Emirati athletes are gearing up for glory at the Special Olympics World Games, after taking part in a joyous opening ceremony this weekend.
The Emirates is aiming to make its mark overseas after it successfully hosted the international event in Abu Dhabi four years ago.
The UAE's 167-strong delegation is the largest from the Mena region, including 72 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as technical, medical, and administrative staff.
The Special Olympics was first held in Chicago in 1968 and has grown over the decades into a global celebration of unity, inclusion, equality and diversity.
International harmony was on full display during the opening ceremony at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Saturday as athletes drawn from all corners of the world took part in a colourful parade.
Representatives of each country were asked to bring water from their homeland to pour into the Special Olympics River.
UAE competitor Ghanem Al-Maamari carried water collected from Al-Ain Oasis.
The UAE team will be vying for podium places in 20 sports staged in 17 locations across the German capital.
Athletes will represent the UAE in sports such as swimming, badminton, bowling, athletics, beach volleyball, basketball, cycling, equestrian, and powerlifting.
“We are ready for the games, especially after the extensive preparations and training camps we held throughout the year,” said Talal Al Hashemi, national director of Special Olympics UAE.
“We are delighted to be representing the UAE on a global stage, and spread its message of inclusion, dedication, and tolerance, which is the legacy of the World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.”
Special Olympics UAE adopted the slogan “The Road to Berlin” in its preparations for the Games.
Their sporting journey began at the start of the year with a series of training camps at home and abroad.
The Women's Unified Football Team travelled to Japan for a week-long training camp in January
More than 7,000 athletes with disabilities from 190 countries will take part in the Games, which conclude on June 25.
Championing equality
The UAE's staging of the event left behind an inspiring legacy.
In 2021, an exhibition was held at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace to honour the impact of the 2019 global sporting event.
The display, A Journey of Determination, highlighted the stories of people whose lives were changed by the games.
In 2020, President Sheikh Mohamed, who was Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the time, pledged $25 million to help fund the global expansion of an inclusive education project led by the Special Olympics movement. The pledge was made to enable the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools initiative to improve even more lives all over the world.
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
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THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
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1.
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5.
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- set out well ahead of time
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- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
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In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
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Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
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25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
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Time; race; prize; distance
4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
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4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
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5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
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5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
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6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
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6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
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7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
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Specs
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
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The specs
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The burning issue
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
Lexus LX700h specs
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
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Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
HOW TO WATCH
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