While flights, accommodation and visa applications often take priority, many travellers fail to check whether their destination requires specific vaccines or health precautions. Doctors say this oversight can lead to unnecessary stress, disrupted travel plans and increased exposure to preventable illnesses.

According to UAE-based physicians, many travellers only become aware of vaccination requirements when they begin the visa process, receive travel documents or are days away from departure.

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Dr Malaz Yabrodi, internal medicine specialist at Medcare Shaikh Saqr Al Qasimi Hospital Sharjah, said many people wrongly assume that routine vaccinations provide sufficient protection for every destination.

“One of the most common mistakes travellers make is assuming that routine vaccinations are sufficient for every destination. Many people focus on booking flights and accommodation, while overlooking travel health requirements until a very late stage in the process.”

He noted that travellers often discover vaccination recommendations or requirements only after starting visa applications or finalising travel arrangements.

“Travellers may also overlook the importance of booster doses or fail to seek advice tailored to their age, medical history, and destination-specific risks.

“In the UAE, where residents travel widely during peak holiday periods, advance planning is especially important,” added Yabrodi.

Hajj, Umrah and destination-specific requirements

For many UAE residents, religious travel remains one of the most common reasons for seeking vaccine advice.

Dr Qudsia Anjum Fasih, family medicine specialist at Burjeel Day Surgery Centre, Al Shahama, said inquiries linked to Hajj and Umrah consistently account for a significant share of vaccine consultations.

“In our practice, the highest number of vaccine inquiries is usually related to Umrah and Hajj travel. For these pilgrims, vaccines such as the meningococcal and influenza vaccines are among the key requirements and recommendations.”

She stressed that routine vaccinations included in government immunisation programmes should always be completed on schedule. Beyond these, additional travel-related vaccines may depend on the destination.

Fasih said, “For example, yellow fever vaccination may be required for travel to or from certain African countries. Typhoid and hepatitis vaccines are commonly discussed for travellers visiting parts of Asia, especially when there is a higher risk of foodborne or waterborne infections. These may not always be mandatory, but they are important preventive vaccines that families should discuss with a doctor before travelling.”

She also highlighted the importance of discussing malaria prevention before travel.

“Although malaria vaccination is not routinely used for travellers, preventive medications and mosquito-bite precautions are available and should be discussed based on the destination.”

Healthcare professionals recommend that families seek personalised medical advice rather than relying solely on online information, as vaccine requirements and health risks can vary significantly between countries.

Why timing matters before international travel

Medics point out another recurring problem is that travellers leave vaccinations too close to their departure date.

Some vaccines require multiple doses, while others need several weeks before they provide effective protection. Delaying appointments can leave travellers without sufficient immunity when they arrive at their destination.

Dr Mahmoud Medhat Mahmoud Aboumousa, critical care medicine specialist at International Modern Hospital Dubai, said vaccine requirements often come to light surprisingly late in the travel process.

He added that this can result in avoidable anxiety, travel disruptions and incomplete protection against infectious diseases.

Dr Aboumousa also pointed to international guidance encouraging travellers to be fully protected against measles before travelling abroad.

Particular attention should be paid to vulnerable groups, including young children, older adults, pregnant women and individuals with chronic health conditions.

“Families with children, elderly relatives, pregnant women, or people with diabetes, heart disease, weak immunity or chronic respiratory illness should seek travel health advice four to six weeks before departure.”

He warned that last-minute vaccination may not allow enough time for immunity to develop.

“Leaving vaccination until the last minute may mean the body does not have enough time to develop protection, multi-dose vaccines cannot be completed, side effects may occur during the trip, and high-risk travellers may be exposed to preventable infections in crowded airports, religious gatherings, rural areas or destinations with different disease patterns.”

Not simply as someone ordering from a children's menu or asking for a high chair, but as the person often shaping family experiences, making spending decisions, and influencing long-term brand loyalty. Fourteen years ago, that observation became the foundation of a business that would go on to grow across four countries.

What followed was not the rapid rise of a trend, but the steady evolution of a concept that brought together premium dining, children's entertainment, thoughtful design, and a sense of community under one roof.

When Ribambelle opened on Bluewaters Island a year ago as its first location in the Middle East, it arrived with more than a decade of experience behind it. The Dubai venue was not a test market or a first attempt at something new. It was the latest chapter in a concept that had already been refined through years of listening to customers, adapting to changing expectations, and rethinking what family hospitality could look like.

At the centre of that journey is founder Yulia Fedorishina. Over the past 14 years, the concept has been reinvented twice, with each iteration bringing it closer to what families were actually looking for. What exists today is the result of a founder willing to evolve alongside her audience rather than remain attached to a single vision.

That willingness to adapt may help explain why the concept has resonated so strongly in Dubai.

Over the past year, the Bluewaters Island location has attracted a diverse mix of residents, tourists, and expatriate families from across the world. Much of that growth has been driven by repeat visits and recommendations, suggesting that the concept has struck a chord with families looking for something beyond traditional dining experiences.

Part of Ribambelle's appeal lies in the space it occupies within the hospitality sector. It combines premium dining, elevated interiors, children's entertainment, and community experiences in a way that feels intentional rather than secondary. Families are not treated as an add-on to the experience; they are at the centre of it.

Choosing the UAE for Ribambelle's Middle East debut was less about expansion and more about fit. As one of the world's most internationally connected and family-oriented destinations, the country has placed growing emphasis on quality of life, tourism, and women's empowerment. Those priorities closely mirror many of the values that have shaped the brand since its inception.

Today, the Bluewaters venue functions as more than a restaurant. Through community events, collaborations with local entrepreneurs, and family-focused experiences, it has become a place where people gather, celebrate, and connect. In doing so, it contributes to the wider lifestyle ecosystem that destinations such as Bluewaters continue to build.

The commercial success of the concept is one part of the story. Equally notable is what it reflects about changing expectations among families. Increasingly, parents are looking for experiences that cater to everyone at the table without requiring a compromise between quality dining and family-friendly environments.

In many ways, Ribambelle's growth reflects a broader lesson for hospitality brands. The businesses that endure are often those built around a genuine understanding of the people they serve.

For Ribambelle, that understanding began with a simple insight about modern families. Fourteen years later, it remains at the heart of the brand's story.

Hospital leaders told Khaleej Times that the initiative could reduce paperwork, improve coordination between hospitals and government authorities, and create a smoother experience for patients seeking specialised care in Dubai.

Dr Shanila Laiju, group CEO of Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres, said the new visa could eventually serve as a single digital gateway for patients.

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"A truly smart medical visa platform should focus on making the patient journey as simple and stress-free as possible," she said.

According to Dr Laiju, patients could potentially use one platform to manage visa applications, upload medical documents, receive appointment confirmations and track application progress in real time.

She added that integration with healthcare providers could allow patients to access treatment plans and estimated timelines before travelling to Dubai.

International patients today expect the same level of digital convenience they experience in sectors such as banking, travel and retail, said Dr Laiju . She mentioned that virtual consultations, digital appointment scheduling, secure document sharing and real-time updates are becoming increasingly important when patients seek treatment abroad.

She said one feature she would like to see is a fully integrated patient dashboard that brings together visa status, appointment schedules, treatment milestones, travel information and communication with healthcare providers in one place.

'Convenience and confidence'

Dubai already attracts patients from across the GCC, Africa, Central Asia, South Asia and parts of Eastern Europe, according to Dr Mohaymen Abdelghany, Group CEO and Board Member of Fakeeh Health and CEO of Fakeeh University Hospital Dubai.

He said international patients often travel to Dubai for specialised services such as orthopaedics, oncology, cardiology, fertility treatments, women's health services, advanced diagnostics and preventive health programmes.

"Convenience and confidence are major factors when patients choose a destination for treatment. When patients are considering treatment abroad, convenience and confidence are major factors in their decision-making process," he noted.

He added that administrative requirements, travel planning and uncertainty around entry procedures can sometimes affect treatment schedules. "Simplifying these processes helps patients focus on their health needs rather than logistical challenges."

Less administrative procedures

Healthcare providers also believe the initiative could benefit hospitals by reducing administrative work and improving efficiency.

Dr Kishan Pakkal, chief executive officer of International Modern Hospital Dubai, said the UAE already has efficient systems in place for international patients, including mechanisms for urgent medical visas when treatment cannot be delayed.

He said further digital integration could reduce administrative steps, improve coordination between stakeholders and shorten processing times.

"Most importantly, it allows healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care and less on administrative procedures," he said.

Dr Pakkal added that faster and more seamless visa procedures could help patients begin consultations, diagnostics and treatment sooner, particularly in cases where timely medical intervention is critical.

"The initiative reinforces Dubai's position as a healthcare destination that combines advanced medical services with innovative government systems designed to make the patient journey smoother and more efficient," added Dr Pakkal.

For Guido, that life-altering moment arrived in January 2020, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. At the time, he was overseeing a vast hospitality portfolio across the Middle East, Turkey and Egypt, managing more than 170 hotels while navigating one of the most turbulent periods the industry had ever faced and, as fate would have it, coming to terms with his own diagnosis.

Yet, rather than succumbing to despair, he found an immediate anchor in the way his diagnosis was delivered. “When I got the diagnosis, the first thing I realised was that the way the news is brought to the patient is extremely important,” he shares. “Even though my case was very serious, the radiologist who gave me the diagnosis also provided me with hope. There was a way out. I could be cured. That message is very important when you get such news. He provided me with the message of hope and I took that forward.”

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Finding a sanctuary of healing in Dubai

Navigating advanced cancer treatment is a monumental challenge under any circumstances, but doing so during a global pandemic added an unprecedented layer of complexity.

For Guido, the experience became a testament to the strength of the healthcare system in his adopted home. While hospitals across parts of Europe were forced to pause or delay cancer treatments to manage the influx of Covid-19 patients, Dubai’s medical system never wavered. “I’ve been extremely privileged in the sense that I got treated here in Dubai and that it went extremely well,” he says. “I’m very happy to share that there’s excellent medical care in Dubai.”

Guido underwent major surgery followed by six intensive months of chemotherapy. Instead of letting the treatment diminish his spirit, he took an active, disciplined role in his own recovery. He began working out from home, mounting his bike onto a virtual training system. He introduced yoga into his routine three times a week, focused on sleep and nutrition and turned to a trusted personal trainer of 17 years to help maintain his physical strength.

By July 2021, recognising the need to truly prioritise his health, Guido made the conscious decision to step away from his intense corporate role. But retirement was never about 'slowing down'. "I repurposed my life," he explains. "Retirement doesn’t mean that you stop and exit. I don’t like that word, actually. It's when you start a new chapter of your life."

The birth of Cycle Against Cancer

In May 2022, Guido launched his first independent charity initiative, embarking on a gruelling seven-day solo bike ride from Brussels to Bergamo, Italy, raising an incredible $100,000 for Dubai's Al Jalila Foundation. It was the official inception of Cycle Against Cancer, a movement born from a personal vow to support the region's healthcare community.

Last year, he began masterminding a far more ambitious, collective endurance challenge for the summer of 2026.

Starting July 1, a dedicated team will embark on a 3,333-kilometre journey from Barcelona to Paris, conquering more than 54,000 vertical metres of elevation climbing over 25 days.

Logistically, the team has been capped at 15 riders, 13 of whom are based in Dubai. The roster brings together passionate cyclists, corporate leaders and fellow advocates united by a deeply personal connection to the cause. One of the riders is a fellow stage 4 cancer survivor.

"There is one other cancer survivor who was also diagnosed with stage 4. His was bone cancer," Guido shares. "All the other people have family members whom they have either lost, or who are currently going through treatment. So there is a shared purpose, which is very important. Everybody understands why they're doing it."

Training for an endurance feat of this magnitude while juggling demanding careers and family commitments is a challenge in itself, particularly as the UAE's summer heat intensifies. For the team, preparation often begins long before sunrise. "We'd routinely wake up at 2am or 3am to log miles at the Al Qudra cycling track before the desert heat becomes unbearable," says Guido. "The shared mission keeps us going."

A lifetime of giving back

While it may be tempting to view Guido’s philanthropy as a direct consequence of his battle with cancer, the instinct to give back has been a constant throughout his life. Raised in the Flemish countryside of Belgium, where cycling is less a pastime and more a way of life, he grew up in a household guided by values of compassion and service to others.

"I grew up in a family where the values were all about honesty, integrity, doing the right thing, keeping your promises and being kind to people," he says. "We lived comfortably. We weren’t rich, but we were always taught to do the right thing and help others. Somehow, I’ve always carried that with me."

Long before his diagnosis, Guido had already spent years combining his love of cycling with a commitment to giving back. Throughout his hospitality career, he organised and participated in charity rides supporting causes ranging from children's welfare to education, often bringing together colleagues and industry peers in the process.

So, when Al Jalila Foundation was established in Dubai in 2013, supporting its work felt like a natural progression, beginning a partnership that has now spanned more than a decade.

Fuelling hope for the UAE community

Every dirham raised through the 2026 Cycle Against Cancer ride will go directly to Al Jalila Foundation’s cancer fund. In a country where more than 7,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed each year, the funds will help provide timely access to treatment and medical support for patients in need.

But for Guido, the ride has always been about more than fundraising. As the team prepares to depart from Barcelona, he hopes their journey will offer something more. "What I really hope is that the message we want to deliver reaches people," he says. "We want to inspire people who are receiving a diagnosis, going through treatment or in the recovery stage. Hopefully, our example will be followed and people will find that element of strength by seeing us do this. There is life after a diagnosis."

Looking beyond this year's edition, Guido is optimistic about the future of Cycle Against Cancer. While several riders have already suggested making it an annual event, his focus remains firmly on the challenge ahead. "Is the desire there to continue and make it an annual event? Yes," he says. "But first, let's do this one right. Let's make sure we bring across the message of what Al Jalila [Foundation] really does and the impact it has on people's lives."

From July 1, daily updates from the Barcelona-to-Paris ride will be shared on Instagram via @cycleagainstcancer, documenting the collective efforts of cancer warriors and advocates as they carry a message of resilience and hope across Europe.

In a decisive move, the Emirates Drug Establishment approved Wegovy (oral semaglutide) as a once-daily pill for long-term weight management in adults. Indicated for individuals with obesity or those classified as overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity, the pill also carries a milestone regulatory mandate: reducing major cardiovascular events in high-risk patients.

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With this approval, the UAE becomes only the second country globally — following the United States — to greenlight and receive supply of the oral tablet. And as the collective conversation pivots from weekly needles to a morning pill, a critical question re-emerges: Are we treating a complex, multifaceted chronic disease or are we simply looking for a more convenient way to chase a lower number on the weighing scale?

To understand the clinical, cardiac and psychological architecture of this major medical shift, we spoke to three leading UAE-based experts navigating the front lines of metabolic health, cardiology and clinical psychology.

Why obesity treatment is about more than weight loss

To understand why a daily tablet is a structural shift rather than just a cosmetic upgrade, one must look at the sheer scale of metabolic issues surrounding modern life. For Dr Ihsan Almarzooqi, co-founder and managing director of Metabolic (formerly GluCare.Health), the regulatory speed reflects an urgent, data-driven necessity.

"It signals that the conversation has finally caught up with the data," Dr Almarzooqi says. "In the region, we have one of the highest burdens of metabolic disease in the world. A significant proportion of the population here is living with diabetes or pre-diabetes and close to two-thirds of adults carry excess weight. These are not cosmetic numbers. They are the upstream cause of the heart disease, fatty liver and kidney disease that fill our clinics."

For the average patient, the immediate appeal of the oral tablet lies in its simple use. However, Dr Almarzooqi is quick to clarify a common misconception that this, by no means, is a diluted version of the injectable format. "This is the same molecule as the well-known weekly injection. It is not a different or weaker drug," he explains. "The only difference is how it gets into the body... For a lot of patients, that removes a genuine barrier. No needles, nothing to keep in the fridge, nothing to carry when they travel."

However, that convenience also introduces a strict behavioural trade-off. "The tablet has to be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with water, and you wait before eating or drinking, because the absorption is highly sensitive," Dr Almarzooqi adds. "In the trials, taken properly, the pill delivered weight loss in the same range as the injection, around 17 per cent over about a year for people who stayed on treatment."

