Author: Zaheer Ghazi

Planning your holidays for 2027? While the UAE government has not yet officially announced the public holiday calendar, astronomical calculations provide a reliable indication of when residents can expect national holidays and potential long weekends. From New Year’s Day and Eid Al Fitr to National Day, the 2027 calendar offers several opportunities to plan family holidays, international travel, or well-deserved staycations. It’s important to note that while fixed-date holidays remain unchanged each year, Islamic holidays are based on the Hijri lunar calendar and will only be officially confirmed following moon sightings announced by the UAE authorities. Here’s a complete guide…

Dubai residents now have a new reason to encourage family and friends overseas to visit the emirate. Through the newly launched “A Dubai Invite” programme, eligible residents can receive travel and lifestyle rewards worth more than Dh3,000 for every successful visitor they invite. Launched by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the initiative aims to turn residents into ambassadors for the city by encouraging them to invite relatives and friends from abroad while boosting tourism during the summer and autumn travel season. The programme offers exclusive rewards from hotels, attractions, transport providers, restaurants, and leisure partners, making it…

The Jaywan card is the UAE’s first national payment card, developed to support secure, fast, and convenient digital payments across the country. Launched under the supervision of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), the card is part of the country’s efforts to strengthen its domestic payment infrastructure and reduce reliance on international payment networks for local transactions. Issued by participating banks and financial institutions, Jaywan cards can be used for everyday purchases, online shopping, ATM cash withdrawals, contactless payments, and digital wallet transactions. Depending on the issuing bank, customers may receive a debit, prepaid, or other eligible Jaywan card…

Someone in this city is packing a villa right now. Probably at 11pm, staring at a barely-used treadmill, wondering how it’s going to fit in a suitcase. It won’t. Nothing about moving in Dubai ever fits neatly into a suitcase. If you need to sell your stuff online in Dubai before you go, these nine platforms make it easier. That’s just how it goes in a city with one of the highest expat turnover rates in the world. Too much furniture, not enough time, and a low-grade panic about what happens to it all before the flight leaves. Here’s the…

Emirati Women’s Day 2026 will be celebrated over an entire month for the first time, marking a significant expansion of one of the UAE’s most important national occasions. Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak has announced that this year’s celebrations will run from August 28 to September 28, 2026. She chairs the General Women’s Union (GWU) and the Family Development Foundation (FDF). She is also President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. The month-long celebration will be held under the theme “We Emerge Stronger and Better,” highlighting the resilience, achievements, and growing contributions of Emirati women to the…

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has arrived in Scotland ahead of celebrations marking his 77th birthday on July 15. His annual summer visit to the Scottish Highlands has once again attracted widespread attention, with reports of an extensive security operation and a large travel convoy accompanying the Dubai ruler. Sheikh Mohammed traditionally travels to the United Kingdom each July to celebrate his birthday and spend part of the summer at his privately owned 63,000-acre Inverinate Estate, located on the shores of Loch Duich in…

Sometimes the numbers that matter most aren’t random at all. Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, a 52-year-old maintenance technician from Kerala, just proved that. He is the second Dh30 million Grand Prize winner in UAE Lottery history, and he didn’t pick his numbers by chance. He picked them by heart. “I thought, why not use the dates that matter most to me?” he said. “I started with my daughter’s birthday, then added mine, then my wife’s birthday.” That’s it. No system. No strategy guide. Just love, translated into digits. Meet Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, The UAE Lottery’s newest AED 30,000,000 Grand Prize winner.🎉…

Something is shifting in Gulf aviation. And it is not subtle. Emirates and Etihad Airways are pulling passengers back from Asian carriers on the Asia-Europe corridor, and the numbers tell a story that airport lounges have already been whispering about for weeks. By mid-June, Gulf airlines had rebuilt roughly 90% of their flight schedules. That is not a modest recovery. That is a full-throttle return to form. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are once again functioning the way they always have: as the connective tissue between East and West. Millions of travellers are gearing up for the summer rush, and more…

Dubai’s driverless taxi service goes public in March 2026. Operated by Baidu’s Apollo Go and WeRide in partnership with Uber and RTA, the fully autonomous taxis can be booked through the Uber app by choosing the ‘Autonomous’ option. Phase 1 covers Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim in 65 locations with 100 RT6 robotaxis deployed initially. Dubai’s Driverless Taxis Era Starts On 5 February 2026, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, did something that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. He ditched his motorcade, hopped in a fully autonomous vehicle and took it for a ride…

Ramadan 2026 has ended; its last ten nights fell in March 2026. This guide stays useful for next year, and our article on the likely dates of Ramadan 2027 covers when they are expected next. Every year, just as the month of Ramadan comes to its final stretch, Muslims worldwide become more entrenched into a deeper level of devotion. Muslims generally regard the last ten nights of Ramadan as the holiest and most spiritually powerful nights of the Islamic Calendar. These nights have an enormous significance – not only for the individual worship, but for the collective spiritual life of…