Looking in the rear-view mirror amid the turbulence of 2023, the year 2008 may seem a time of innocence and even sunlit optimism.
In the year The National was launched, the US – too long tainted by toxic racism – would make Barack Obama its first black president. Adventurous tourists were booking tickets to visit Yemen’s historic Sanaa, the glories of Palmyra in Syria and even Kabul in Afghanistan.
China hosted the Summer Olympics and welcomed the world. And Isis was the name of an Egyptian goddess or one a set of trendy parents might choose for their daughter.
That, of course, is not even half the story. The storm clouds of the past 15 years were already gathering. In November, an attack in Mumbai by the extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba lasted three days and left 175 dead.
A month later, Israel would launch a brutal, three-week assault on Gaza that left widespread destruction and killed more than 1,000 Palestinians.
Rumbling throughout the year was the beginning of a financial crisis that would become known as the Great Recession. Caused in large part by reckless lending in
the US housing market, the storm broke with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September and spread, like a virus, through the global financial system.
That year will also be remembered for the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. An outbreak of H1N1 swine flu, originating in the US, was declared a global pandemic, but did not cause much concern. It was also the year Michael Jackson died.
There was much excitement in January 2010 with the inauguration of Burj Khalifa that, at 829.8 metres, was by far the tallest building in the world. Just four months earlier was the debut of the Dubai Metro – both signals that the city was looking forward.
Less welcome news came with the eruption of the Icelandic volcano newsreaders struggled to pronounce. Ash from Eyjafjallajokull would shut down international air travel for nearly two weeks in April. Among the stranded passengers was the singer Tom Jones, who had been performing in Abu Dhabi.
Another reminder of nature’s power was the catastrophic Haiti earthquake in January 2010, which left at least 130,000 dead. About a year later, another quake, and the resulting tsunami, would devastate the east coast of Japan, leaving nearly 20,000 dead. The natural disaster was compounded by the near meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor.
But it was the actions of a single man in late 2010 that would have the most profound effect, one still felt today.
Driven to despair at continuous police harassment, poor Tunisian street seller Mohamed Bouazizi died by suicide by setting himself on fire.
Bouazizi’s death would set in motion a series of Arab uprisings – protests calling for reforms and rights would see long-established regimes and leaders challenged.
Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali would be the first to go, with demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahir Square then leading to the fall of Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak in February 2010.
Protests in Libya would lead to the unthinkable – the fall and death of Muammar Qaddafi, the country’s effective leader since the 1960s, and the start of turmoil that continues to this day.
In Syria, President Bashar Al Assad began to unleash his army on his opponents, and by mid-2012, Aleppo was the scene of a bloody and protracted siege. Amid allegations of chemical weapons use by his forces, the flood of refugees turned into a torrent.
Across the border, in Iraq, a new horror was emerging: ISIS. The terrorist group had many names but one goal: the enforcing of an extreme and twisted version of Islam and proclaiming of a worldwide caliphate.
Emerging from the Iraqi insurgency that followed the 2003 US-led invasion, ISIS exploited the enveloping chaos. Gathering strength in 2013, extremists captured Mosul within a year and threatened Baghdad. Mass executions were their hallmark, while historic monuments including Mosul’s tomb of Jonah and the 850-year-old Al Hadba Minaret of Al Nuri Mosque were destroyed. In 2015, it was the turn of Palmyra, the Roman city and world heritage site.
Ancient buildings were reduced to rubble and the Roman amphitheatre turned into a grotesque forum for public executions, with victims including the site’s 82-year-old archeologist, Khaled Al Asaad, beheaded for refusing to reveal where he had hidden valuable artefacts. An international coalition was formed to combat ISIS, with the US joined by five Arab allies, including the UAE. Female Emirati pilot Mariam Al Mansouri led the air strikes in her F-16 Fighting Falcon, a powerful message that rejected the oppression of women and warped values of the extremists.
By 2016, the tide was turning, with ISIS driven out of Mosul by early 2017, its so-called caliphate reduced to a dwindling patch of land, its fighters dead or captured.
But its influence was less easily contained. A series of terrorist attacks by ISIS and its supporters killed hundreds across Europe. Suicide bombers killed 137 in Paris in November 2015 and eight journalists at the magazine Charlie Hebdo the same year. Young concert-goers enjoying a performance by Ariana Grande were killed by another suicide bomber at the UK’s Manchester Arena in May 2017, an attack that left 22 dead and 250 injured.
In this uncertain world, a new breed of populist politicians emerged. At the forefront of these was the bombastic and confrontational, loved by his supporters and equally loathed by opponents, 45th US president Donald Trump, who seems a perfect symbol of what often seems a chaotic past five years.
From the growing threat of the climate crisis, to the desperate plight of refugees fleeing Africa and the Middle East, the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, the impression is of a world slipping out of our control. Above all, there was the Covid-19 pandemic, emerging in late 2019, and shutting the world down for more than two years, leaving millions dead and entire economies in ruins.
Now there is war in Ukraine and a global energy shock that has driven inflation, threatened the banking sector and heightened international tensions to a level not seen since the Cold War.
It is not a pretty picture, as The National turns 15. But it is not the whole story. Even the worst storms are interspaced with sunshine, and there has been plenty of good news since 2008.
Even the pandemic was, in the end, a triumph for science, with medical breakthroughs on vaccinations that have enormous potential for other diseases.
The global community continues to work towards halting climate change, coming together again later this year at Cop28 in Dubai.
The UAE can also reflect on its achievements, from the visit of Pope Francis in 2019 to Expo 2020 Dubai.
In science, there was the Hope probe to Mars in 2021, the first by an Arab nation, and the first UAE astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, in 2019, now followed by Sultan Al Neyadi, currently carrying out the first long-term mission on the International Space Station by an Emirati.
In a few days, Al Neyadi will become the first Arab astronaut to walk in space, looking down from 400km at the place all seven billion of us call home. It is a moment to reflect on how far we have come, and how far we might go in the next 15 years.
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%3A%20Zywa%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202021%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Nuha%20Hashem%20and%20Alok%20Kumar%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20UAE%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%243m%3Cbr%3ECompany%20valuation%3A%20%2430m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MANDOOB
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Ali%20Kalthami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Mohammed%20Dokhei%2C%20Sarah%20Taibah%2C%20Hajar%20Alshammari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More about Middle East geopolitics
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
%3Cp%3E1.%20Singapore%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Switzerland%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Denmark%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Ireland%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Hong%20Kong%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Sweden%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Taiwan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Netherlands%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Norway%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Barack Beach, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Woodditton, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Secret Trade, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mark Of Approval, Antonio Fresu, Mahmood Hussain.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tradesman, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