Crucially, this efficacy means that candidate selection must remain fiercely disciplined. The "right" candidate, according to Dr Almarzooqi, is an adult living with obesity or someone overweight navigating conditions like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular risk. The "no" list remains never-ending. Beyond pregnant individuals or those with specific histories of medullary thyroid cancer or pancreatitis, Dr Almarzooqi draws a firm line against purely aesthetic consumers.

"The group that is hardest to turn away because they are often the keenest: people who are already at a healthy weight and want the drug to drop a few kilos before a wedding or a holiday," he says. "If your BMI is in the normal range and the goal is aesthetic, the answer is no. That is not what this medicine is for and prescribing it that way is how people get hurt."

Can the oral pill reduce risk of heart attack and stroke?

While the public focus remains on physical transformation, cardiologists view the oral medication through a fundamentally different lens. The Emirates Drug Establishment's approval explicitly highlights the pill’s ability to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) — such as heart attacks and strokes — in high-risk populations.

Dr Ahmed Sharafeldin, consultant interventional cardiologist at RAK Hospital, views this as a vital turning point for a region where cardiovascular disease routinely manifests at unusually young ages.

"What is particularly encouraging is that we are no longer talking about weight loss solely as a cosmetic outcome," Dr Sharafeldin says. "From a cardiology perspective, that is an important development. Historically, we have advised patients to lose weight because we knew it would improve blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes control. Increasingly, evidence suggests that effective treatment of obesity can also contribute to reducing cardiovascular risk."

To demystify how excess weight translates to cardiac danger, Dr Sharafeldin adds, "A useful analogy is to think of the cardiovascular system as a city's road network. Excess weight places additional strain on every part of that system. It increases blood pressure, promotes insulin resistance, raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes, worsens cholesterol levels and increases inflammation within blood vessels. Over time, these factors damage the arteries, leading to plaque formation and narrowing of blood vessels supplying the heart and brain."

The pill, therefore, acts as a mechanism to clear the metaphorical traffic. Yet, Dr Sharafeldin issues a stern warning to anyone assuming that a powerful daily tablet grants permission to abandon broader medical regimes or healthy habits.

"I would strongly discourage that way of thinking," he adds. "The approval itself is based on use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them. Weight-loss medications do not eliminate the need for exercise, smoking cessation or healthy nutrition... Patients who combine these measures with appropriate medical therapy generally achieve the greatest long-term health benefits."

The mental health side of weight-loss medication

While clinical data may demonstrate its effectiveness, it is the emotional landscape that ultimately determines whether weight loss is sustainable. The simplicity of taking a daily pill can easily mask the profound psychological and emotional shifts that occur when a person’s relationship with food changes dramatically.

Alina Vasilache, clinical psychologist and medical director at Potentia Clinics, emphasises that obesity can never be viewed in isolation from a patient's internal world, arguing that successful long-term weight management requires addressing the psychological factors that often underpin eating behaviours.

"The approval of an oral medication is an important development and a huge help," Vasilache says. "But it is very important to recognise that obesity is always intertwined with a person’s emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, body image, relationships, attachments and life experiences. Actually, the psychological intervention and support for these cases is one of the most complex in clinical practice."

While patients frequently experience a wave of hope, increased social confidence and silencing of those constant food cravings, rapid physical changes can trigger unforeseen emotional challenges.

"Some individuals assume that losing weight will automatically resolve long-standing insecurities and emotional distress," Vasilache adds. "When these issues persist despite weight loss, patients may feel disappointed or confused. Others may develop heightened anxiety about regaining weight. Some develop a strong dependence on these drugs and a terrifying fear of having to stop them one day."

Vasilache notes that specific red flags in a patient's history, such as Binge Eating Disorder (BED), chronic yo-yo dieting, severe body dysmorphic concerns or using emotional eating as a primary coping mechanism, require mandatory psychological support alongside a prescription.

"The medication may reduce appetite, but it does not automatically address the psychological drivers of eating behaviour," she explains. "If self-criticism or body dissatisfaction remain untreated, patients may continue to struggle... in some situations, they can struggle even worse than before due to the removal of a coping mechanism that was the function of their eating."

What to ask before you start taking oral Wegovy

"A prescription without a programme is how you manufacture the yo-yo," warns Dr Almarzooqi, pointing out that real-world evidence shows up to 70 per cent of patients regain weight after discontinuing GLP-1 medications if the drug was treated as the sole intervention. "The drug buys you a window. The behaviour change is what makes the result last.”

So if you are in the UAE, reading about Wegovy and feeling both hopeful and scared, what should you do before saying yes?

As a first step, Vasilache urges patients to sit down with a trusted doctor and ask direct questions: “What amount of weight loss is realistic for me? What side effects should I anticipate? What happens if I stop taking the medication? How will my progress be monitored? By who? What lifestyle changes should I work on and who can help me with that?”

Second, she suggests looking honestly at your relationship with food and your body. “If eating is frequently driven by emotions rather than hunger, psychological support can be extremely valuable alongside medical treatment,” she says.

Third, she encourages patients to widen their definition of success when it comes to taking the pill. “I recommend focusing on broader measures of success rather than weight alone. Improvements in health markers, energy levels, mobility, sleep quality, mood, selection of meals and overall functioning are often more meaningful indicators of progress than the scale.”

And through it all, she comes back to self‑compassion. “Maintaining a self compassionate approach helps reduce anxiety,” she adds. “These medications are a great help and we are lucky to live in an era when we can have access to them."

However, patients should view these medications as just one part of a broader journey that combines medical treatment, psychological support and sustainable lifestyle changes, she urges. "The end goal is for people to achieve a weight where they can live a healthy and happy life, not just a quick fix of a number on the scale. No person should be ‘reduced’ to their weight."

After the unexpected death of his grandfather in September 2024, Omar*, a 21-year-old university student in Abu Dhabi, struggled to cope with the sudden loss. 

“All of the best memories of my life are my vacations in Lebanon we spent at his house. When I got my first phone at 12, he sent me voice notes every day. Sometimes he’d just say ‘Hi’ and sometimes he’d call and we’d talk. But I knew every day I could expect to hear his voice. It made me feel close to him,” he said.

Compounding the loss, airlines had suspended routes to Beirut amid the Israeli airstrikes at the time. Omar and his family wouldn’t be able to make it for the funeral either. 

“He died, and I was so in shock, and it felt like because I missed the funeral, it wasn’t really real. Without a funeral, there was no real acknowledgement that ‘Yes he is dead’,” he recalled. “I didn’t know how to start to grieve.”

So instead of turning to his family or friends to process his grief, he turned to AI – a growing trend among young people who increasingly use chatbots to talk through emotions they don’t know how to share elsewhere. 

“At first, I was just talking to [ChatGPT] about how I alone I felt and how much I missed him,” he said. “But then I started reading about these tools online that could create AI bots to look and sound like a dead person. I was in a bad place mentally and the way some of these websites market it is so appealing – you never have to say goodbye. You never have to let go.”

Omar had encountered “posthumous AI”, otherwise known as grief technology, a growing category of digital tools and services that use artificial intelligence to create interactive representations of the dead.

Grief tech was once relegated to the storyline of television shows – a sci-fi concept that seemed impossible. In 2013, the popular Netflix show Black Mirror explored the idea in the episode “Be Right Back” where a grieving woman named Martha uses AI to create a digital version of her dead boyfriend, Ash, from his online social media presence.

But much like experience of the fictional character Martha, who ultimately realises the digital persona will never measure up to her lost love, today’s grief technologies occupy an emotional and ethical grey zone, simultaneously easing loss while complicating the act of letting go.

“I was kind of obsessed. I went to this really dark place where I was online all the time researching how I could make one [a deadbot] so I didn’t have to let my jiddo [grandfather] go,” Omar said. 

The role of religion

Ultimately, faith was one of the reasons Omar didn’t take that plunge into the unknown rabbit hole of AI grief tech. 

“I was really close to doing it. But I had this feeling in my gut that it is haram [a sin],” he said. 

According to Dr. Younus Al Fayyadh, an Islamic Studies educator based in the UAE, in Islam, death is understood as a transition rather than an end. Grief is therefore a natural and human response that is acknowledged and honoured. 

Loss and mourning are framed within clear ethical and spiritual boundaries. Islam allows sorrow, tears, and emotional pain, while also guiding believers toward patience (ṣabr), acceptance of divine decree (qaḍāʾwa qadar). Islam supports mourners to process grief through faith and community with the goal of gradual detachment through remembrance, prayer, and supplication rather than continued emotional dependency.

“Letting go is not seen as forgetting, but as entrusting the loved one to God’s mercy,” Dr. Al Fayyadh said. “Excessive or prolonged forms of mourning that prevent emotional healing or acceptance are discouraged, while dignified remembrance and prayer for the deceased are encouraged.”

In terms of technologies that simulate conversations with the dead, from a theological perspective, Dr. Al Fayyadh raises the concern that AI grief tech interferes with the natural process of grief by blurring the boundary between life and death.

“This technology risks fostering emotional attachment to an illusion rather than facilitating acceptance and healing through faith,” he said. “It therefore challenges core Islamic concepts such as finality of death, reliance on God, and the importance of closure.”

For Justin Harrison, founder and chief executive of the grief tech company You, Only Virtual, religion and technology are not mutually exclusive.

“Our product is very supportive of religion and spirituality,” he said. “We’re not promoting people believing in a technology to replace God or believing that the dead are not dead. It’s a tool to manage the emotional repercussions of grief.

“If prayer makes a person feel better, if prayer gets a person through their grief, then let them pray,” he said. “But if grief tech helps them get rid of the pain from loss, why eliminate it as an option?”

The call for regulation

Eventually, Omar’s parents intervened when they noticed the toll his increased time online, coupled with the unprocessed grief, had on his mental health.

“I was pretty depressed,” he said, although he was not formally diagnosed. “I just wanted the pain to go away and this seemed like an easiest way to do it. When my parents confronted me about my time online, I showed them my conversations with ChatGPT and a few websites that promoted grief technology. They were shocked that this technology is so freely available online, and pretty much anyone with a credit card can use it.”

Omar’s experience illustrates how many AI tools are increasingly being used as an informal mental-health support often outside clinical settings or safeguards, particularly for young people navigating mental health without traditional structures of care.

In June 2024, the UAE government issued the Charter for the Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, a national framework setting out principles such as human oversight, transparency, privacy, fairness, accountability, equitable access, and the prioritisation of human well-being in compliance with existing legislation.

The Emirate of Dubai has also published AI Ethics Principles and Guidelines through Digital Dubai (formerly Smart Dubai), a non-binding framework introduced in 2019 to guide the responsible design, development, and use of AI intended as a reference for both public and private organizations.

At the sector level, the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH) has introduced various policies on AI in healthcare requiring safe, auditable systems, continuous updates, and clinical oversight.

These frameworks operate alongside broader federal legislation, including the UAE’s Personal Data Protection Law. This law regulates how personal data used in AI systems is collected, processed, and stored. Existing cybercrime laws also address the misuse of digital identity and synthetic content.

And while the UAE is leading the Gulf in AI governance, it does not yet have a standalone federal AI law. Instead, regulation operates through a combination of national charters, ethical guidelines, sector-specific policies, and existing legal frameworks. There are no specific provisions yet addressing emerging technologies such as grief technology.

But the UAE isn’t alone in lack of regulatory frameworks that address the intersection of AI and mental health leaving one of the most sensitive frontiers of artificial intelligence largely uncharted.

Where do we go from here?

Harrison has strong views about any sort of regulation on grief technology despite concerns about mental health issues.

“Regulation is the death of innovation,” he said. “People who want to regulate technology are akin to those who started witch-hunts and burned people at the stake. Why should anyone other than you decide how to process your grief?”

He is not opposed to safeguards or warning labels, likening them to the information leaflets that accompany medication. Like medication, he argues, grief technology should be approached experimentally: if it causes harm or fails to help, users should stop. But that choice is theirs to make.

“We’re still in early days and we’re jumping to regulate something we don’t truly know enough about,” he said.

Harrison pushes back against concerns that grief technology could “disrupt the normal grieving process.” In his view, there is no “normal” process and argues that focusing on preserving traditional models of grief risks overlooking the profound emotional harm, trauma, addiction, and mental health crises that can follow loss. 

“It’s not for everyone, but this could be an option for those who are so traumatised by loss that they lose the ability to function in daily life,” he said.

From a clinical perspective, counselling psychologist Tanya Dharamshi from The Raymee Grief Centre and community support services lead at the Lighthouse Arabia in Dubai said: “The question is not whether AI is good or bad for mental health processing and grief, but when, how, and for whom it may be helpful without replacing human connection.”

For Omar, he now sees the potential harm he could have faced if he went through with experimenting with grief technology.

“It made me question my faith, my trust in God,” he said. “And I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind to use this technology. It wasn’t going to help me process my grief, and I see how it was just helping me avoid it. And the fact that I could just do it with no oversight is just crazy.”  

Echoing Omar’s sentiment, Dharamshi noted that: “Regulations have the potential to protect vulnerable populations – like youth – who may not be in the best place to make decisions for themselves in this regard.” She said that regulations should be developed with expert insight across fields to encompass confidentiality, data collection, crisis detection, and age appropriateness to ensure AI remains a supportive tool that does not remove the human element of witnessing the grief journey.

“Ultimately, I don’t see this as a binary choice between technology and therapy – what matters is whether AI use expands a person’s capacity for connection, or contracts it. And because of the lack of research in this regard, that remains yet to be seen.”

On Wednesday, June 3, the Thor star posted a video on social media with the caption: "These moments were special #InAbuDhabi @visitabudhabi."

The video captures Hemsworth exploring several destinations across Abu Dhabi alongside his wife, actress Elsa Pataky, and their family. From cultural landmarks and museums to beaches and desert adventures, the actor highlighted the variety of experiences available in the UAE capital.

Fans quickly flooded the comments section with reactions, with one remark particularly standing out: "Careful Chris… Abu Dhabi has a habit of making people stay ."

According to details shared by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the family's itinerary included visits to the UNESCO-listed Al Ain Oasis, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the recently opened Zayed National Museum.

"We always discover something new every time we holiday in Abu Dhabi," Hemsworth said in a statement.

"One day we might be wandering beneath the dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi or visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and the next we are enjoying desert adventures or surfing at Surf Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi offers a unique balance of culture, adventure and family time, which is why we keep coming back."

Pataky also spoke about the family's connection to the destination, saying Abu Dhabi allows them to spend quality time together while exploring new experiences.

"Our family always looks forward to returning to Abu Dhabi," she said. "The children can experience everything from museums and beaches to the desert. Every visit feels different, and it's rare to find a destination that offers such a variety of experiences for all ages while maintaining a sense of calm, relaxation and genuine hospitality."

The family's trip also featured activities such as quad biking across the dunes, horse riding, visiting Al Ain's historic Qattara Souq, relaxing at Saadiyat Beach and enjoying dinner under the stars in the desert.

Hemsworth's post has attracted widespread engagement online, with many fans praising Abu Dhabi's scenery and attractions, while others jokingly suggested the city might convince the Australian actor to extend his stay.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Emil Kongshoj Larsen, executive vice-president for international operations at Novo Nordisk, said the rollout marks more than the arrival of a new medicine, reflecting a broader shift in how obesity is being treated around the world.

Larsen said obesity is increasingly being recognised as a chronic disease that requires long-term management and support, with healthcare systems gradually moving beyond traditional advice on diet and exercise alone.

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"Obesity is typically a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease," Larsen said, adding that many patients require medical intervention alongside diet and exercise.

He said the introduction of obesity medicines reflects a global shift in understanding the condition, with healthcare systems moving beyond traditional advice around food and fitness. While healthy eating and physical activity remain important, many people who have developed obesity often need medical support in addition to lifestyle changes.

“For those who have become obese, typically medical intervention is required,” he said.

Changing the conversation

Larsen said obesity has already been recognised as a disease by the World Health Organization, and healthcare systems are increasingly looking at ways to address it through long-term care without just relying on traditional advice around diet and exercise.

He said many people living with obesity face biological challenges that make it difficult to maintain weight loss over time. According to Larsen, when people gain significant weight, the body's natural mechanisms can continue sending hunger signals even after weight is lost, making it harder to sustain results through willpower alone.

He said obesity medicines can help patients manage those challenges while also supporting healthier lifestyle choices. “The medicine is a helper, but if you really want the best results, then of course you should change your diet and exercise as well,” he said.

