President Sheikh Mohamed arrived in Hungary on Thursday and is expected to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on an official visit.
He was received by Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary's Minister of Defence, on arriving at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
It follows a working visit to Serbia, where Sheikh Mohamed met President Aleksandar Vucic for talks, and a trip to Albania on Wednesday, during which he met Prime Minister Edi Rama.
In Belgrade, Sheikh Mohamed focused on various areas of co-operation with Mr Vucic, particularly in investment, economy, trade, technology, food security and renewable energy.
Sheikh Mohamed stressed the UAE’s commitment to supporting peace and stability in the Balkans, and the two men also reviewed a number of regional and international issues, state news agency Wam reported.
Both expressed their shared interest in continuing efforts to strengthen UAE-Serbia ties.
Sheikh Mohamed and his delegation were welcomed at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport by Mr Vucic, with both leaders taking cover under umbrellas on a rainy day in the capital.
It was Sheikh Mohamed's first visit to Serbia since a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between the two nations came into force in May. It is hoped that bilateral trade between the Emirates and Serbia will contribute about $351 million to the UAE's GDP by 2031.
In Albania, Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Rama had reviewed the growing partnership between their countries and discussed efforts to advance relations in key sectors such as the economy, trade, renewable energy, food security and technology during high-level discussions.
Sheikh Mohamed set out his commitment to forging robust ties across the Balkans. He said Albania was an important partner for the Emirates.
Mr Rama spoke of his hopes that the visit would establish new avenues of co-operation after welcoming Sheikh Mohamed and his delegation at the Prime Minister's Office in Tirana.
The two men also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues, emphasising the need to promote dialogue and diplomacy in resolving conflicts.
UAE leader given national honour
During the meeting, Mr Rama awarded Sheikh Mohamed the Benemerenti medal, the highest public honour conferred by the Prime Minister of Albania, in recognition of the President's pivotal role in strengthening UAE-Albanian relations.
The Prime Minister praised Sheikh Mohamed's commitment to bolstering bilateral ties, describing the award as a mark of his country's deep respect and appreciation for him.
Sheikh Mohamed's official delegation included Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, adviser to the UAE President; Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan, Minister of State; Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, chairman of the President’s Office for Strategic Affairs and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office; Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs; Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant of Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs; Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; Dr Ali Al Dhaheri, UAE ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and non-resident ambassador to Albania; and Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of the board of directors of Eagle Hills.
The President's visits came after he concluded a state visit to Turkey on Wednesday, in which he issued a joint call for peace with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Sheikh Mohamed was received by Mr Erdogan at Turkey’s Presidential Palace and an official reception was hosted in his honour, state news agency Wam reported.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
McIlroy's recent struggles
Last six stroke-play events (First round score in brackets)
Arnold Palmer Invitational Tied for 4th (74)
The US Masters Tied for 7th (72)
The Players Championship Tied for 35th (73)
US Open Missed the cut (78)
Travellers Championship Tied for 17th (67)
Irish Open Missed the cut (72)
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Stamp%20duty%20timeline
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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
More coverage from the Future Forum
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
