Years ago, catching the train to the airport, I nearly tore my Achilles tendon while dashing up the ramp to a train platform. I dragged myself on to the train and eventually disembarked at the airport. My gate seemed at an impossible distance, injured as I was.
I tried to find a doctor, a lift, moral support, painkillers, a chair, ultimately clenching my teeth and venturing on. And that is when it dawned on me: events that happen in the real world occur also in that microcosm that is the airport: life, work, shopping, injuries, entertainment, finding and losing things, running between boarding gates, milling about in shops, laughing, crying, arguing, experiencing anxiety, frustration, elation and even birth and death.
At the airport, in the time in an aircraft and between destinations, people can feel concentrated human emotions.
If that is the case, why are so many airports not responsive to these human experiences? Why are so many mere corridors to convey human cattle, squeezing us out on to the tarmac, where smoking cubicles and cabs await, or pressing us into crammed flying tubes?
The short answer is that it is easy to make cold, functional airports that suffice for most people. But alternatives exist. There are airports that are efficient but also inviting and offer a positive experience. We all have our lists of best and worst airports. As we cast our eye to airports of the future, it is worth thinking of what makes a great airport. There are at least three criteria.
First is the human-centric response to smoothly get everyone from A to B.
Technology can tailor the logistics to suit individual needs. So there is the low-hanging fruit – say, an app that could inform travellers about visa requirements and the validity of their most recent Covid-19 test. All necessary entry forms could be completed on this app and submitted to relevant authorities so that by the time a customs agent opens a passenger's passport, all paperwork has already been processed.
Airports around the world could provide high-speed, secure and free internet. This will make it easy to find clear directions to transit routes or the immigration line, with the latter showing where to proceed to get tested for coronavirus and a different route displayed to those already tested.
These technologies capture moods of people and cater to them by, say, directing a person who wants to shop, to the duty free section
AI-driven software can even enable hyper-personalised assistance to travellers by alerting airport staff to emotional states of travellers, so that help can be provided as needed. Passengers with small children, for example, could be directed to lower-traffic routes with resting and play places, while busy folks can follow the fastest route.
Second, the commercial experience of the airport could be far more tailored.
At the most basic level, it can be tailored by entering preferences into apps. One notch up will be technologies like typing-by-thinking – that is, through neural interfaces and harnessing neural networks that could merge our online preferences with real-world experiences and products.
Facebook has been developing these typing-by-thinking for some time now. These technologies capture moods and preferences of people and cater to them by, say, directing a person who wants to shop, to the duty free section.
And quite excitingly, in decades to come, arrival airports might provide travellers with bespoke 'printed' solutions – based on individuals’ uploaded specifications. Food, for example. The run-of-the-mill greasy fare so common at many airport outlets will be a thing of the past as personalised food will be 'printed' in real time, tailored to a traveller's unique tastes, DNA, allergies and health expectations.
Third is the layout, which is integral to the entire experience, look and feel of the airport of the future. Sure, design concepts come and go but it is apparent when an airport has been made with travellers in mind and not just operators. When the layout is easy, straightforward and non-hazardous to navigate then you know the process was done properly. This does not mean luxurious or over-the-top design.
It will, however, mean conveyors to make distances shorter, the use of sustainable materials to ensure planetary health, optimal temperature and light controls, supportive robots and displays that identify you personally and help customise the journey.
Does all of this sound much like some travel-themed entertainment park of the future? Perhaps.
It may be a theme park for some, while it may be an office for others, a resting place for others still and an experience of a lifetime for a few. The point is, one can tell that airports have catered to travellers when they have anticipated a diverse set of people's requirements, incorporated technology with people in mind, and are willing to innovate.
So, years ago, when I was limping toward a distant gate with a shredded tendon, it would have been valuable to have augmented reality show me the shortest way, with soothing music playing, a virtual medic to provide first aid and tell me what to do, a conveyor to aid my travels and a complimentary upgrade to first class as I boarded the plane as quickly as possible to rest my leg.
Well, a complimentary upgrade to first class may be the one thing beyond the limits of technological plausibility, even in the distant future.
Dr Patrick Noack is the executive director of future, foresight and imagination at the Dubai Future Foundation
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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)
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELiz%20Garbus%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Duke%20and%20Duchess%20of%20Sussex%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