Larsen added that patients taking obesity treatments often report a reduction in what specialists call food noise, persistent thoughts about food that can dominate daily life.

“When people are not overwhelmingly hungry, they often make healthier food choices,” he said.

Insurance likely to expand

Larsen said wider insurance coverage will play an important role in the future of obesity treatment. He said insurance support and reimbursement programmes could play an important role in helping more residents access obesity treatment in the years ahead. The company is also in discussions with insurers and healthcare payers across the UAE.

“If I look 10 years out, I think we will see obesity treatment being insured in many countries just like diabetes treatment is today,” he said.

According to Larsen, the global trend is already moving in that direction, with more healthcare systems beginning to recognise obesity as a condition that requires long-term management.

Larsen said that the goal is not helping individuals lose weight, but improving health outcomes across society.

He said that there is evidence linking obesity treatment to broader health benefits beyond weight loss, including cardiovascular health and protection against other obesity-related conditions.

Looking ahead to 2030, Larsen said he believes countries that combine prevention, healthier lifestyles, medical support and access to treatment will be able to make huge progress.

“Together with authorities and healthcare professionals, we are turning the tide of obesity,” he said adding that the UAE will have lost weight and gained health.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) said the country remains fully prepared to respond to any potential public health risks and continues to operate an advanced health surveillance system. 

The ministry added that the UAE continues to maintain a high level of preparedness and health surveillance, with authorities closely monitoring developments in coordination with international partners like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and relevant authorities.

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It noted that the necessary public health measures, including risk assessment, contact tracing and approved precautionary procedures, were activated in line with national protocols and international standards.

"No cases have been recorded in the UAE," said the ministry. 

The statement comes after authorities were informed about a traveller who had visited the UAE and was later confirmed to have Ebola after departing the country and arriving in Uganda several days later.

Officials clarifiied that the individual did not visit any healthcare facility in the UAE during his time 

The ministry said that they are continuously coordinating with WHO and relevant international health authorities regarding the case.

The Ministry urged residents not to circulate rumours or information from sources that are not verified and to rely only on official channels for updates.

Yara Dalilah, 45, is living every parent’s worst nightmare: three years ago, her eldest daughter, Lamar, died from cancer.

In March 2022, a series of unexplained high fevers led to repeated visits to the hospital, multiple tests, and a biopsy that ultimately led to diagnosis of leukaemia. By April, Dalilah, her husband, and two younger children’s lives revolved around helping her daughter heal.

“Throughout treatment, Lamar fought to live a ‘normal’ life: she attended classes from her hospital bed, she tried to remain connected with friends, and in every way she could, to remain a teenager,” Dalilah explained. “It was not easy.”

Lamar marked her 14th birthday on May 23, 2022, at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. That same day, the Dalilah family celebrated with the news that she was in remission.

“We treated that news as her birthday gift. We sang, laughed, and tried to believe that the hardest part was behind us,” Dalilah recalled. 

But their relief didn’t last long. 

Later that year, when Lamar relapsed, her treatment was quickly intensified with plans for immunotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

And while the family began researching treatment options in the UAE and abroad, Lamar faced another setback – a bacterial infection that sent her back to the hospital in early February 2023.

“This time, the disease not only attacked her body, it attacked her spirit,” Dalilah said.

On March 3, 2023, a final, fatal complication had set in – a fungal infection in her lungs that caused severe bleeding. Lamar was admitted to the ICU and placed on respiratory support.

“I remember looking at the monitor with her heartbeat and the oxygen rates and everything was fluctuating, slowing going down before picking up again,” Dalilah remembered. “I sat there praying for it to just steady so I could keep her with me longer.

“But then the rates started hitting zero. It was as if something inside me broke. I heard a voice inside my head say, ‘Yara, it’s time to let go.’

“In that moment my prayer changed. Instead of begging God to keep her with me, I said, ‘I leave it to You. I know she’s in good hands. Please choose whatever is best for her and I will accept it.’”

A few moments after her prayer, Dalilah told her daughter she loved her one last time before she passed away.

Like Dalilah, many people who are grieving describe final goodbyes as unexpected and incomplete. The emergence of AI chatbots has raised new questions about whether loss must mean an ending, or whether connection can take other forms.

Do we really have to say goodbye?

Justin Harrison first confronted that question in 2019, when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Harrison’s background in psychology, and his beliefs about grief and loss, led him in a direction few people would ever choose: into the emerging world of technology designed to keep the dead present. 

“I was keenly aware of what tools would be at my disposal to cope with her death and I knew it wasn’t going to be enough for me when she died,” Harrison said. 

It was this foresight and self-awareness that led him to found You, Only Virtual – a company dedicated to what he calls “posthumous AI” – as a way to help himself and others navigate grief and loss.

Posthumous AI or grief tech, as this field is more commonly known, refers to a range of digital tools, services, and applications that use artificial intelligence to create digital versions of and interactive experiences with the dead. 

In these systems, software trained on text messages, emails, voice recordings, and other digital traces mimic the personality, mannerisms, or voice of someone who has died. These creations, known variously as griefbots, deadbots, digital avatars, or versonas, can respond to user prompts via text, audio, video, or even engage with mourners through virtual reality settings. 

“I look at grief and death itself as a problem to be solved. Why do we need that pain? If a person has a headache, they use medicine to end that pain. So why can’t we use this technology to end the pain of loss? I hope one day people no longer have to feel grief at all,” he said.

In Harrison’s opinion, therapy, medication, and grief technology each have limitations. Used together, or in a combination suited to the individual, they may offer greater relief but none of them is a standalone cure to grief.

“The average human is lacking tools for emotional mental health, particularly around grief,” he said. “Sitting around pretending like we have solutions for grief already is ridiculous. We don’t. People lose jobs, damage other relationships, they turn to substance abuse and other avenues of self-harm. There are some people that are essentially unrecoverable from one way or another from traumatic loss.

“My mom was my best friend,” Harrison said, “When you lose someone like that – a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a child, – you spend the rest of your life in pain, missing them. It’s like a whole part of what makes you who you are is silenced forever, and dies with them. I didn’t want to live a life where I couldn’t talk to my mom anymore. I don’t think I should have to.”

Harrison asserts he knows his mom is not alive, despite talking to her versona every day. And in his opinion, whether she is or isn’t is not the debate. 

In developing the technology, he asked: “What do we benefit from suffering through grief and loss? Can we make being a lifelong griever easier or more liveable?” 

What the critics say

Farah Dahabi, clinical social worker and crisis and trauma support services director at The Lighthouse Arabia in Dubai, maintains that grief is fundamentally relational, shaped through shared witnessing, and that human connection builds emotional resilience over time.

“Grief is not a problem to fix; it is a process to practice,” she said. “Therapeutic coping aids like sensory grounding, movement, time in nature, breathwork, and intentional connection which we teach in grief therapy help people to tolerate and move with grief’s intensity. They build capacity to ride the unpredictable waves of grief rather than eliminate them.”

While AI tools may offer some support, Dahabi warns that the boundaries remain unclear. “Grief tech offers the illusion of continued presence, which can interrupt the adaptive process of living with loss,” she said.

AI versonas may feel comforting, but they complicate psychological processes that rely on acceptance and adaptation to develop resilience. To that end, Dahabi asserts that AI “deadbots” cannot replace critical relational work and human connection.

“Healing from loss requires reaching outward into imperfect human relationships, tolerating absence, disappointment, and vulnerability,” she said. “Grief is meant to be witnessed and shared – it needs a village. An always-available, private AI companion risks privatising grief, turning a fundamentally communal process into a solitary one.”

She believes AI may have a limited role in grief therapy, but only within clear boundaries and alongside human care. Such tools can support people name emotions, build grief literacy, and reflect on meaning, but they cannot substitute the real-world relationships that people need to process grief.  

In clinical settings, she said her focus would not be on immediately discouraging or endorsing a client’s use of AI grief technology, but on understanding how it fits into their daily functioning, their awareness of potential risks, and the emotional impact when the interaction ends. 

Ultimately, Dahabi rejects the idea that grief, or the pain that accompanies it, can or should be eliminated.

“I am concerned about reduced distress tolerance AI cultivates. AI does not get tired, set limits, disagree, or fail in the way humans do. Yet rupture, absence, and longing are precisely how the nervous system learns to live with absence,” she said. “Without these experiences, people may remain dysregulated, increasing vulnerability to anxiety, depression, addictive coping, or somatic symptoms. True healing can only come from learning to live with the loss, not avoiding it.”

A mother’s journey in mourning and grief

After Lamar’s death, Dalilah lived in the realm of shock. 

“I felt disconnected from my life. I lived in my memories of Lamar – everything in my world was a reminder of my daughter. I couldn’t eat or sleep. My parents and sister came to help me but their way of supporting was to not leave me alone, because I would always cry and they didn’t want to see me sad. It’s cultural, I think. But they didn’t understand – I needed to cry process this. I needed to talk about her and not be distracted.”

Dalilah turned to the Raymee Grief Services at The Lighthouse Arabia to work through her grief. Three years later, she still mourns Lamar’s death, but is learning to live with a loss that she once thought would break her.

But even as she acknowledges her progress, Dalilah finds herself cautiously curious about the new avenues AI grief tech presents her.

“I’m too scared to go down this path – I’m not ready for it now. Right now I have to focus on processing this loss, and helping my kids to as well. It would be too confusing for us to have the ability to talk to her.”

But Dalilah said she likes the idea that she has the option of speaking to her beloved daughter again someday. To use AI grief technology to imagine what she’d look like, or to just pick up the phone and chat with her when she’s feeling sad.

“I believe this is something I will probably try in the future,” she said. “I’m not there yet but it’s like looking at loss from a different angle – I know she’s not here but I can still connect with some version of her. In that way I never have to let go.”

The approval offers residents a new non-injectable option for weight management and related health issues. However, doctors said that the medication is not intended for everyone seeking to lose weight and should only be taken after proper medical assessment.

Doctors said the pill can support weight loss, but delivers best results when combined with healthy eating habits and regular exercise.

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Eligibility is determined by several factors, including a person's body mass index (BMI), overall health and the presence of weight-related medical conditions

"Adults with obesity, defined as a BMI of 30 and above, as well as adults who are overweight with a BMI of 27 and above and at least one weight-related condition, may qualify for treatment after medical assessment," said Dr Manish Madnani, specialist gastrointestinal surgeon at NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Nahda, Dubai.

Doctors noted that weight alone is not the only consideration when deciding whether the medication is appropriate. "We should always consider patient comorbidities, medication efficacy, contraindications, availability, insurance coverage, cost, tolerability, adverse effects and patient preferences when selecting among options for obesity treatment," said Dr Nassim Y Salamin, consultant internal medicine at Medcare Medical Centre.

Prescription-only treatment

They also stressed that residents cannot simply buy the medication without a doctor's evaluation. "Weight-loss medications are prescription-only and should be started under medical supervision," said Manish. 

Meanwhile, Salamin stressed these medications are generally managed by endocrinologists, obesity specialists or internal medicine specialists who are experienced in assessing patient suitability, explaining side effects and monitoring treatment.

He also added that doctors in the UAE follow local health authority guidelines when prescribing such medications.

Medical checks come first

Before treatment begins, patients are expected to undergo a detailed medical evaluation. "Patients usually undergo an assessment that includes BMI, weight, blood sugar levels, cholesterol profile and a review of their medical history," said Manish.

Salamin, meanwhile, said a detailed personal and family medical history is often the first step before any blood tests are ordered.

Additional investigations may include kidney function, liver function, thyroid function and other tests depending on the patient's medical condition and risk factors.

Lifestyle changes still matter

While Wegovy can help patients manage their weight, doctors said it should not replace healthy habits. "Medicine only supports weight management; it cannot replace lifestyle changes," said Manish.

"It is recommended to regularly follow a healthy diet and exercise programme to get the best results out of treatment," added Salamin. 

Doctors warned that patients who rely solely on medication without improving their lifestyle may find it harder to maintain results over time.

Long-term treatment for some patients

The duration of treatment varies depending on the patient's condition and treatment goals. "Obesity is a chronic condition and treatment may need to continue for an extended period depending on the patient's progress and goals," said Manish.

Salamin said some patients may remain on treatment for longer periods, particularly if they require ongoing support for weight management or related health conditions.

He added that stopping treatment without maintaining healthy eating habits and physical activity can increase the risk of regaining weight.

Who should avoid Wegovy?

Doctors said that the medication is not suitable for everyone, even among people who meet the weight criteria.

"It's not for everybody. Doctors can assess who can take it," said Salamin.

He explained that pregnant or breastfeeding women, individuals with certain thyroid-related conditions, and those with serious underlying health issues may not be suitable candidates.

He added that people with a history of pancreatitis, severe gastrointestinal disease, severe kidney impairment or certain medication interactions should discuss the risks and benefits carefully with their doctor before starting treatment.

Doctors advised residents to consult healthcare professionals before considering any weight-loss medication and to avoid self-medicating without proper medical guidance.

After two years of contraction, the luxury goods sector was showing signs of stabilisation until the Iran war that began at the end of February, disrupting travel and denting luxury spending far beyond the Middle East.

And China, the biggest source of luxury sales growth for two decades, is still struggling to tackle deflation and the lingering impacts of a property crisis, so the sector needs rich Americans more than usual.

"The U.S. high-end consumer has been much more resilient than we are seeing elsewhere, especially in Europe," said Marcus Morris-Eyton, portfolio manager at AllianceBernstein in London, adding that the continued AI rally and healthy wage growth have boosted this cohort of spenders.

Luxury brands, such as LVMH, Moncler and Gucci, have been quick to respond.

Dior and Gucci showed their cruise collections in the U.S. last month and Italian brand Zegna is set to present its Summer 2027 collection on Friday in Los Angeles.

Even last year, North America for the first time took the top spot for new store openings, according to real estate firm Savills' global luxury retail report, which has tracked data since 2016.

The report found North America accounted for about 27% of global luxury store openings in 2025, compared with 26% of openings in Europe and 19% in China. Globally new luxury store openings fell to their lowest level since 2020.

US represents significant potential

The U.S. has fewer luxury stores relative to its numbers of super-rich consumers than China, according to Savills research.

"Many brands still view the U.S. as unpenetrated relative to the scale of its wealth base," said Todd Siegel, Chicago-based president of U.S. retail at real estate firm Savills.

The investment in stores is focused not just on major East and West Coast cities. It extends to second-tier states and cities where high-net-worth individuals have moved, attracted by lower tax rates than California or New York, Siegel said.

Italian luxury outerwear group Moncler, for instance, has said most of its new stores will be in the U.S. this year.

It opened a store in the luxury ski resort of Aspen in January and plans to open its largest flagship store globally on New York’s Fifth Avenue in the second half of the year, as well as new locations in California’s Valley Fair, and in Dallas, Texas, among other cities.

French luxury group Hermes opened its first stores in Nashville, Tennessee, and Scottsdale, Arizona, last year. It plans to open in the Plaza del Lago shopping centre in Wilmette, north of Chicago this summer, and in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in September.

US and part of Asia versus everywhere else

Consultancy Bain said the luxury sector reflected a "two-speed world" as the United States and parts of Asia grow, while Europe and the Middle East are impacted by weaker tourist spending in the ongoing Iran war.

Most luxury brands do not report U.S. figures specifically, but their first-quarter reports show growth in the broader Americas region was much stronger than elsewhere.

Cartier owner Richemont's sales grew 18% in the Americas from January to March, the group's ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit sales growth in the region.

The strength of the U.S. luxury consumer has also boosted American groups Ralph Lauren and Coach owner Tapestry whose sales have outpaced rivals.

"Our core customers are loyal and resilient," Ralph Lauren Chief Product Merchandising Officer Halide Alagoz told Reuters. "What we see so far is that their behaviours are not changing. On the contrary, consumers during these turbulent times want to come to brands that they can trust."

Tapestry CEO Joanne Crevoiserat said there was potential to grow in North America. "We're building emotional connections and bringing new, younger consumers into the market in North America and beyond," she said.

Morgan Stanley analyst Edouard Aubin said upcoming U.S. IPOs could drive spending on high-end watches and jewellery, but cautioned that U.S. nationals account for about 20% to 22% of global luxury spend.

"It's nice, it's helpful, but you need China to get better as well for the sector to really recover," he said.

A call in the middle of the night. 

