels that have spectacularly transformed landmark historic buildings are the Conservatorium, which once housed the city's musical conservatory (www.conservatoriumhotel.com; 00 31 20 570 0000) and where double rooms cost from €250 (Dh1,200) excluding taxes; and the Grand Hotel Amrath (www.amrathamsterdam.com; 00 31 20 552 0000), a monumental art-deco palace, formerly headquarters for a shipping company, whose double rooms begin at €220 (Dh1,050), excluding taxes.
A more affordable option is the Hotel Wiechmann (www.hotelwiechmann.nl; 00 31 20 626 3321), which has 38 rooms priced from €70 (Dh340) for a double, excluding taxes, with the intimate feel of staying in a friend's comfy home.
Find your feet
The historical centre is small and easy to get around, preferably on foot, trundling around on the efficient trams, or acting like a local by hiring a bike for €15 (Dh70) a day from a rental shop (www.bikecity.nl). There are scores of different guided canal tours, good for a first introduction, but why not hire your own boat for three hours and pack a picnic lunch? A six-person boat rents for €79 (Dh380) (www.amsterdamrentaboat.com). The major museums are all conveniently located on Museumsplein, but reserve beforehand otherwise you risk queuing for hours. Rather than follow the crowds of tourists that pack Dam Square during the day and the teeming bars that line Rembrandtsplein at night, go off the beaten track and wander through the streets of a more genuine neighbourhood like Jordaan, filled with antiques stores, gourmet restaurants and the delightful Houseboat Museum (www.houseboatmuseum.nl).
Meet the locals
All of Amsterdam hangs out around the 1,400 bridges that span the city's canals, and the most popular spot is the "seven bridges" at the junction of the two prettiest canals, Reguliersgracht and Keizersgracht. Amsterdammers love sitting outside on a cafe terrace the moment a ray of sun appears, and the perfect waterside spot is the ancient Cafe 't Smalle (www.t-smalle.nl), just by the Anne Frank House. To check the pulse of multicultural Amsterdam, wander through Albert Cuyp market, a foodie's paradise where you can eat everything from Dutch herrings to spicy Surinam samosas.
Book a table
Chef Denis Kuipers has won two Michelin stars at Vinkeles (www.vinkeles.com) for his inspired reinterpretation of Dutch cuisine and it is worth ordering the eight-course €135 (Dh650) tasting menu. Beddingtons (www.beddington.nl) is the intimate gastronomic restaurant of the English chef Jean Beddington, whose creative fusion cuisine has won her a loyal following. Her tempting recipes mix foie gras with scallops, or calamari with spicy merguez sausages. Some of the most delicious Dutch dishes are served in traditional Brown Cafes, many dating back four centuries. At Cafe de Reiger (www.dereigeramsterdam.nl) you could order a tasty mussel soup at €6 (Dh30) or a juicy steak with frites and grilled vegetables for €15 (Dh70), while the blackboard menu at the most beautiful spot, Cafe 't Loosje, features fishcakes for €7 (Dh33) and slow-cooked lamb shank at €14 (Dh66).
Shopper's paradise
Amsterdam is the diamond capital of the world, but if you really want to bring home the ultimate souvenir, the best plan is to begin with a proper guided tour at one of the historical showrooms, like the Amsterdam Diamond Centre (Rokin 1), before getting out the credit card. For quirky fashion and design boutiques, head for "9 Streets", the Grachtengordel, a rabbit's warren of narrow lanes filled with tempting stores, while bargain hunters can plunge into the hundreds of bric-a-brac stalls in the Waterlooplein flea market, stocking everything from vintage clothes to art deco furnishings.
Don't miss
A stroll along the Bloemenmarkt, a unique floating flower market, where colourful stalls filled with every variety of tulip imaginable, bob on the pretty Singel canal.
What to avoid
Bikes! The bicycle is king of the road here, so keep your eyes peeled crossing the road as cyclists whizz past paying no heed to pedestrians.
Getting there
From May 15, Etihad will commence direct flights to Amsterdam from Dh2,830 return, including taxes (www.etihad.com). Emirates flies from Dubai from Dh3,875 return, including taxes (www.emirates.com), in six and a half hours.
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UAE FIXTURES
October 18 – 7.30pm, UAE v Oman, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 19 – 7.30pm, UAE v Ireland, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 21 – 2.10pm, UAE v Hong Kong, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 22 – 2.10pm, UAE v Jersey, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 24 – 10am, UAE v Nigeria, Abu Dhabi Cricket Oval 1
October 27 – 7.30pm, UAE v Canada, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 29 – 2.10pm, Playoff 1 – A2 v B3; 7.30pm, Playoff 2 – A3 v B2, at Dubai International Stadium.
October 30 – 2.10pm, Playoff 3 – A4 v Loser of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Playoff 4 – B4 v Loser of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 1 – 2.10pm, Semifinal 1 – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Semifinal 2 – A1 v Winner of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 2 – 2.10pm, Third place Playoff – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Final, at Dubai International Stadium
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
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
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2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi
4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
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- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
ARGYLLE
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Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
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Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
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Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
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- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
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- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
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Rating: 4.5/5
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