Why Oslo?
More low-key than Stockholm or Copenhagen, Oslo is a relaxing place where you won’t wear yourself out with things to do. Having said that, large sections of the capital’s extensive waterfront are now unrecognisable even from a few years ago. Fjord City refers to the immediate area east and west of the city centre, where ports, docks and industrial areas are giving way to modern apartments, parks and museums. In Tjuvholmen these include the new Astrup Fearnley Museum, and, behind the new Opera House in an area called Bjorvika, high-rise apartment blocks have been built. There’s a new waterfront and several new museums are under construction. In the centre around the main transport hubs, whole new residential and hotel districts have been created. Yet despite the changes, and increasing levels of immigration, there’s still an air of quiet sophistication and calm here, especially beside the water, where, if the weather is warm enough, anyone can jump in for a swim. In what is a very expensive city, many of the best things are free. The villagey feel of this capital city may be about to change, so go now.
A comfortable bed
The city's grand dame is the Grand Hotel (www.grand.no), an elegant, historic property dating from the 1800s. The Grand Cafe, its main restaurant, where Ibsen and countless other luminaries once dined, is particularly atmospheric and its central location is excellent; rates for double rooms start from Dh574, including breakfast and taxes. The nearby Hotel Continental (www.hotelcontinental.no) is also excellent, but its best available starting rate is higher, from about Kr1,995 (Dh910) per night, including taxes. In Tjuvholmen, The Thief (www.thethief.com), a modern, but plush design hotel with all the luxuries Gulf travellers expect, including a full-service, purpose-built spa with swimming pool, air-conditioning and an internationally-connected guest relations manager. Doubler room rates start from Kr2490 (Dh1,135), including taxes and breakfast.
Find your feet
Oslo's centre is close to the waterfront: from the Central Station, make your way along Karl Johans gate to the hulking mass of Oslo City Hall, with a grand interior that's covered in murals and open to the public. To the left along the waterfront you can see Akershus Castle, a collection of buildings dating from 1299. Walk the other way, past the Nobel Peace Center (www.nobelpeacecenter.org), to Tjuvholmen, where you can end your day in the cafe of the Astrup Fearnley Museum, overlooking Oslo Fjord either inside or outside. For more ideas and to plan visit www.visitoslo.com.
Meet the locals
Oslo has some great home-grown coffee shop chains, so you're never far from a gathering place. Grunerlokka, a green, trendy, low-rise and somewhat historic area north of the city centre, features many small one-off cafes, restaurants and shops, and has a youthful, slightly bohemian atmosphere. Stand there with a map and someone helpful will come up and give you their suggestions on where to go. Staff at the Astrup Fearnley Museum (www.afmuseet.no) are unusually well-informed and keen to talk to visitors (in perfect English) about the artists and the work on display. There are also guided tours. The collection, though it's got all the big names, doesn't feel earth-shattering.
Book a table
For innovation, location, atmosphere and value, it's hard to beat Tjuvholmen's Sjomagasin seafood restaurant (www.sjomagasinet.no/english), where a three-course lunch costs Kr355 (Dh160) per person. At the Grand Cafe (www.grand.no) the large pot of steamed Norwegian mussels with chilli, french fries and aioli is delicious and comes at a good deal of Kr215 (Dh98).
Shopper’s paradise
There are excellent shopping opportunities in Oslo, from independent stores to large malls, and it's a more relaxing experience here than in most other European cities. Unfortunately refinement comes with a price, so most travellers restrict themselves to small design trophies such as homewares, or to jewellery, crafts or local foods. House of Oslo (Ruseløkkveien 26, houseofoslo.no) features a wide range of Scandinavian-designed homewares. On Karl Johans Gate, Paleet (www.paleet.no/) is a newly opened mini-mall with a historic facade – there's a great bookshop and some attractive cafes downstairs.
Don’t miss
The view out across the fjord from the new Renzo Piano-designed Astrup Fearnley Museum is hard to beat, especially on a summer evening. If you have the time, take a boat cruise out around the fjord, or to the nearby island of Bygdoy for a visit to the Viking Ship Museum (www.khm.uio.no). For a great collection by Edward Munch, including various incarnations of The Scream, visit the National Gallery (www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en) or the Munch Museum (www.munch.museum.no).
What to avoid
Holidays here can be very expensive, so look for package deals bundling flights and accommodation. Emirates Holidays (www.emiratesholidays.com) can tailor-make a trip to Oslo, and it has an 8-night tour of Norway from Dh19,700 per person, including all flights, accommodation, taxes, internal transport and some meals.
Getting there
Return flights with Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dubai to Oslo cost from Dh3,465, including taxes. The flight takes seven hours.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
HOW TO WATCH
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