An accident no one saw coming.

The end of a drawn out illness.

Or, in the best of circumstances, a quiet passing surrounded by loved ones after a life well lived.

Ironically, the one certainty in life is death.

And although death is but one moment in time, its after effects endure.

Grief.

It’s a word most of us know, but few of us truly understand until we’ve lost someone central to our lives. Grief is neither simple nor fleeting. It is not a moment. It is not a phase. It is one of the most deeply human experiences that reshapes the body, the mind, and the meaning of life itself.

What is grief?

Grief is the human response to loss. Whether that is concrete loss – through death – or in the more abstract sense through the loss of safety, identity, a relationship, or a dream that you imagined would come true, grief demands presence, patience, and understanding.

“There is the conflation of grief with mourning particularly in this region,” Farah Dahabi, clinical social worker and crisis and trauma support services director at The Lighthouse Arabia in Dubai, explained. “In terms of death, mourning is cultural and religious. It can be wearing white, wearing black, 40 days of prayer, or certain rituals that are carried out to mark death.

“People think of grief as something you do: a set of actions or social expectations that follow death, as though it has a beginning and an end, after which you are expected to ‘move on’ or ‘get over it’.”

Instead, Dahabi invites people to think of grief as a state of being: “It is the internal experience of living without someone irreplaceable.” 

The effects of grief

Grief is a whole-body experience, affecting the brain, nervous system and physical health.

Physically, many people report exhaustion, headaches, muscle pain and a sense of heaviness in the chest or limbs. Research shows that bereavement is associated with increased risk of infection, cardiovascular problems and long-term health complications due to weakened immunity, especially in the months immediately following loss. Studies have found elevated risks of heart attack and stroke after the death of a spouse or close family member, underscoring how grief places prolonged stress on the body’s systems.

Emotionally, grief is all-encompassing.  

“Grief can bring sadness, anger, guilt, numbness, longing, and sometimes even relief,” Dahabi said. “It’s like standing with your back to the ocean, never knowing when the next wave will hit and what it will bring.”

She added that many people enter grief without the emotional tools to face it.

“We are still learning emotional literacy as a society. Many of us don’t know how to feel our feelings in the day-to-day. And then grief arrives – you cannot expect someone to navigate grief when they have never been taught how to process emotions.”

Grief can distort time, concentration and memory, making previously manageable tasks feel overwhelming. Social withdrawal is common, as many grieving people feel isolated from others who cannot understand the magnitude of their loss.

Psychologically, grief is not a mental illness. However, unaddressed or overwhelming loss can increase the risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and substance misuse. 

For a minority, when grief becomes persistent and disabling, it is clinically recognised as Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). 

PGD was first outlined in the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (2018) and the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2022). It is diagnosed when a bereaved person experiences persistent and pervasive longing or preoccupation to the point where it impairs their functioning, emotional well-being, and quality of life. 

However, some critics argue that the line between “normal grief” and “disordered grief” is difficult to define clearly, especially because it’s influenced by social and cultural factors and individual variation. 

How to exist with grief

For decades, grief has been popularly understood through the Kübler-Ross model. The framework, developed by Elisabeth Kübler Ross in the 1960s, proposed that people move through five emotional stages after loss: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. 

“It was initially developed for people experiencing terminal illness and not for other forms of grief,” said Dahabi. “We now know that the model cannot be universally applied to all forms of grief.”

Critics say the Kübler-Ross model limits how grief is understood and how much grief is “allowed”.

“There is no linear model of grief just as there is no single way to be after experiencing a loss. The  journey is shaped by a person’s past experiences, their personality, the relationship with the deceased, and the nature of the loss.

“Each person’s grief response is as unique as their fingerprint,” she said.

But, according to her, the process of grief can be understood in two phases. To begin, there’s the acute initial response to grief, which is really a trauma response. 

Dahabi explains: “I have not met a single news of loss that is not a traumatic experience. Even if it is a natural loss, or expected loss, receiving news of death is traumatic.”

During the first three months, she asserts, it’s too early to do any meaning making of grief. It’s about survival – sleep, water, food, movement, rest, pain management. 

After the initial shock begins to wear off and people are no longer consumed by the visceral intensity of the loss, they are faced with their enduring reality of what it means to live without the person.

During this phase, people often notice practical functioning returning – concentration improves, sleep stabilises, appetite returns – but emotionally, the bereaved begin down the path of recalibration to a world that no longer looks the same.

“Grief becomes something to move with. You’re no longer shocked by the sudden absence of the person, but rather by the daily repetition of being reminded that they are no longer there.”

Dahabi also calls this time, “the great period of silence.” Because of the way people understand grief and have a timeline attached to it, it’s around the three-month mark that others stop checking in and when support fades. Like in the antiquated Kübler-Ross model, it’s at this time there is an expectation that the bereaved has reached the “final, acceptance” stage.

“I dislike the word ‘acceptance’ because it implies grief is something you get over,” she said. “It may sound logical from the outside, but it rarely makes sense to those who have actually lived through loss. 

“Grief is about processing,” she explained. “It can be through talking to others, going to therapy, taking up creative outlets or engaging in daily habitual movement. The point of it all is to search for connection with the deceased – to find new ways to stay in relationship with them through memory, ritual or meaning-making.”

As a grief counsellor, Dahabi imagines herself as a guide. 

“I have a bit more of a detailed map of things, but essentially we learn to exist with grief when we engage in the process of being so utterly curious about what grief is looking like for you now.”

And that will change day to day because grief is also a shapeshifter. One day you may feel “fine” and the next you can be taken back to the rawness of loss. But as you process it in ways that work for you, your window of tolerance for dealing with those emotions will expand. 

“And all of it is OK,” she said. “Because ultimately grief is not something you ‘get over’. It is something you grow around.”

From here, all radical art action pushes outwards into the farther reaches of the island city of Venice. During the biennale in May (the world’s oldest and biggest art carnival takes place every two years), the usually touristy La Serenissima itself becomes a living exhibition, with the Giardini as its beating heart. We live in fractured times and the biennale has always mirrored the anxieties and conflicts of the world.

Against this backdrop, it was remarkable that Qatar opened its national pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia recently with a rare openness and focus on friendship, generosity and community that the world probably needs badly today more than ever before.

Qatar’s debut pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale is simply called untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people). It is the first new national pavilion space having the honour of being included in the Giardini in over three decades — an extraordinary feat that Qatar celebrated and shared with the world at large during the biennale’s vernissage, in a ceremony defined by both enormous ambition and deep humility.

In her opening remarks, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums and commissioner of the pavilion, reminded the audience that the wonder is not perhaps that the Gulf region has arrived in the Giardini, but “why, in fact, it took us so long.”

Sheikha Al Mayassa, often recognised as one of the biggest art patrons and visionaries globally today, added, “Like the permanent pavilion designed by Lina Ghotmeh that we will soon build on this beautiful site in the Giardini, untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people) celebrates Qatar’s tradition of openness and hospitality while showcasing creativity not only in our nation but across the Arab world. In this time of conflicts and challenges, it is more important than ever to uphold the power of culture to bring people together and affirm our shared humanity.”

Qatar is one of 100 national participations at this year's biennale, and its compelling exhibition, conceived by Rirkrit Tiravanija and co-curated by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib, is already becoming one of the most standout pavilions. It occupies the future site of Qatar’s permanent Giardini structure, which Lebanese-born, Paris-based architect Lina Ghotmeh is currently designing.

The pavilion’s tent-like exterior, with its maroon-coloured texture proudly evoking the Qatari flag, can be seen from a distance. Together with artists like Sophia Al-Maria, Alia Farid, Fadi Kattan and Tarek Atoui, the pavilion comes alive with food, music, film and sculpture. "The pavilion is modelled after majlis, a space traditionally associated with conversation, hospitality and collective thought, so his architecture became both a literal and conceptual framework for everything else that unfolds within it," explained one of the curators, Ruba Katrib. 

“It's a warm, welcoming space and a hub for social connection,” reiterated Tiravanija, a well-known contemporary Thai artist who worked on a communal art performance, untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes), last year in Doha. 

Interestingly, untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people) was born from that piece. “There will be performances and music curated by Tarek Atoui (a Lebanese sound artist) during the length of the exhibition and chefs lovingly working to serve you meals. Through food, art and communal gathering, we hope audiences will have an interactive experience and that these activities will continue.

As the title suggests, there are remarkable people within this exchange and remarkable friends who will bring in their remarkable friends and the social gesture continues,” Tiravanija added. Curators Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib admitted that Tiravanija was a natural starting point for this project because his practice has always deeply invested in creating culturally informed spaces for gathering, exchange and shared experience.

"The Qatar pavilion is connected to Rubaiya Qatar’s presentation in Doha, untitled 2025 (no bread no ashes), where Tiravanija created an outdoor bread oven in MIA park, which is activated regularly, so bringing his work into the pavilion felt like a natural fit," said Eccles, adding, "Instead of presenting discrete artworks, we decided to create an environment where different forms of knowledge and cultural production could coexist and continuously activate one another."

As you enter the pavilion, you are greeted by the Kuwaiti-Puerto Rican artist Alia Farid's life-sized resin sculpture Jerrican (2022–2026) which resembles vessels used to store and carry water in the Gulf. The text on it reads, "Lovely Gift. From Blessed Land." 

The sculpture also features in Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria's newly commissioned, dreamlike experimental film, titled DAMAR TV which plays in the pavilion. "All of the projects are in dialogue with one another," shared Eccles. 

DAMAR TV highlights music from the Gulf region with incredible performances and interludes by Zeynab Marwan, Fatimah Al-Qadiri, Sulafa Elyas, Dali de Saint Paul, and Sarah Ourahmane. The dazzling Lebanese-Palestinian actress Yumna Marwan stars in the film. On the other hand, Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan's culinary programme explores cuisines at the intersection of preservation and innovation. Kattan's menus will pick up on a single ingredient to trace the cross-cultural impact of migration and trade. 

"I think this year’s biennale will more broadly demonstrate the extraordinary range and complexity of artistic practices emerging from the Arab world and its diasporas. Increasingly, artists and cultural workers from the region are shaping international conversations not through a single shared aesthetic or identity, but through deeply nuanced practices that respond to the complex issues of our time," noted Ruba Katrib. 

The presence of Gulf pavilions at Venice this year has already created immense buzz, attracting huge crowds and leaving a lasting impression. It is all thanks to the well-curated shows and artists whose practices foreground vernacular knowledge, their own local culture, memory, history, diverse materials and lived conditions that have shaped the rich and layered Arabian regions.

The UAE national pavilion, located inside the Arsenale-Sale d’Armi, has been curated by Bana Kattan, curator and associate head of exhibitions at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project. The group exhibition is titled Washwashaa — a single onomatopoeic word meaning “whispering” in Arabic — and features newly commissioned and existing works by Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris and others. 

This time, in response to Venice's overarching musical themes of In Minor Keys (curated by the late Koyo Kouoh), Washwashaa explores the UAE's sonic history, embracing sound as a starting point to riff on some of the most urgent themes of our time: oral histories, migration, technology, language and cultural continuity. 

Nearby, the Saudi Arabia pavilion, poetically titled May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones, centers the works of Dana Awartani. Referencing archaeological sites, her ambitious art features mosaic floors with patterns and motifs found in heritage sites across the Arab world.

This atmosphere of creativity, bonhomie and genuine public engagement at Venice may well prove why national presentations are important after all. While preserving the Arab world's historical legacies, they also significantly define a philosophy that puts humanity, art, society and culture at the forefront. 

The 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia will be on view throughout Venice until November 22, 2026.

Called Health Insurance Premium Lock by Policybazaar.ae, the add-on allows customers to keep their premium at the same rate they signed up with for up to five years.

According to the company, customers will be protected from premium increases linked to medical inflation and age-band loading during the lock period. The add-on is available on selected health insurance plans through Policybazaar.ae for residents of Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

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The company said that the health insurance premiums can increase because of medical inflation and age-band loading. The company said medical inflation can add 5 to 10 per cent to premiums each year, while customers moving into a higher age bracket can face premium increases of 20 to 25 per cent at renewal.

According to data from the firm, nearly 40 per cent of customers who faced a premium increase at renewal had no pre-existing conditions and had not made a single claim.

The company said the add-on is available at an additional cost above the standard health insurance premium. Customers who purchase it can keep the same premium for up to five consecutive years.

Neeraj Gupta, CEO of Policybazaar.ae, said customers often raised concerns about premium increases when their policies came up for renewal.

“Renewal season should not be a moment of anxiety, it should be a formality. What we heard from our customers, year after year, was that the moment their renewal landed, the trust they had built with their insurer took a hit,” he said.

Gupta said the add-on allows customers to continue paying the same premium they saw when they first signed up.

Toshita Chauhan, chief Blbusiness officer at Policybazaar.ae, said one of the most common complaints from customers was learning about premium increases only at renewal.

“The most common thing we heard at renewal was ‘nobody told me it would go up’. That single sentence shaped everything about how we designed Health Insurance Premium Lock,” she said.

Chauhan said customers who choose the add-on can keep the same premium for five years regardless of age-related premium increases during the lock period.

The add-on is available to adult policyholders up to the age of 60 who do not have any declared pre-existing conditions. 

Authorities in the UAE — namely the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) — have reassured the public that the public health situation in the UAE remains stable.

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Residents have been advised not to travel to three Ebola-hit countries, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan except when necessary.

MoHAP on Tuesday shared a list of myths and facts about Ebola, aiming to tackle misinformation among the public.

1. Myth: Ebola spreads through the air like Covid-19.

Fact: Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.

2. Myth: Anyone who travels internationally is at a high risk of contracting the disease.

Fact: Since infection requires direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person, the risk to travellers is actually very low.

3. Myth: Ebola can spread from an infected person before symptoms appear.

Fact: Infected individuals are not generally considered contagious before symptoms begin.

4. Myth: Ebola outbreaks become global pandemics.

Fact: No Ebola outbreak has ever been classified as a pandemic before.

5. Myth: There is no preparedness or monitoring system in place.

Fact: The UAE continues to maintain surveillance, preparedness, airport readiness, healthcare preparedness, and precautionary monitoring measures.

The UAE has confirmed that it is fully prepared with surveillance and response teams to deal with any emerging health developments.

The public has been urged not to get information from untrustworthy sources, and to only rely on official sources for updates on the situation. MoHAP said that misinformation can especially spread quickly during public health events such as this one.

From users applying baby oil under the sun to influencers sharing "tanning schedules" and DIY tanning mixtures, platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become hotspots for tanning advice. Many of the videos rack up millions of views, with creators claiming their methods can help achieve a darker tan in less time.

But dermatologists say some of these viral hacks come with serious risks.

"The biggest misconception is that there is such a thing as a safe tan from sun exposure," said Dr Nuha Shareef,  a Dubai-based dermatologist "A tan is actually a sign that the skin has been damaged by ultraviolet radiation. The darker colour is the skin's attempt to protect itself."

One of the most common trends involves applying baby oil, coconut oil or even olive oil before spending hours in direct sunlight. Social media users often claim these products help attract and intensify the sun's rays.

According to experts, that is precisely the problem.

"These oils do not provide adequate protection from UV radiation and can increase the likelihood of burns," explained Dr Nuha. "People are essentially exposing their skin to prolonged damage while believing they are improving their tan."

Another trend gaining traction online is the use of tanning accelerators, products marketed as helping users develop a tan more quickly. While some contain ingredients designed to boost skin pigmentation, experts caution that they do not eliminate the harmful effects of UV exposure.

"If someone is relying on UV exposure to activate these products, the risk remains the same," she added. "The skin is still being exposed to radiation that can contribute to premature ageing and increase the risk of skin cancer."

Perhaps the most concerning advice circulating online is the suggestion that sunscreen should be skipped altogether.

Videos encouraging users to avoid SPF often claim that sunscreen blocks tanning entirely, a statement dermatologists say is misleading.

"You can still tan while wearing sunscreen," said  Dr Mohammed Muntasir, dermatologist consultant. "No sunscreen blocks 100 per cent of UV rays. The difference is that sunscreen helps reduce the amount of damage your skin experiences during exposure."

Experts also warn against viral videos promoting specific "safe tanning hours". While UV intensity may vary throughout the day, they say there is no completely risk-free window for intentional tanning.

