As the eyes of the world fell on London's Westminster Abbey as Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest on Monday, Britons living thousands of miles from home paid their final respects from afar.
There were few more fitting venues from where people could watch the funeral service of a monarch who led her nation like few others than the Queen Elizabeth 2 former ocean liner. This was once the pride of the British shipping company the Cunard Line and is now a floating hotel in Dubai's Port Rashid. It was retired from active service in 2008 and opened to visitors in its current home four years ago.
Britons mixed with other people of other nationalities from all walks of life to bid farewell to the queen.
It was standing room only at The Golden Lion pub as the funeral service got under way.
“I can’t think of another venue outside of the UK that was more appropriate to remember the queen than this,” said Ferghal Purcell, general manager of the QE2.
“It has been so hard to judge what the interest would be but, as it has progressed, we knew we would need to plan for this.
“Every television that can get a signal is on showing the funeral, in the Golden Lion, the Queen’s Grill and the Lido."
More than 3,000 people signed a book of condolence at the QE2. Meanwhile, hundreds of flowers, teddies and messages of remembrance were left close to a bust of the queen first unveiled in 1969, the year the grand old lady of the seas made her first trans-Atlantic voyage.
Venue honours Queen Elizabeth II
"Every seat is booked, and we have a special afternoon tea," said Mr Purcell, from Ireland.
"Families and friends wanted to come together to pay their respects in a special venue, as this is.
“There is a lot of emotional pride in what the queen stood for and achieved in her lifetime.
"When the funeral began, the bar went silent ― it was a special moment.
"The QE2 is part of the queen’s legacy and it has been a wonderful opportunity to show that."
British ambassador to the UAE Patrick Moody spoke at a service to remember the queen at St Andrew’s Church in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
The church also opened a book of condolence.
The commemoration requiem was attended by members of the British embassy, Emiratis and UAE residents such as Lucy Davis, from London.
'A moment in history'
Ms Davis, an interior designer who has been in the UAE for 13 years, travelled from Abu Dhabi with her six-year-old daughter to watch the funeral service at the Queen’s Grill on the QE2 on Monday.
“It was quite a long way to come, but with everything that had happened over the past few days, I felt very far from home,” she said.
“I wanted to mark the occasion with something that my oldest daughter would remember, rather than just watch the service at home on the sofa.
“It has been a special day, a real moment in history that will not happen again.
"The QE2 is a fantastic ship, and a part of [the queen's] legacy, so it seemed fitting we should be here today.
“It is such a multicultural community in the UAE, but the outpouring of grief has been universal.
“We are all touched by this loss, It is like the world has lost its granny.”
Many visitors dressed in black, or wore full mourning attire to watch the service on the many screens dotted around the several decks of the QE2.
There was a sombre and respectful atmosphere, but also one of celebration of the queen’s life amid the pomp and ceremony that unfolded throughout the afternoon.
Briton Kieron Clinton, 50, moved to Dubai only five months ago and wanted to pay his respects to the queen on board the QE2 with his wife Nancy and her mother.
“It was a bit of a last-minute decision and we thought we would have to book,” said Mr Clinton, who works in real estate.
“The Golden Lion was packed, so we could not get in there, but we managed to get a table in the Lido restaurant, which was great.
“I’m not sure I would have had the time to queue to see the queen lying in state If I was back in London, so this has been the next best thing."
Mr Clinton said the queen's death felt like "the end of an era", as the monarch had been "the one constant in my life".
“No other country does pageantry quite like the British and it fills you with pride," he said.
“When we talk in the future about where we all were for the queen’s funeral, I will be proud to say I was on board the QE2 in Dubai.”
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THREE
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SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
Brief scores
Barcelona 2
Pique 36', Alena 87'
Villarreal 0
More from UAE Human Development Report:
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
----
Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
----
Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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How to help or find other cats to adopt
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Avatar%3A%20The%20Way%20of%20Water
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
