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It was 16 years ago when Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid, then 28, proudly held the UAE flag as she led the country's eight-member contingent into the 'Bird’s Nest' stadium for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
She made history as the first Gulf woman to carry her country’s national flag and was the first female from the UAE to represent the country in the Olympics.
A martial arts champion, Sheikha Maitha entered the Taekwondo competition having won the over-60kg karate silver medal at the Asian Games in Doha in 2006 and gold at the 11th Pan Arab Games in Cairo the following year.
“My dream is to win the gold in Beijing and I will do everything possible,” she told The National at the time. “It will be the nicest gift for my parents and the country.”
In the 67kg class, Sheikha Maitha was seeded 14th and fell to eventual gold medallist Hwang Kyung-seon of South Korea. She also competed in the repechage round but lost to Sandra Saric of Croatia.
Although Sheikha Maitha did not win a medal, making it to the Games was an impressive feat, especially considering she had only taken up martial arts at the age of 20.
While the UAE did not win any medals at the 2008 Olympics, by forming a part of the national team the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, became part of a tradition that has repeatedly seen members of her family participate in the Games.
Four years earlier, the UAE struck Olympic gold for the first time, with Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed’s victory in the men’s double trap shooting competition in Athens in 2004.
The UAE team – along with those from Bahrain, Oman and Qatar – appeared at their first Olympic Games in Los Angeles, 1984.
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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
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
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
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
More coverage from the Future Forum
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