In countries such as the UAE, where UV levels can remain high for much of the year, the effects can be even more pronounced.

"People often underestimate UV exposure, especially on cloudy days or while sitting under an umbrella," said Dr Mohammed. "Heat and UV radiation are not the same thing. You can still sustain significant skin damage even if you don't feel particularly hot."

DIY tanning mixtures have also become increasingly popular online, with users mixing ingredients such as coffee grounds, cocoa powder and various oils in an attempt to create homemade tanning solutions.

While some recipes are relatively harmless, dermatologists warn that others can trigger irritation, allergic reactions or post-inflammatory pigmentation, particularly for people with sensitive skin.

"Natural doesn't automatically mean safe," said Dr Mohammed. "Many people assume that because an ingredient comes from the kitchen, it is suitable for the skin. That's not always the case."

The appeal of tanning remains strong, particularly as bronzed skin continues to be associated with holidays, outdoor lifestyles and beauty trends promoted online. However, experts say there has been a noticeable shift in recent years toward safer alternatives.

Self-tanning products, including mousses, drops and gradual tanning lotions, have become increasingly popular among consumers looking to achieve a sun-kissed appearance without prolonged UV exposure.

"For those who enjoy the look of tanned skin, self-tanners are generally a much safer option," said UAE-based dermatologist, Malaz Al Amin.  "They provide cosmetic colour without causing the DNA damage associated with ultraviolet radiation."

As tanning content continues to trend across social media, dermatologists are urging users to approach viral beauty advice with caution.

"The number of views a video receives is not an indication of whether the advice is safe," said Dr Malaz. "When it comes to your skin, it is always worth checking expert guidance before trying the latest trend."

For many experts, the message is simple: a temporary glow is rarely worth long-term skin damage.

On May 31, the Grammy‑winning hitmaker behind New Rules, Levitating and Don’t Start Now married actor Callum Turner at London’s Old Marylebone Town Hall in front of a tiny circle of family and friends. 

The visuals didn’t feature the usual wedding suspects. No floral arch for Instagram feeds, no princess ball gown. Instead, Lipa arrived in a sharp white Schiaparelli skirt suit, paired with sheer gloves and a dramatic hat, channelling 1970s Bianca Jagger for a new generation. Part London courthouse, part haute couture runway, the ensemble was civil-ceremony chic at its finest. And then there was the necklace.

Paired with the finely-tailored skirt suit was a Bulgari Serpenti neckpiece in white gold, coiled around her neck and blazing with diamonds.

Jewellery insiders have already matched it to a Serpenti design listed on luxury marketplace, 1stDib, for around £430,000 (approx. Dh2,125,833) reportedly set with more than 75 carats of diamonds, right down to the pear‑shaped stones used for the snake’s eyes. In other words, Lipa basically wore the equivalent of a Notting Hill townhouse as a choker.

The British pop star sure chose a wedding ceremony that many will deem intimate, almost disarmingly 'normal' for someone of her profile. However, this one piece of jewellery carries it right back to the pop‑star territory.

And of course, this is just chapter one. The London town‑hall 'I do' is the legal, low‑key prelude to the couple’s much more lavish Sicilian celebration, where the old‑world Mediterranean landscape will take centre stage. If the civil ceremony came with a £430k 'snake' around her neck, you get the feeling that Sicily is where the pop star, not just the bride, will really show up.

In December 2021, I received a voice note from my aunt.

She was planning to visit her daughter, my cousin, in Doha, Qatar, and I was thrilled at the chance to see her again. 

Now I know, for most people, family visiting can be a source of stress. But as a Lebanese-Canadian-first-generation-immigrant-turned-expat whose family is literally scattered across continents, any opportunity to reconnect is more than welcome.

My maternal aunt in particular, Khalto Sawson, is my favourite among favourites. I’ve never seen her smile leave her face. When I would visit Lebanon as a kid, I remember her catch-all answer to any request ready at her lips: ba’d wehdi habibti – just one more. Just one more plate of food. Just one more hour to stay up. Just one more kiss, just one more hug.

When I got married and had kids, she extended this unrelenting love and generosity to my family. My kids came to know Khalto as a bonus grandma. And they loved taking advantage of the “just one more” rule whenever she was around. 

My husband even joked that he is probably the only man in history that is happy that he had two mothers-in-law instead of one. 

So, when I got he her message I remember feeling all the warm fuzzies associated with my aunt’s voice.  

But I didn’t reply to her right away because I was busy. I was in the middle of packing for my family’s first trip since the chaos of the pandemic to attend my master’s graduation ceremony in Richmond, Virginia.

I’ll call her back tomorrow, I thought.

Somewhere between finalising packing, PCR tests, a 15-hour flight from Doha to Washington DC, between immigration lines, luggage claim, a 2-hour drive to Richmond in the middle of the night and jet lag, I finally collapsed on my hotel bed and opened my phone.

Ready to message her that I couldn’t wait to see her when we got back.

But when I opened WhatsApp, I couldn’t see her message anywhere because of all the unread messages that popped up.

Condolence messages. Allah yerhama – may she rest in peace.

My aunt had died suddenly while I was in the air.

It didn’t feel real. It still doesn’t feel real. As I waded through my shock, the thing my brain decided to zero in on was the fact that I didn’t respond to her. Why didn’t I reply to her? Why didn’t I just call her back and talk to her – one more time? Just one more conversation with my beloved Khalto?

Unfortunately, as an expatriate of 16 years, this is not the only time that I have been blindsided by death. Grief, I’ve learned, has a way of arriving in the space between I’ll call tomorrow and it’s too late.

That space is familiar to anyone living far from the people they love. As expats, we build lives across time zones and borders, sustained by voice notes, missed calls, and hurried messages sent between obligations. We promise ourselves that we will call tomorrow, visit next summer, stay longer each time we do. Distance teaches us to believe that connection can wait.

But loss does not wait.

In the Gulf, where millions of expats live far from their countries of origin, grief unfolds at a distance. Flights are expensive, visas uncertain, conflicts erupt without warning, and funerals happen before loved ones can arrive. Technology may give us the illusion that we are connected, but in terms of loss, it simply reminds us, relentlessly, of the distance we cannot collapse.

Therefore, closure is often fragmented. 

After Khalto’s death, and in the years since, I have come to understand that grief is not only the absence of a person. It is the accumulation of unsaid things. The small, ordinary exchanges we assume will always be available to us later.

It is this “unfinishedness” more than death itself that causes suffering.

So what happens when technology attempts to occupy that unfinished space? To collapse the distance between here and gone?

Today, as artificial intelligence creeps into the most intimate parts of the human experience, grief technology – apps using algorithms trained on digital data to create simulations of the deceased – provides a way to interact with loved ones long gone.

Is that unsettling? Maybe. Comforting? For some, surely so.

I chose to focus my Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship reporting on grief technology because I wanted to examine whether its potential benefits outweigh its psychological and ethical risks.

And while I have not arrived at a personal conclusion about whether it is “good” or “bad,” months of reporting, speaking with both proponents and critics, have made one thing clear: grief technology speaks to a deeply human desire for continued connection.

And I understand that desire intimately. 

I still have Khalto’s voice notes and pictures saved on my phone. And I sometimes wonder what it would be like to experience an interaction with her that that offers something more than memory: a response. The possibility of saying all of the things left unsaid.

But I have yet to seek it out.

Her absence, as painful as it is, feels honest. Because grief in its rawness affirms the depth of what was lost. Because I have come to understand the silence she left behind as the shape of how much I love her: proof that she was here, that she mattered, that she cannot be replaced by simulation.

I share my experience not as an answer, but as an invitation. Grief technology represents one emerging pathway in a rapidly evolving landscape where wellness, psychology, and technology increasingly intersect. It will not be right for everyone. But in a world reshaped by distance, digital presence, and the only guarantee in life – death – it raises questions worth asking: 

What psychological purpose does grief serve, and what happens when we try to bypass it? 

If love endures beyond death, what does it mean to say goodbye? And, do we have to? 

When technology offers continued connection, does it help us live with loss or keep us from letting go?

If this reporting does anything, I hope it opens space for those conversations.

Designed by creative director Daniel Roseberry, the ensemble was a breathtaking ode to Old Hollywood classics, filtered through a distinct 1970s sartorial lens.

At the heart of the look was a sharply tailored ivory cady blazer featuring Schiaparelli’s signature personalised gold bijoux buttons. The masculine silhouette was cleverly balanced by feminine elegance, softened by a sculpted blush-toned bustier with delicate white lace peeking out from beneath the lapels.

But the true showstopping moment came from the asymmetric skirt that has the Internet talking. Unstructured, midi-length in the front and longer at the back, the hemline created a fluid 'faux veil' train effect as the singer descended the town hall steps.

The references to vintage bridal royalty were evident, immediately evoking Bianca Jagger’s iconic 1971 Saint Laurent wedding suit.

Lipa honoured that rebellious, chic aesthetic while adding her own edge. She accessorised with white gloves and sleek Christian Louboutin pumps, finished with a wide-brimmed Stephen Jones hat lined with metallic gold leaf on the underside.

Finally, to balance the structural sharpness of the suit, the singer turned to Bulgari’s Serpenti line, with a white-gold necklace dripping in diamonds. With her hair styled in effortless waves and her makeup kept soft and neutral, the look remained modern yet rooted in an old-world charm we don't often get to see in contemporary bridal fashion.

The warning comes after Abu Dhabi Police recently advised drivers, particularly those with diabetes, against getting behind the wheel during episodes of low blood sugar, known medically as hypoglycaemia, highlighting the risks it poses to road safety.

Doctors explained that the brain is among the first organs affected when blood sugar levels fall below normal, as it relies heavily on glucose for energy.

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Dr Mohamed Mustafa Elsheikh, consultant internal medicine at Burjeel Medical Centre, Al Falah, said low blood sugar can impair a driver's judgement even before serious symptoms appear.

“When blood glucose drops below normal levels, the brain becomes starved of fuel, leading to impaired cognitive function,” he said.

“This can result in confusion, slowed thinking, reduced awareness and, in more severe cases, loss of consciousness or a seizure. For a driver, even a mild drop can significantly affect judgement and decision-making without them fully realising it.”

He added that early warning signs include:

• Sweating

• Trembling

• Fast heartbeat

• Hunger

• Blurred vision

• Light-headedness

• Difficulty concentrating

• Unusual irritability

Why low blood sugar can become dangerous

According to Dr Sushil Sonawane, specialist endocrinologist at NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain, hypoglycaemia can quickly affect a driver's ability to react safely to changing road conditions.

“When blood glucose falls below critical thresholds, it starves the brain of fuel, leading to progressive cognitive and motor deterioration,” he said.

He explained that drivers experiencing low blood sugar may show erratic behaviour, including lane drifting, inappropriate braking, speeding, and even ignoring traffic signals.

“Cognitive decline leads to slower reaction times, distorted visual processing and impaired quick-decision capabilities,” he added.

Doctors also mentioned that severe hypoglycaemia can lead to confusion, blurred vision, seizures, loss of consciousness and a complete inability to self-treat, making it particularly dangerous for motorists.

The risk is generally higher among diabetic patients who use insulin, those who skip meals, fast for long periods, have had diabetes for many years, or suffer from kidney or liver disease. Intense physical activity and alcohol consumption can also increase the risk of sudden drops in blood sugar levels.

Mohamed said that dehydration and heat stress, especially during the UAE summer, may indirectly affect glucose control, making it important for motorists to stay hydrated.

What diabetic drivers should do before getting on the road

Doctors highlighted that diabetic drivers should make checking their blood sugar levels part of their routine before starting a journey.

Sushil said blood glucose levels should be at least 90 mg/dl (5 mmol/l) before driving. “Always check your blood glucose before driving,” he said, advising motorists to eat balanced meals before travelling and avoid driving on an empty stomach.

Doctors advised diabetic drivers to:

• Check blood sugar before driving

• Ensure levels are above 90 mg/dl (5 mmol/l)

• Carry glucose tablets, juice or sugary sweets

• Keep a glucometer within reach

• Stop immediately if symptoms develop

• Recheck blood sugar every two hours during long journeys

If symptoms of low blood sugar develop while driving, doctors said motorists should pull over immediately to a safe location, switch off the engine, and consume a fast-acting source of sugar.

“Drivers should wait until symptoms have completely resolved and blood glucose levels return to normal before resuming their journey,” said Dr Sushil.

Doctors also recommend carrying a diabetes identification card or medical bracelet, particularly for elderly drivers, as well as keeping water and emergency contact information readily available in the vehicle.

"Folktales Reimagined" was generated in collaboration between the UAE Board on Books for Young People and the Polish Section of the International Board on Books for Young People. It debuted in Warsaw's National Library of Poland.

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The exhibit let a dozen Emirati and Polish artists "explore how stories, despite emerging from diverse environments, continue to reveal the common threads that unite people through their experiences, dreams and aspirations," said Sheikha Bodour, who serves as Founder and Honorary President of the UAEBBY.

"Folktales represent the memory of nations and their timeless human voice," she said. "They do not merely preserve stories, but carry the values, emotions, and experiences that have shaped societies across generations."

The stories, Polish and Emirati alike, evoke universal themes such as avoiding jealousy and remaining true to oneself, said Joanna Czaplewska, a Polish visual artist who illustrated the Emirati story of Netifan, the gentle son of a sultan who is mocked and ostracised by his six brothers.

Netifan discovers a magic palm branch that allows him to rise above his cruel siblings through feats of guile and skill. When his brothers, overcome by envy, attempt to bury Netifan in a locked chest, he escapes and exposes their betrayal.

Czaplewska created a layered, rustic image of red, yellows, and green that portrays young Netifan bearing his palm branch over scenes of wild dogs, fighting bulls and a hyena that he alone was able to defeat.

Like many of the exhibit's artists, Arab and Polish alike, Czaplewska portrayed characters from the other culture in the traditional costume of her own culture. The effect was one of blending two traditions and, in so doing, revealing the shared humanity that lay behind them.

"This was a great opportunity to get to know, a little bit closer, a different culture," Czaplewska told Khaleej Times of the exhibit. "And I felt really honoured to be among those illustrators who got this opportunity. It was really lovely."

A piece from Emirati artist Khalid Mezaina, "The Basilisk of Warsaw," retells the story of a young apprentice who overcomes a creature with a lethal gaze who terrorises the city. Mezaina portrayed the apprentice in traditional Emirati dress, armed with a khanjar at his belt.

The Polish edition of the exhibition marks the latest incarnation of a concept launched by the UAEBBY in 2019. Previous collaborators with the UAE include Italy, Mexico, South Korea, Greece, Russia and Morocco.

Sharjah was named Guest of Honour at the 2026 Warsaw International Book Fair, which runs through the weekend.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) has introduced a patient guide to help individuals navigate conversations around an MS diagnosis, a dedicated resource for carers, and an HR guide designed to help employers create more inclusive workplaces for employees living with the condition.

The resources form part of the society's fourth annual World MS Day campaign, which is being rolled out across healthcare facilities, workplaces, and community spaces across the UAE under the theme "My MS Diagnosis: Navigating MS Together."

Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Vice Chair of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, said the campaign seeks to strengthen awareness and support systems for people living with MS.

“World MS Day reminds us that living with MS is not a journey that should be experienced alone, but one shaped by the strength of communities, families, caregivers, and the systems of support surrounding them," she said.

“As we mark our fourth year commemorating World MS Day in the UAE alongside the global community, we are proud to continue building national awareness and strengthening collective understanding around the realities of living with MS.”

Practical support

Among the newly launched resources is a guide aimed at helping people living with MS discuss their diagnosis with family members, friends, and colleagues. The resource includes practical advice and guided exercises intended to support more open and confident communication following diagnosis.

Recognising the role caregivers play throughout the MS journey, NMSS has also developed a dedicated guide offering information and support for those caring for people living with MS and other chronic conditions.

The third resource is an HR guide designed to help employers and human resources teams better understand MS and support employees living with the condition. Endorsed by inclusion and accessibility organisation The Butterfly, the guide provides information on workplace accommodations and accessibility measures that can help employees with MS thrive professionally.

While developed with the MS community in mind, the resources are also intended to support people navigating conversations around other chronic health conditions.

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Awareness efforts expand

The guides form part of a broader awareness campaign being rolled out through more than 30 healthcare facilities and partner networks across the UAE. The initiative aims to improve visibility of support services and strengthen public understanding of the condition.

