A mountain railway will soon take the strain out of the hefty climb up one of the UAE’s highest peaks in Hatta.
The transformation of the small town near the Dubai border with Oman will feature an adventure hub centred a funicular railway – a cable rail system on steep gradients – similar to other lines around the world.
Built alongside hotels, a new lake and 120 kilometres of cycle track, the railway will offer access to one of the country’s finest beauty spots.
But how will the UAE’s first tourist cliff railway system compare with other similar cable-operated mountain railways?
Here is a top 10 list of some of the world’s most famous funicular trains.
Peak Tram, Hong Kong
The Peak Tram may be this compact city’s most popular tourist attraction but it also serves as a commuter route for workers in the upper regions of Hong Kong Island.
Carriages climb almost 400 metres along a 1.4km track and deliver impressive views across to the harbour and city skyline.
The Peak Tram is also one of the world’s oldest funicular railways, opening in 1888.
The severity of the incline offers passengers going uphill a vertical illusion, as the high rises on the right side of the tram appear to fall towards the mountain.
Castle Hill Funicular, Budapest, Hungary
This grand old lady of Europe was completely destroyed in a Second World War bombing raid and then completely rebuilt to become a Unesco heritage site.
Originally opened in 1870, the railway was built to assist clerks working in the Castle District above the Buda side of the city.
The short 95m route takes around 10 minutes and climbs to just 50m, which is high enough to give impressive views of the River Danube and parliamentary buildings below.
Baku Funicular, Azerbaijan
Originally built in 1960, this funicular was given a complete overhaul in 2012. This was in keeping with the rapid development of the capital Baku after gas-rich Azerbaijan became an independent country in 1991. This followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
A single track runs 455m and connects a square on Neftchilar Avenue with Martyrs' Lane. The modern line takes just four minutes to make the journey and takes passengers up to a viewpoint where they can see across the bay to the Caspian Sea and panoramic views towards the Shahidlar Monument.
Mendel Funicular, Italy
A beautiful 2km trip through tunnels, forests and across bridges awaits passengers on the Mendel Funicular in northern Italy.
The 12-minute journey rises from Sant’Antonio at 510m above sea level through to the Passo della Mendola, 854m further up.
It was opened in 1903 by the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and has remained largely unchanged since then as one of Europe’s steepest and longest mountain railways.
Schwyz-Stoos Funicular, Switzerland
The world’s steepest track feels more like a rollercoaster ride than a railway.
A 1.7km track climbs 744m into the Swiss Alps with a peak elevation point of 1306m above sea level.
The track has a 110 per cent incline at its steepest point, cost 52 million Swiss francs to build and opened in December 2017 after a five-year construction phase.
The train begins in the town of Schwyz, 40km from Zurich and takes passengers to the ski resort of Stoos.
Niesen Funicular, Bern, Switzerland
The train departs from Mulenen for a spectacular ride up the steep slope to the top of Mount Niesen, at an altitude of 2,362m.
The railway is split into two sections and has no cogs – with carriages running on steep metal rails through the Bernese Alps.
The line from Mulenen to Schwandegg has a 66 per cent incline, while Schwandegg to Niesen Kulm is slightly steeper at 68 per cent.
Opening in 1910 after four years of construction, the funicular offers spectacular panoramic views over Thunersee, the Kandertal, the cities of Spiez, Thun and Interlaken.
Old Quebec Funicular, Canada
Another city funicular system that has a long history, dating back to 1879, the Old Quebec Funicular, recently underwent improvements after a fatal accident.
The railway was closed in 1996 and completely revamped with modern technology after a British tourist, Helen Tombs, was killed after a cable snapped and emergency brake failed, sending the carriage crashing into the lower station.
The funicular reopened in 1998 with two independent cabins operating as inclined elevators.
The route is only 64m long and climbs 59m above one of Canada’s most picturesque cities.
Montmartre Funicular, Paris, France
Some 2,000 riders are carried every hour on board this funicular in the heart of Paris as tourists take the trip up the Butte Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur.
The small village is a haven for artists, but climbing the 222 steps leading up through the Louise Michel public garden can be too much for some.
A 90-second ride carries passengers just 36m above the city.
Built in 1900 as a steam-powered water-filled counterweight funicular train, the system has since enjoyed several upgrades and now carries more than two million passengers each year.
The Flying Dutchman Funicular, Cape Town, South Africa
No trip to Cape Town would be complete without a trip to the famous Table Mountain to take in the spectacular views of Cape Point.
The Flying Dutchman was Africa’s first commercial cliff railway and remains one of the most visually stunning with its surrounding ocean vistas.
A short climb of just 214m takes passengers to the summit of Table Mountain and views across to the most south-western corner of Africa.
The train is named after a ghost ship from maritime folklore, the sight of which became a portent of doom for seafarers sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.
Gelmer Funicular, Switzerland
With a maximum gradient of 106 per cent, the Gelmer mountain tram is not for the faint-hearted.
Made by the Swiss masters of funicular railways, cabs rise 1,800m in a matter of minutes to give a dramatic perspective of the mountains below.
The train offers views across to Lake Gelmer, a reservoir used to power hydroelectric power plants. Once the steepest cable railway in Europe, the Gelmer lost its crown to the neighbouring Schwyz-Stoos Funicular that opened in 2017.
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Brief scores:
Huesca 0
Real Madrid 1
Bale 8'
SPECS
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Dunki
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
