Making choices to support our overall health and well-being is most effective when built into our daily lives, yet a dedicated wellness retreat may just be the nudge we need at times.
Thankfully for UAE residents, a variety of retreats targeting different well-being goals, from restoration to detoxing, are available in the region. Be it the middle of the serene desert or overlooking the Arabian Gulf, the beautiful settings can support relaxation goals, helping guests to switch off from their daily routines.
If you're in need of a well-being-focused break, here are six programmes to check out.
Three-day desert escape at Qasr Al Sarab, Abu Dhabi
The desert resort in Abu Dhabi has a three-day holistic retreat that includes personalised consultation with Ratheesh Krishnan, the hotel's resident wellness expert.
Once health needs and goals are determined, the package comes with three sessions of yoga or meditation, as well as four 60-minute therapies of choice. Some of the treatments on the menu include a four-hand massage, hot-stone session or Indian head massage.
The hotel is set within the Liwa Desert, about 200km away from downtown Abu Dhabi, making it an ideal place for relaxation. It has extensive wellness facilities, including a Moroccan hammam, ice room, heated jacuzzis and more. The retreat starts at Dh3,690.
anantara.com
Seven-day Ayurveda retreat at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, Dubai
The five-star hotel on Palm Jumeirah has a seven-day wellness retreat that uses techniques from Ayurveda, an Indian alternative medicine system. Luxury accommodation aside, the week-long health journey begins with a consultation with a vaidya (Sanskrit for doctor) to determine specific health goals and concludes with a progress check at the end of the retreat.
The package includes daily 90-minute ayurvedic therapy and prescribed meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A detox drink and a bowl of fresh fruits are delivered to the room every morning, along with daily replenishment of herbal-infused drinks. Two 30-minute meditation sessions are on the cards too, and guests can participate in daily yoga sessions.
The package is available for guests who book a minimum of seven nights. Room rates start at Dh1,100 per night.
exoticadubai.tajhotels.com
Three-day retreat at Mandarin Oriental, Dubai
Spend three days at the luxurious hotel in Jumeirah for a wellness programme focused on detoxification, reducing fatigue and improving immune response.
The itinerary includes a 45-minute nutrition consultation, an hour of personal training, a 90-minute intelligent movement session as well as yoga sessions, spread across three days. The package also comes with daily plant-based meals at The Bay, the hotel's beachside brasserie. The package is priced at Dh5,500.
mandarinoriental.com
Three-day retreat at Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana, Abu Dhabi
The Dine Around Plus package is built around three days of enjoying the property's wellness and dining offerings. A daily 60-minute spa treatment of choice is on the cards, as well as daily yoga and personal training sessions. There are six treatment suites in the hotel, as well as two relaxation rooms. Spa products are provided by Parisian brand Maria Galland. The package also comes with unlimited access to the hotel gym, sauna, steam room and hot tub.
A daily serving of healthy treats and detox beverages is available, with guests served breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hotel's dining spots, including Kamoon that serves Middle Eastern cuisine. The package starts at Dh3,547.
rotanatimes.com
Seven-day weight-management programme at Zoya Health & Wellbeing Resort, Ajman
The Ajman resort is known for its variety of retreat offerings, from a three-night detox programme to seven nights of restorative health treatments. For those looking to manage their weight, there's a tailored programme that can run up to 21 nights (minimum of seven).
Focused on creating a balanced lifestyle, the programme starts with a doctor consultation as well as an OligoScan, which is a detailed health check aimed at assessing mineral deficiencies. Other treatments in the package include ozone sauna, oxygen therapy and body-contouring sessions. There's also a 60-minute Swedish massage, a 60-minute hammam ritual and unlimited access to hotel facilities such as sauna, steam room and plunge pool.
Packages start at Dh950 per night for the weight management retreat.
zoyawellbeing.com
24-hour retreat at The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel
For those looking for a quick wellness getaway, this five-star property on Palm Jumeirah has a jam-packed 24-hour itinerary. There's a pre-arrival consultation to kick off the routine, followed by a welcome ritual of aroma and colour therapy on-site. The package comes with a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet at Vibe, the hotel's all-day-dining restaurant.
The day-long getaway comes complete with a 60-minute personalised spa treatment, in-room morning green detox shots, as well as yoga, breathwork, stretching and meditation sessions. Guests are served Rayya Nurti juice shots as well as an in-room night self-care routine. They also have unlimited access to the gym, sauna, steam room and hot tub.
Prices start at Dh1,699 for single occupancy and Dh2,525 for double occupancy. Guests will stay in the deluxe room with a sea view.
theretreatpalmdubai.com
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