As part of the campaign, NMSS will host a public webinar on June 5, bringing together experts in nutrition, mental health, and research to discuss wellbeing strategies, ongoing UAE-based studies, and the importance of holistic support systems for people living with MS and their families.

Awareness efforts are also extending into community spaces through the society's "Carry It Forward" café activation, taking place across more than 30 locations in the UAE on May 30 and 31. The initiative aims to encourage conversations about multiple sclerosis and foster stronger community support for those living with the condition.

The campaign will also include landmark illuminations across the country to increase visibility and awareness of MS.

Established in 2022 under the Ministry of Community Empowerment, NMSS works to improve the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis in the UAE through education, advocacy, and support programmes. The organisation collaborates with healthcare institutions and community partners to improve access to information, care, and resources for those affected by the condition.

Organised by ADNEC Group, Capital 360, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, ADSS is the largest indoor summer sports event of its kind in the Middle East.

This year's edition expands to Halls 1 through 11 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, a significant increase from previous editions, offering residents an air-conditioned sporting destination through the peak of the UAE summer.

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What's on offer

The programme covers a wide range of sports and fitness activities suited to all ages and fitness levels, including football, padel, basketball, badminton, tennis, cricket, volleyball, table tennis, running tracks, obstacle courses, and dedicated fitness zones.

Previous editions have also featured a Club Zone for combat and specialist sports including judo, boxing, archery, and weightlifting, alongside wellness sessions, yoga, meditation, and recovery zones. School holiday camps running Monday through Friday have offered children a structured mix of sport, arts, and crafts.

Corporate group bookings are also available, with catering options on-site.

Planning a visit

The venue is open daily from 6am to 1am, with parking available at Car Parks A and B at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.

Bookings can be made through the ADSS app, available on the App Store and Google Play, or at adsummersports.ae.

What does an actor do when the education, or at least that first burst of training, is over? The world of theatre or film is too big and too unstructured to navigate on enthusiasm alone. Which is why a new initiative in Dubai that doesn’t just train people in acting but insists on making them stage‑ready, with a full‑length play and tickets on sale, brings promise.

With 'Play Lab', theatre director and National School of Drama alumna Rasika Agashe is taking Dubai-based actors from the rehearsal room of a workshop to a live stage performance in a little over a month, with the first batch set to perform Not A Love Story on May 30.

‘You can’t stay in the rehearsal room forever’

When we ask Rasika what she thinks has been missing from Dubai’s theatre ecosystem, she doesn’t talk about a shortage of talent or venues, but about structure. In India, she continues to run a company where actors train, rehearse and perform in plays that don’t close after three shows. They run twice or three times a month, travel to different cities, and give performers the repetition they need to call themselves professionals. 

Here, she noticed, the pattern was different. “Even when a full-length play comes together, it usually runs for just one or two performances before ending. And with short workshops, it often stops there too,” she says. “Actors simply return to their day jobs without any real sense of what the next step is.” The rehearsal room is necessary and deeply loved, she admits, but it cannot be the final destination.

The workshop‑to‑stage format is her way of building a new pattern. Over nearly two months, the cohort has clocked upwards of 90 hours together, even though the initial plan was a 60‑hour course. That extra time has gone into building stamina and learning how to show up after work, how to stay with a scene until it lands, how to survive the whiplash of one rehearsal where nothing works and the next where everything suddenly clicks.

“Actors cannot practice in the rehearsal hall only,” says Rasika, who also runs a Dubai-based theatre group called Dreamtime Union of Artists (DUA) alongside her husband and Indian film actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. “It’s totally different to be in front of a live audience. They will make mistakes, they will learn but they need that time and practice on stage.”

From first-timers to seasoned performers

This first batch of Play Lab's actors is not a cohort of drama‑school kids with identical CVs. Some have done college theatre ten years ago, some have been dabbling in community performances, some are complete beginners who simply signed up because they felt the tug of stage for the first time. Ages range from early 20s to around 50. “But the enthusiasm is the same,” says Rasika. “What changes, over the weeks, is the level of confidence and a more honest relationship with one’s own ability.”

For the younger ones, the process is a crash course in discovering what it means to be taken seriously as performers in a city where acting is still mostly seen as an after‑hours passion project. "For some of the older participants, the shift has been big enough for them to dabble with the idea of taking a break from their day jobs to focus on theatre for a while," she adds.

A city with its own working actors

Underneath the experiment is a larger, almost stubborn belief: that every city deserves its own pool of working actors. When she first started moving between India and Dubai, Rasika noticed that many of the region’s bigger productions simply fly in casts from elsewhere, perform a few shows, get paid and leave. 

It’s a familiar pattern in a globalised entertainment economy, but it leaves local aspirants with very little runway. “Every city needs their own artists who can perform in their city, who should get paid,” she says. Only when that happens – when performers have enough work at home to justify calling themselves professionals – can they start thinking of taking shows outwards, to other Emirates or countries.

Her long‑term goal is to build a repertory: a company where actors effectively “go to office” at a theatre instead of a corporate desk, rehearsing different plays and putting on shows regularly, with at least a basic salary to anchor them. It’s a model she has tested in India, sustained by sheer population density and the ability to run plays twice or three times a month, or tour them across cities. 

Dubai, with its smaller community and higher costs, is a different beast but she believes the principle can be adapted if enough people buy into it. The workshop‑to‑stage format is a first step towards that, creating a pool of trained performers, mounting a show, then seeing if the production can travel within the UAE, perhaps to Sharjah or Abu Dhabi, building relationships with theatre societies along the way.

Workshop to stage in a few weeks

On May 30, the first batch of this experiment will walk on stage and perform Not A Love Story as a ticketed production where audiences arrive expecting a proper show.

In a city where many are still learning how to take creative risks alongside the rigmarole of nine‑to‑five jobs, a format that insists on seeing actors all the way from their first exercise to opening night on stage feels like a hopeful intervention. And maybe, for a theatre community still finding its structure, that kind of journey is exactly what we need more of.

Now in its milestone fifth year, Arab Cinema Week Volume 5 is presented by Fujifilm Middle East and features a curated selection of nine films representing 10 Arab countries. Spanning fiction, documentary and hybrid forms, this year’s line-up comprises deeply personal narratives exploring themes, such as conflict, identity and belonging, which continue to shape the region’s cinematic voice.

At the heart of this edition is a strong focus on Lebanese cinema. Through works like Lana Daher’s Do You Love Me and Nicolas Khoury’s Souraya, Mon Amour, filmmakers revisit archives and navigate the emotional aftermath of conflict.

Beyond Lebanon, the programme expands its lens to examine intimate human experiences across the Arab world. Jihan K’s My Father and Qaddafi delves into political legacy and personal loss, while Zain Duraie’s Sink captures the fragility of family life under psychological strain.

Sudanese storytelling also takes centre stage this year, with Suzannah Mirghani’s Cotton Queen and the multi-director documentary Khartoum presenting urgent, ground-level perspectives on identity and resistance.

Closing the programme are Hasan Hadi’s The President’s Cake, a surreal tale set in 1990s Iraq and Maryam Touzani’s Calle Malaga, a nuanced exploration of exile, matriarchy and belonging.

True to Cinema Akil’s ethos, Arab Cinema Week extends beyond screenings. Select films will be accompanied by filmmaker Q&As and conversations, creating space for dialogue between audiences and the storytellers behind the work.

Speaking on the milestone edition, Cinema Akil founder Butheina Kazim described the platform as “a living archive of the region’s cinematic voice,” highlighting how it has evolved into a recurring cultural moment for audiences and filmmakers alike.

Tickets for Arab Cinema Week start at Dh60 and are available via Cinema Akil’s website, where the full screening schedule can also be accessed. 

At the centre of this transformation is C37, a private medical workspace in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) which, through its renewed push, is redefining how specialist care is accessed in the emirate.

Access to C37 is available through a membership model. Physicians who join, can benefit by getting operational support such as on-site management guidance, strategic consulting, and assistance with accounting, banking, legal, and marketing services.

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Dr Mohamed Elbaz, Medical Director, C37 Platform, Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), said the initiative responds to changing needs in healthcare delivery.

“Healthcare delivery has traditionally been built around fixed hospitals and clinics, but there is a growing need for more flexible models that can connect patients with specialised expertise more efficiently. C37, UAE’s first-of-its-kind private medical workspace, fully managed and operated by Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), was developed to address this need, providing a convenient model that benefits both patients and practitioners.”

He described how the platform allows doctors to practice in a clinical setting without the hassle of managing and setting up their own facilities.

“The platform gives visiting and UAE-based doctors the ability to practise within a fully managed, regulated clinical environment, without having to establish a permanent clinic of their own.”

“For patients, this means easier access to a broader range of specialists and services within DHCC, supported by clinical facilities, administrative teams, and referral pathways.”

Dr Elbaz said the presence of both local and international doctors at C37 strengthens Dubai’s positioning as a global healthcare hub.

“The presence of leading local and international doctors at C37 represents a foundational step towards strengthening Dubai’s position as a global destination for advanced healthcare and medical innovation, while fostering a collaborative ecosystem that brings world-class expertise closer to the community.”

He further explained that this approach improves how patients experience care by expanding access to specialist services and simplifying the process of getting treatment.

“Ultimately, the model is designed to improve patient experience by making specialised care more accessible, more coordinated, and easier to navigate within a trusted healthcare ecosystem.”

Reducing barriers for international doctors

Dr Elbaz noted that for international specialists, establishing themselves in a new healthcare market often poses multiple challenges.

“For international doctors, entering a new healthcare market often involves licensing requirements, visa procedures, setting up clinical space, recruiting support staff, managing bookings, and handling day-to-day operations. These steps can be time-consuming and costly, particularly for specialists who want to consult in Dubai on a flexible or visiting basis.”

The platform streamlines this process by offering a fully managed environment.

“C37 enables these doctors to simplify this process by providing them with access to an established medical workspace and a full range of operational support services. This includes clinical space, nursing and administrative support, appointment management, billing and collections, IT support, medical malpractice insurance, and assistance with visa and professional licensing procedures.”

It also offers flexible options through “daily, weekly, or monthly arrangements, allowing doctors to practise in Dubai, giving them the flexibility as per their schedules and patient demands, while remaining within a structured and regulated healthcare environment.”

Bringing global expertise closer to UAE patients

Dr Elbaz highlighted that such models reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for specialised consultations.

“Platforms like C37 can help bring international expertise closer to patients in the UAE and the wider region, omitting the need for patients to travel abroad for certain specialist consultations or medical opinions. The model allows international doctors to offer their services from Dubai within a regulated clinical setting.”

He added that the system supports continuity of care and access to second opinions from global specialists.

“This is particularly relevant for patients seeking access to highly specialised expertise, second opinions, or continuity of care with doctors who may practise across more than one country. By hosting visiting international specialists alongside UAE-based doctors, C37 supports a more connected model of care, where patients can access a wider range of expertise closer to home.”

The initiative also strengthens the emirate’s role as a healthcare destination for outsiders.

“It also supports Dubai’s broader role as a regional healthcare destination, not only by attracting patients, but by making global medical expertise more available within the local healthcare ecosystem.”

A shift towards “on-demand” healthcare

For doctors based in the country, C37 creates opportunities to offer part-time consultations.

“For UAE-based doctors, it can support specialised clinics, second-opinion services, or collaboration with other practitioners without the operational burden of setting up and managing a standalone practice. It gives doctors flexibility, while still providing patients with care in a professional environment.”

Dr Elbaz said the model also improves responsiveness to changing patient demand.

“From a patient perspective, this model can also support better access to specialised services, especially when demand for certain consultations varies by season, specialty, or patient need. It allows the healthcare system to respond more dynamically without compromising governance, quality, or safety.”

Complementing traditional healthcare systems

While healthcare differs from sectors such as technology due to its regulatory nature and direct impact on patient safety, Dr Elbaz said flexible models can still be introduced within strict governance frameworks.

“Healthcare is different from sectors such as technology or business because it is highly regulated and directly linked to patient safety. So, the shift will not be identical. Doctors still need licensed facilities, proper governance, clinical protocols, and quality standards.”

However, he noted that innovation can coexist with regulation.

“However, healthcare can adopt some of the flexibility seen in other industries, provided it is done within a regulated framework. C37 is an example of this approach. It does not remove the need for proper clinical infrastructure; rather, it gives doctors access to that infrastructure in a more flexible way.”

Dr Elbaz also highlighted that the future is about complementing traditional healthcare infrastructure.

“The future is unlikely to be about replacing hospitals or clinics. It is more about adding new models that complement them. Flexible medical workspaces can help doctors practise more efficiently, support patient access to specialised care, and allow healthcare systems to respond more quickly to changing demand, while maintaining the standards required in a clinical setting.”

Dr Eleni Margioti, neuropsychology lead at The Brain and Performance Centre, explained that quality time with loved ones triggers powerful neurological benefits. "We see the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, which strengthens trust and connection,” she said. “At the same time, activity in the amygdala, linked to stress, decreases, while the prefrontal cortex becomes more active, supporting clearer thinking and emotional regulation."

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In short, connection helps the brain feel safer, calmer, and sharper. Maryam AlBarguthi, a Clinical Psychologist at Sage Clinics, puts it in everyday terms. "When we spend time with people we feel safe with, the body moves from tension into calm, like switching from 'I have 100 tabs open' to 'one tab, playing soft music.'"

Uncertain times

According to the experts, such connections become even more critical during uncertain times. Prolonged stress elevates cortisol levels, which can impair memory and focus. But strong family bonds act as a buffer. "Feeling supported helps regulate the nervous system and allows the brain to maintain balance, even during challenging periods," said Dr Eleni.

Maryam was quick to add that for the UAE's expat community living far from their near and dear ones, there is encouraging news. Chosen family works just as well for the human need for connections. "The brain isn't overly concerned with titles. It cares about safety and connection," she said. "For many expats, friendships become a form of chosen family. When there’s real emotional closeness, the brain responds by reducing stress and increasing a sense of belonging. So, yes, your ‘work bestie’ might actually be doing more for your mental health than your morning coffee.”

For those separated from their biological family during Eid, both experts recommend intentional connection through video calls or voice notes. "The brain responds to the quality of connection, not just physical proximity," Dr Eleni said.

Kind of gathering

So, how much time is enough? Consistency matters more than quantity. According to Maryam, even 20 to 30 minutes of real connection daily — sharing a meal, laughing, or simply talking without phones — makes a significant difference. “It doesn’t have to be elaborate,” she said. “The brain responds to presence, not perfection. Think of it as your daily ‘emotional recharge’, no fancy planning, just fewer phones and more eye contact.”

Regarding which bonding activities were most beneficial, Dr Eleni pointed to those that combine emotional connection with active engagement. “This could include cooking together, walking, playing games, exercising, or simply having meaningful conversations,” she said.

She noted that such moments stimulate both cognitive and emotional systems while strengthening relationships. “Meaningful human connection is not optional,” she noted. “It is essential for a healthy, resilient brain."

Held against the backdrop of the French Riviera, the event brought together personalities from the worlds of fashion, entertainment, and luxury while also reflecting the growing visibility of Middle Eastern talent within international fashion spaces. Egyptian actress and APM Monaco’s official Middle East brand ambassador, Hannah El Zahed, attended the soirée as part of the celebrations surrounding the collection unveiling.

The Cannes presentation centred around the spirit and atmosphere of Monaco, with the Été 2026 collection drawing inspiration from the energy, light, and effortless glamour associated with Mediterranean summers. Rather than focusing solely on occasion jewellery or red-carpet glamour, the collection explores a more relaxed Riviera lifestyle aesthetic shaped by movement, colour, and contemporary elegance.

According to the creative inspiration behind the collection, the intention is to capture the feeling of “Monaco under the sun”, vibrant, glamorous, effortless, and alive. Inspired by the red and white colours of the Monaco flag, the collection also draws from striped parasols, coastal landscapes, and golden summer light associated with the Riviera.

Stripes emerge as a defining motif throughout the designs, while gold jewellery introduces warmth and sophistication. Marine-inspired details also feature prominently, with seashore droplets and water bubbles reimagined into contemporary jewellery pieces accented by turquoise, coral, and malachite stones.

APM Monaco also revisits its signature palm tree motif through lighter and more contemporary interpretations inspired by the shape and shadow of palm leaves.

The showcase extended beyond jewellery into accessories crafted from woven vegan leather and suede-inspired materials, reinforcing the collection’s lifestyle positioning and day-to-night Riviera aesthetic.

The Été 2026 collection will officially launch on June 1 and will be available across all APM Monaco boutiques and through the brand’s online platform.

Yet, what I find most inspiring is not the challenge itself, it is the response. And perhaps that is exactly why this year’s Dubai Dining Diaries Awards feel more important than ever. While the awards celebrate excellence across Dubai’s hospitality landscape, from chefs and restaurateurs to hotels, concepts, and changemakers, they also arrive at a moment where the industry itself is being tested in real time.

Behind every award, every full dining room, and every successful concept is a hospitality community navigating pressure with resilience, creativity, and extraordinary determination. Because when hospitality is tested, it often reveals its best qualities. Collaboration, creativity, adaptability... and perhaps most importantly, community.

For years, Dubai’s success story has been built on global tourism. We became one of the world’s great destinations by welcoming the international traveller with ambition, service excellence, and world-class experiences. That remains true. But in moments like these, the spotlight shifts closer to home. Reinvention in real time. If hotels have adapted intelligently, chefs and independent restaurants have often adapted heroically. Because restaurants feel pressure quickly. And unlike many industries, you cannot simply pause and wait.

What I have admired most is the way chefs have responded with pragmatism. We are seeing fine dining minds apply their craft to more accessible formats. Think premium burgers, gourmet hotdogs, elevated fried chicken, refined sandwiches, smart lunch menus. Casual concepts with serious culinary DNA. Delivery-friendly menus with quality intact. And it reflects something hospitality professionals know deeply: guests still want joy, flavour, and experience, but they also want value. The operators who recognise this are not abandoning identity. They are widening access.

In many ways, some of the most exciting food in Dubai right now is happening in this middle ground: quality-led, creative, honest food at attainable prices. That is healthy for the city. What this year’s Dubai Dining Diaries Awards have reminded us most is that success in hospitality today is no longer measured purely by expansion, headlines, or social media hype. It is measured by consistency, adaptability, leadership, and the ability to continue creating meaningful experiences even during periods of uncertainty.

The restaurants, hotels, and individuals being recognised are not simply surviving these conditions, they are helping shape the future of Dubai’s dining culture through how they respond to them. Why Dubai will continue to flourish. Yes, there has been a short-term impact. But another truth matters just as much: Dubai has built one of the most resilient hospitality markets in the world. This city knows how to adapt. It knows how to innovate. It knows how to market itself, reinvent itself, and move quickly when conditions change. It has world-class infrastructure, ambitious leadership, extraordinary talent, and a population that genuinely loves dining, leisure, and experience. And importantly, Dubai never stands still.

Even during challenging cycles, new ideas emerge. Concepts improve. Operators get sharper. Standards rise. Relationships deepen. Weaknesses are addressed. Creativity accelerates. That is why I remain optimistic. Not because challenges do not exist, they do. But because I know this industry. I know the people in it. And I know what Dubai is capable of when pressure arrives. Hospitality here is not fragile. It is battle-tested. So yes, in the short term, we adjust. We support one another. We think local. We stay agile. We protect our people. We become smarter commercially. That is also what makes celebrating the industry through the Dubai Dining Diaries Awards so meaningful this year.

These awards are not simply about recognising popularity or prestige. They are about acknowledging the people, teams, and concepts continuing to push forward, inspire others, support the wider community, and uphold the standards that make Dubai one of the most exciting hospitality cities in the world.

The full list of Dubai Dining Awards 2026 winners can be found here.

Krasota

Best Sensory Experience

Krasota felt genuinely unlike anything else I have tried in Dubai this year, or ever for that matter. From the moment the experience begins, you are completely immersed in a world where food, technology, sound, art and storytelling all work together in a way that feels incredibly considered rather than gimmicky.

Every detail felt intentional, emotional and beautifully executed, with each course revealing something unexpected yet in keeping with the thematic journey. What made Krasota so impressive was its ability to create a true sense of escapism while still delivering on the food itself, something many immersive concepts struggle to balance. It pushed the boundaries of what dining in Dubai can look like, and did so with real confidence and originality. 

By Orla Farmer, Project Lead — Dubai Dining Award

KIGO

Best Tasting Menu

Kigo’s tasting menu is outstanding in the way a sharp sentence lands: lean, precise, and capable of turning with the weather. Courses arrive with calm confidence, each breath more thoughtful than the last, a narrative arc that never screams for attention. Seasonal produce is treated with respect and technique is immaculate but never flashy, letting flavours speak clearly.

The pacing suits a long evening — gratifying without fatigue — and service complements the menu, attentive yet unobtrusive. This isn’t theatre but a refined argument for restraint, a menu that sticks in the memory for its coherence as much as its invention. The Dubai Dining Awards win for Best Tasting Menu feels earned: Kigo has turned tasting into an experience you could live with, not merely endure. 

By Charles Yardley, CEO, Khaleej Times

Pièrchic

Most Iconic Destination

There are very few restaurants in Dubai that evoke the same immediate feeling as Pierchic, and that I continue returning to again and again, without ever feeling an ounce of disappointment. The walk down the pier, the uninterrupted sea views and the sense of total occasion still feel just as special today as they did years ago.

In a city that moves incredibly fast, Pierchic has managed to retain its identity and charm while continuing to deliver a consistently elegant experience. It represents a side of Dubai dining that feels timeless, romantic and effortlessly iconic, the kind of place people return to for life’s biggest moments, and recommend instinctively to visitors wanting to experience the city at its most beautiful.

By Orla Farmer, Project Lead — Dubai Dining Award

Kinoya

Finest Homegrown Restaurant

What makes Kinoya so special is that it represents everything that Dubai’s dining scene should aspire to be: authentic, deeply personal, and built with genuine passion and consistency. In a city often dominated by international imports and big global names, Kinoya has managed to carve out an identity entirely of its own, becoming not just one of Dubai’s most loved restaurants, but one of its most important culinary success stories.

What Neha Mishra and her team have created goes far beyond serving exceptional ramen. There is warmth, soul, and storytelling in every part of the experience — from the hospitality to the food itself. Kinoya has also played a major role in proving that homegrown concepts from Dubai can compete on the global stage while still remaining true to their roots and identity.

The restaurant has helped elevate the perception of locally created brands and inspired an entirely new generation of chefs and restaurateurs across the region. In many ways, Kinoya represents the evolution and maturity of Dubai’s restaurant scene: confident, world-class, and unapologetically original.

By James Knight-Paccheco, Chef and TV Personality

Trèsind

Fine Dining Icon

Trèsind has played an incredibly important role in shaping Dubai’s fine dining scene, through not only its consistent technical excellence, but also its ability to evolve while staying deeply rooted in emotion, culture and flavour. In a city where dining trends move quickly, Trèsind has remained genuinely relevant for years, continuing to surprise and excite diners without ever losing its identity.

What makes the restaurant so special is its balance of refinement and warmth. The tasting menu is highly creative and technically ambitious, yet never feels inaccessible or overworked. Every course feels thoughtful and full of personality, whether through nostalgic references to Indian street food, bold techniques or comforting flavour combinations that stay with you long after the meal ends.

What I particularly admire about Trèsind is its confidence. It understands exactly what it is, and delivers that vision with consistency. Few restaurants have managed to maintain this level of creativity over such a long period of time, which is exactly why Trèsind feels deserving of being recognised as a true fine dining icon.

By David Singleton, strategic adviser to F&B brands

NOBU

Best International Restaurant

Nobu on the Palm remains a Dubai stalwart. It travels the globe and still feels at home here, offering the calm reliability you want from a well-run room perched on the top of the Dubai Palm Atlantis. The yellowtail sashimi is the signature dish — thin, bright, citrus-kissed with a whisper of jalapeño — don’t skip it. The rock shrimp tempura is crisp and indulgent, cloaked in a creamy, spicy sauce that glows.

The view over the Palm and the mainland acts as a generous garnish. The category win is about durable craft, not novelty: export pedigree served with local steadiness.

By Charles Yardley, CEO, Khaleej Times

The Beam

Best Food Innovation

What makes The Beam so deserving of recognition for food innovation is its ability to be creative without ever feeling performative. In a city where innovation can sometimes become synonymous with excess, The Beam approaches it with far more restraint and intelligence. Every dish feels deeply considered, not simply from a technical perspective, but emotionally and sensorially too. There is a real understanding of balance throughout the menu.

Dishes such as the artichoke risotto with the deep-fried hen’s egg or the beautifully layered terrine showcase innovation in a way that feels purposeful rather than forced. What I particularly admire about The Beam is that the restaurant never relies on gimmickry to leave an impression. Instead, it innovates through thoughtful ingredient combinations, precision, texture and subtle storytelling, creating a dining experience that feels both sophisticated and deeply enjoyable.

By Viktorija Paplauskiene, hospitality consultant

101

Best Al Fresco Dining

101 turns outdoor dining into a design brief well executed. The terrace is a controlled space, with shade where needed, a discreet breeze, lighting that lets the skyline glow without glare. The kitchen sends out seasonal plates that feel light for the open air yet satisfy the appetite: crisp greens, subtle heat, and flavours that flourish in the night air.

Service grooves with the evening’s tempo, steady, attentive, yet never overbearing. The win is earned for turning al fresco into a reliable, city-facing experience: a reminder that good outdoor dining can be both practical and luxurious.

By Jason Hellowell, hospitality consultant

Kelvin Cheung (Jun’s, Jook Sing)

Culinary Changemaker

Kelvin Cheung represents the modern face of Dubai’s culinary scene: globally minded, culturally connected, and completely unafraid to challenge convention. What makes him such a deserving Culinary Changemaker is not only his creativity as a chef but also his ability to tell stories through food in a way that feels deeply personal and globally relevant at the same time.

Through concepts like Jun’s and Jook Sing, Cheung has helped redefine what contemporary dining in Dubai can look like. His cooking reflects the multicultural identity of the city itself, blending influences, memories, and techniques into something entirely his own.

Beyond the plate, he has also become an important voice within the industry, helping inspire younger chefs and pushing conversations around creativity, identity, and modern hospitality forward.

By James Knight-Paccheco, Chef and TV Personality

Table4Two

Cultural Tastemaker of the Year

Table4Two has become one of the most influential hospitality forces shaping Dubai’s current dining scene. The team behind concepts including Apollo, Za Za’s Pizza and Rascal’s Deli (and many more) has created venues that feel genuinely reflective of how people want to eat, socialise and spend time in the city right now, relaxed but considered, culturally aware, design-led and full of personality.

What makes Table4Two particularly exciting is that its venues have brought a sense of “cool” to Dubai’s dining landscape that, honestly, has been missing for a long time. There is an authenticity and individuality to each concept that feels far closer to the independent restaurant scenes of London or New York than the polished formula-driven venues the city has traditionally been known for.

They feel lived-in, personality-led and genuinely original, the kind of places people want to spend hours in, return to regularly and talk about afterwards. In many ways, this is exactly what Dubai’s food scene has been craving: restaurants with soul, strong creative identity and a real sense of cultural relevance.

By Orla Farmer, Project Lead — Dubai Dining Awards

Dr Jalil is internationally recognised for his pioneering work in performing RoboticScope Microsurgical Varicocelectomy.

The successful RoboticScope Microsurgical Varicocele procedure at American Hospital Dubai Science Park demonstrates the feasibility of this advanced, state-of-the-art approach across diverse clinical settings. These breakthroughs reaffirm American Hospital Dubai's commitment to integrating innovation into clinical practice while upholding microsurgical principles.

What is varicocele surgery?

Varicocele is a condition that occurs in the male scrotum (which holds the testicles), in which veins in the scrotum become enlarged, dilated, and tortuous. The veins distortion affects blood flow, causing blood to pool in the area rather than circulating out of the scrotum as it normally would. This blood pooling can cause impaired spermatogenesis (poor sperm production), testicular discomfort, and progressive testicular dysfunction, potentially leading to infertility.

A common condition, varicocele affects approximately 15 per cent of men and up to 40 per cent of those with primary infertility.

The primary treatment for varicocele is surgical correction.

What are the surgical options for varicocelectomy?

The conventional open varicocelectomies include inguinal ligation - a procedure in which cuts are made in the groin to access the enlarged vein - and the retroperitoneal method that involves tying off the enlarged scrotum veins in the abdominal area, behind the lining of the stomach (the peritoneum). Hence, the procedure’s name is retroperitoneal.

But these procedures can cause relatively high recurrence rates and complications.

The surgical management of varicocele, however, has undergone several advances, leading to greater precision, fewer complications, and improved outcomes. The advent of microsurgical varicocelectomy set the gold standard for varicocele therapy due to its higher success rate and minimal complications.

Microsurgical varicocelectomy uses a microscope to enhance the surgeon’s visibility and precision when accessing the affected scrotal veins. As a minimally invasive technique, it promotes better identification and ligation (tying up) of the dilated veins, helping to minimise damage to surrounding tissues and arteries.

Dr Jalil’s RoboticScope-assisted Microsurgical Varicocelectomy represented an early example of next-generation visualisation technology in testicular microsurgery.

American Hospital Dubai’s next-generation expertise in varicocelectomy’s clinical relevance and patient satisfaction

The application of this technology at American Hospital Dubai Science Park demonstrates the hospital's expertise in integrating the latest technology into clinical practice to improve safety, efficacy, and patient outcomes.

The hospital is committed to using the latest surgical techniques to improve outcomes for patients undergoing varicocelectomy. These outcomes include correct identification of affected sites to achieve precision surgery to minimise the risk of recurrence, eliminate damage to surrounding tissues, reduce complications, and improve fertility outcomes.

American Hospital Dubai values technological advancement not by its novelty but by its ability to improve core clinical outcomes.

Contemporary perspectives in modern varicocelectomy

Modern varicocelectomy is a convergence of evolving surgical techniques and visualisation tools that build on microsurgery to pursue better imaging and precision. Early clinical experience, including the cases performed by Dr Jalil, highlights the role of such technologies as adjuncts to established microsurgical techniques rather than replacements.

The emerging picture in male reproductive and sexual health (andrology) issues

Beyond varicocelectomy, advances in robotic and visualisation technology can play a significant role in male reproductive and sexual (andrological) health issues related to microsurgery, such as microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) and reversal of vasectomy.

These procedures require ultra-precision, surgical dexterity and control, all of which are greatly enhanced by microsurgical advances and robot-assisted techniques.

Positive patient outcomes are at the heart of medical technological progress, and American Hospital Dubai’s expertise in integrating the latest surgical technologies with human skill is a testament to its patient-first healthcare mission and vision.

Razan was diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia after developing unexplained bruising, recurrent infections and repeated bleeding episodes that led to multiple hospital admissions, with her immune system severely weakened.

After a series of comprehensive diagnostic tests at Yas Clinic, doctors confirmed no fully matched donor was available, either inside the family or through international donor registries. The breakthrough came from within the family: Razan's six-year-old brother was identified as a partial match, becoming her real chance of survival.

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The procedure was performed and within four weeks, Razan's bone marrow and immune system began to recover. She was discharged in stable condition and is now gradually returning to normal life under close follow-up from the specialised medical team.

"This medical achievement marks another important milestone in the advancement of bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy programmes in the UAE, and reflects the remarkable progress of the healthcare system in managing highly complex medical cases," said Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Programme at ADSCC. She added that the successful partially matched transplant reflects the readiness of Abu Dhabi's advanced medical expertise and infrastructure to deliver highly specialised, life-saving treatments in line with international standards.

Dr Maysoon Al Karam, Chief Medical Officer at Yas Clinic, said the case reflects the level of integration between multidisciplinary specialities and clinical expertise, "while also highlighting the importance of providing innovative treatment solutions that offer patients and their families renewed hope, even in the most challenging medical conditions."

Dr Mansi Sachdev, Consultant Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Specialist at Yas Clinic and ADSCC, said Razan's case required rapid intervention given her severe immunodeficiency and the absence of a fully matched donor. "Her young brother played a pivotal role in her treatment journey by giving her a true second chance at life through a partially matched donation, in one of the most emotional and impactful stories for the entire medical team," she added.

Severe aplastic anaemia is a rare and life-threatening disease that causes complete bone marrow failure, preventing the production of red blood cells, platelets and the white blood cells that fight infection. Early diagnosis and access to specialised transplant programmes remain critical to improving survival and recovery outcomes.

Yas Clinic, in partnership with ADSCC, continues to strengthen Abu Dhabi's position as a regional hub for regenerative medicine, cellular therapy and bone marrow transplantation, offering specialised care for both adults and children in line with the highest international medical standards.

For Gen Z, the celebrations often still begin that way, but they rarely end there.

Across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, many young residents now balance traditional Eid obligations with a more modern rhythm of celebrations, one that includes staycations, café meet-ups, coordinated outfits, beach drives, late-night outings, social media “Eid dumps,” and gatherings with close friends who have become chosen family.

“We still do the family lunch and visit relatives first,” said 22-year-old Dubai resident Noor Al Hammadi. “But after that, everyone our age disappears to meet their friends.”

She said Eid for her parents generation was largely centred around the home, while younger people tend to move between different spaces throughout the day.

“My mother’s Eid was basically hosting guests from morning until night,” she said. “For us, it’s more flexible. We still value family, but we also want time with our own circles.”

For many Gen Z residents, especially expats living away from extended family, friendships now play a major role in how Eid is celebrated.

Rayan Ahmed, a 24-year-old marketing executive from Sharjah, said his Eid plans usually involve a mix of family obligations followed by late-night café hopping with friends or quick staycations during the long weekend.

“Eid used to feel very formal growing up,” he said. “Now it feels more personal. We still dress up, eat together, and do all the traditions, but there’s also this social aspect where friends are part of the celebration too.”

He added that social media has also transformed the atmosphere around Eid, especially among younger residents.

“People plan outfits, take photos, post TikToks, make reels, and do ‘Eid dumps’ after the weekend,” he said. “It’s become part of the culture now.”

Beauty salons, abaya stores, hotels, and cafés across the UAE often witness a surge in younger customers ahead of Eid holidays, with many residents planning coordinated looks, bookings, and outings well before the break begins.

Some traditions, however, remain unchanged.

Morning Eid prayers, family lunches, Eidiya, and traditional meals continue to anchor celebrations across generations.

“It’s not that traditions disappeared,” said Abu Dhabi-based university student Sarah Khan. “They just evolved around modern lifestyles.”

She said younger residents often split their time between relatives and friends throughout the holiday.

“My parents still expect us home in the morning,” she laughed. “That part will never change.”

Cultural observers say the shift reflects broader lifestyle changes among young people in the UAE, particularly in highly urban and multicultural cities where social circles often extend beyond family structures.

For some families, the changes have created small generational clashes.

“My grandmother still thinks we should spend the entire day visiting relatives,” said 21-year-old university student Mariam Al Kaabi. “Meanwhile, my cousins are trying to book a last-minute staycation in Ras Al Khaimah.”

Still, she believes the core meaning of Eid remains intact.

“At the end of the day, everyone still comes back home for lunch,” she said. “That’s the one tradition nobody skips.”

These awards were created with a simple intention: to cut through the noise and focus only on what truly stands apart. The vision and the focus was, and is, to truly spotlight places that are shaping the city’s culinary identity in real time, through creativity, consistency, and a clear point of view.

Today, great hospitality is no longer defined by scale or spectacle alone, which is a factor that previously played a large hand in defining Dubai’s dining scene. Now, we see so much more emphasis on how a place, a dish or an experience truly makes you feel. The confidence of a concept, the precision behind a menu, the atmosphere that lingers long after the table is cleared, this is what is valued, and what I and the board of judges have sought out in every meal across the last year with these awards in mind.

Throughout Dubai, there is an ever-evolving sense of purpose within hospitality and now more than ever, a shift towards experiences that are more thoughtful, more expressive, and ultimately, more meaningful. This list is a reflection of that shift. Each winner has been selected by our incredible panel of Dubai dining veterans, individuals who have lived and shaped the city’s restaurant scene from multiple perspectives: chefs, operators, critics, and storytellers.

Together, we hope to bring a depth of understanding that goes beyond trends or popularity, focusing instead on what genuinely defines excellence in this market. The result is not an exhaustive guide, but a considered snapshot. A distilled edit of the very best — from globally renowned names that continue to set the benchmark to homegrown concepts that are redefining the city’s sense of identity and “cool”.

This comes down to a simple belief: the future of Dubai’s dining scene is not about more, it is about better. These are the places setting that standard today. In these pages, the judges of Dubai Dining Awards offer their take on what made each restaurant stand out in the category they won.

The full list of winners can be found here.

The campaign, launched in collaboration with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), aims to spark conversations around the neurological condition through simple, community-led experiences built around coffee culture and social gatherings.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, disrupting communication between the brain and body. Symptoms can vary widely and may include fatigue, numbness, vision problems, mobility challenges, and cognitive difficulties.

According to the NMSS, studies in the UAE estimate that 19 out of every 100,000 people are living with MS, with many cases diagnosed during early adulthood.

Participating cafés include Nectar in Saadiyat, Third Place in Abu Dhabi Mall, Therapy Café, Art Market, Coffee Architecture, Blue Box Café, Ribambelle Dubai, Kutubna Dubai, Stir Café, Zinn Café locations in Dubai, Kave, Koub Café, SALT locations in RAK, Sharjah, Dubai, and Al Ain, alongside several cafés across Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Participating venues will offer special drinks, community activities, and educational material designed to encourage residents to better understand the condition and support those living with it. Organisers say the idea was to bring awareness into everyday settings rather than traditional medical spaces.

“Coffee shops naturally create moments of connection and conversation,” organisers said. “We wanted to make awareness feel accessible, welcoming, and community-driven.”

The initiative forms part of the UAE’s activities for World MS Day, observed globally on May 30 each year to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and improve support systems for people affected by the condition.

The latest campaign builds on previous awareness efforts by the NMSS in the UAE, aimed at bringing conversations around MS closer to everyday communities and spaces people naturally connect in. In 2024, the organisation ran a similar coffee cup initiative for World MS Day and also introduced a dedicated emotional support helpline for people living with MS and their families.

Guided by head designer Eric Bonnet, the campaign is as much a design story as its history, showing each piece at every stage, tracing each watch from concept to finished piece as it earns its Swiss Made label. The result is a rare behind the scenes portrait of a house that has never stopped evolving or asking what a watch can be.

The campaign does not just look back; it looks at what endures. Across the collection, four collections stand out as the clearest expression of what Movado has always done best, design that earns its place, across eras, and across time.

The icon at the centre of it all

No piece better represents Movado's design philosophy than the Museum Watch. The Museum Watch is perhaps the most recognised piece in Movado’s catalogue, and a natural centerpiece of the anniversary campaign. Designed in 1947 by Bauhaus-influenced artist Nathan George Horwitt, it falls almost exactly at the midpoint of Movado’s 145-year story, a hinge between the house’s heritage designs and its contemporary work. Horwitt’s inspiration was the world’s oldest timekeeper: the sundial. A single dot at twelve o’clock, representing the sun at high noon. The result was at once a timepiece, an icon of modern design, and a work of art, the first watch ever inducted into MoMA’s permanent collection in 1960. The museum dial is a part of 20+ museum's permanent collection and reinterpreted across colorways, materials, and complications, but always anchored to that single, iconic dot.

A century-old blueprint, reimagined

Released last year, the Heritage 1917 is a reimagining of one of Movado’s first square watches from the Art Deco era. This period was formative for Movado design innovation: between 1910 and 1921, the house produced over 700 distinct watch case shapes, spanning octagonal, oval, round, square, rectangular, and more experimental geometric forms. The Heritage 1917 reinterprets a distinctive square design from that era, retaining the period’s stylish Arabic numerals and geometric detailing while introducing contemporary elements including a sunray dial and steel band options.

Sport meets art - The Museum Imperiale

The Museum Imperiale unites two pillars of Movado’s design history: the clarity and elegance of the Museum Watch and the house’s tradition of modern sport design, first introduced in the 1980s with the original Imperiale. In the decades since, the collection has continuously evolved. A true sporty-dress hybrid, the Museum Imperiale brings a sleek elegance and a steely, performance-minded character. Its most distinctive design element is the dotted bezel, a detail carried across the decades, which extends the iconic Museum dot motif outward from the dial to four points along the bezel, connecting the watch’s art historical lineage to its physical architecture. A curved bezel flows into a sculptural three-row bracelet, forming a clean, uninterrupted silhouette from case to wrist.

Heritage Kingmatic

In the flourishing postwar 1950s, as a new era of transatlantic travel and modern living took shape, the dress watch had a renaissance of its own. Watch houses competed to fit complex automatic movements inside slim, refined cases, and in 1956, Movado unveiled the Kingmatic, an icon of midcentury design that remained in production for nearly three decades. The Heritage Kingmatic reintroduces that legacy, reviving the distinctive cushion-shaped case first released by the house in 1962. A curved sunray dial and convex applied markers honor the vintage character of the original, while the overall composition remains true to the refined sensibility that defined the collection at its peak.

Movado watches are available in the UAE at EDIT by Ahmed Seddiqi boutiques and online at byedit.com. To explore the full 145th anniversary collection, visit any EDIT by Ahmed Seddiqi location across the UAE.

There’s a noticeably different tone around Dubai’s hospitality sector heading into Eid Al Adha this year.  

Traditionally, this time of year would see the city flooded with endless dining offers, staycation packages and aggressive Eid promotions as venues compete for attention during one of the busiest hospitality periods on the calendar. 

But in 2026, much of that activity arrived earlier than usual. 

Look at Dubai Restaurant Week, as an example. The annual citywide dining initiative brings together a large selection of restaurants across Dubai to offer specially curated set menus at fixed, accessible price points. 

Running this year from the beginning of May and extended by a further two weeks until the end of the month, the programme features more than 125 restaurants spanning casual dining spots through to some of the city’s most recognisable fine dining venues. 

Rather than traditional à la carte menus, participating restaurants create limited, tailored lunch and dinner experiences, typically priced at AED125 for lunch and AED250 for dinner, designed to give diners easier access to high-end and mid-tier dining concepts. 

It functions as both a consumer-facing dining festival and, increasingly, a strategic tool for operators. This year in particular, it has reflected a wider market shift, with premium restaurants leaning into value-led formats earlier than usual in response to changing consumer behaviour and more selective spending patterns. 

And interestingly, that may not be a bad thing. 

Over the past few months, Dubai’s dining scene has quietly undergone a recalibration. Consumers are still going out, still spending and still prioritising experiences — but they’re becoming more selective about where they choose to do it. 

The automatic pull towards the newest or most expensive venue appears to be softening. Instead, diners are gravitating towards places that feel dependable, community-driven and genuinely enjoyable. 

That shift has particularly benefited neighbourhood concepts and home-grown operators. 

Across Dubai, independent cafés, casual dining venues and community-led spaces have continued to see steady footfall, even while parts of the luxury market experienced a softer start to the year. In many ways, it has reinforced something operators have long suspected: loyalty now matters more than hype. 

Dubai Restaurant Week itself highlighted this changing behaviour. While the event has always been positioned as a citywide celebration of dining, this year it also became a strategic tool for operators — allowing premium restaurants to introduce more accessible entry points at a time when consumers are increasingly value-conscious. 

For diners, this Eid will likely feel slightly different too. 

Rather than an overwhelming wave of generic discounts, consumers can expect more targeted offers, shorter-format experiences and value-led menus that feel considered rather than excessive. Higher-end restaurants in particular are becoming smarter in how they package luxury — creating more approachable ways for guests to experience premium dining without the intimidating price point. 

Importantly, these shifts are not necessarily signs of weakness within the market. They reflect a hospitality industry that is adapting quickly to changing consumer behaviour. 

Dubai’s dining scene had become heavily concentrated at the top end over recent years, with premium pricing increasingly normalised across the sector. What operators are recognising now is that consumers still want quality and experience — but they also want flexibility and value. 

That’s creating a more dynamic market overall. 

This Eid, the venues likely to perform best will not simply be the biggest spenders on marketing, but the ones with the clearest understanding of their audience. 

Consumers are responding to personality, familiarity and emotional connection far more than pure spectacle. 

There’s also a growing sense that residents are rediscovering local dining in a different way. Rather than constantly chasing “what’s new”, many are returning to places they already trust — venues embedded within their routines and communities. 

For operators, that presents both challenge and opportunity. 

Margins remain tight, costs continue to rise and competition across the sector is still intense. But the current environment is rewarding agility over scale. Brands that can adapt quickly, communicate clearly and create experiences people genuinely want to return to are continuing to thrive. 

In many ways, this Eid may represent a more mature phase for Dubai hospitality. 

Healthcare leaders said that the move could remove long-standing barriers that often limited patients to hospitals within their own emirate due to insurance restrictions, especially in cases involving cancer treatment, cardiac care, and complex surgeries.

Earlier this week, the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan approved a unified national healthcare and health insurance system for Emirati citizens across all emirates, aimed at creating a more integrated healthcare framework nationwide.

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No barriers between emirates

Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and CEO of Burjeel Holdings, said the initiative could “remove geographical barriers between emirate-level healthcare systems and improve access to specialised hospitals and advanced treatment across the UAE.”

For many residents in the northern emirates, the change could have a direct impact on how and where they seek treatment.

Dr Ashendu Kumar Pandey, Group CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group and CEO of RAK Hospital, said some Emirati families in Ras Al Khaimah previously had to travel to Abu Dhabi for treatment because their insurance coverage was linked to a specific emirate’s network.

“Families had to manage a sick family member while also dealing with long-distance travel, accommodation, and time away from work, all because of an administrative boundary rather than a clinical one,” he said.

He added that under a unified system, patients could seek treatment at the nearest suitable hospital or specialised centre regardless of emirate.

Dr Pandey also highlighted the impact the system could have on patients requiring advanced treatment.

He said cancer patients and people requiring cardiac procedures or complex surgeries sometimes faced difficulties accessing specialised centres outside their emirate due to insurance approvals or coverage limitations.

“If the best oncology centre, cardiac surgical team, or robotic surgery unit happened to be in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, patients from the northern emirates faced real barriers,” he said.

“Now, the clinical decision belongs to the doctor and the patient, not the insurance boundary.”

More choices

According to Dr Pandey, another major shift could be increased access to private hospitals for Emiratis in the northern emirates, who were previously more dependent on government healthcare facilities.

“Now they have that choice. A citizen should be able to decide whether they prefer a government hospital or a private hospital based on the care and facilities on offer, not based on what their insurance allows.”

He also pointed to the importance of integrated electronic medical records, saying doctors across the UAE would be able to access a patient’s medical history more easily, improving continuity of care and helping in complex cases.

Dr Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, said: “The unified framework could improve accessibility and continuity of care for patients nationwide.”

Healthcare experts also said the new system could strengthen preventive healthcare by encouraging regular screenings, long-term monitoring, and earlier intervention for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Launching at Shanghai Me in DIFC, Dubai, the new monthly “Maneki Brunch” will debut on Saturday, June 13, from 12.30 pm to 4pm.

The concept draws inspiration from the Japanese symbol often associated with luck, prosperity, and abundance, with the restaurant shaping the afternoon around a slower dining experience that gradually becomes more lively as the day progresses.

The brunch menu will centre around a selection of Shanghai Me’s Pan-Asian dishes, beginning with dim sum and sushi platters before moving into mains including Beef Tenderloin in Black Pepper Sauce, Shrimps in Chili Sauce, Grilled Miso Chicken, and Mapo Tofu served in a clay pot.

Guests looking for additional options will also be able to order premium additions such as roast duck carving and caviar, while a dessert platter will conclude the experience.

Packages for the brunch are priced at Dh348 for soft beverages, Dh498 for house beverages, and Dh648 for champagne.

According to the restaurant, the Maneki Neko theme will be incorporated subtly throughout the experience through small details and curated elements rather than heavy décor or theatrical styling.

For the launch edition, Shanghai Me is also partnering with Floraïku, which will introduce fragrance-focused experiences and curated gifting during the brunch.

“Maneki Brunch is designed to unfold with a sense of surprise,” said Nicolas Jaouen, Director of Operations at Shanghai Me.

“It begins as a refined dining experience, then gradually builds into something more vibrant and social. Guests may come for the food, but they stay for the atmosphere.”

The new brunch concept will return once a month at the DIFC venue, with each edition bringing together Pan-Asian cuisine, music, fragrance experiences, and curated hospitality elements.