The UAE has some of the world’s tallest buildings (including the tallest, the Burj Khalifa) but also some of the world’s oddest-shaped tall buildings. Few of us think much about how the thousands of windows in those skyscrapers are cleaned, but a member of The National’s business staff explained the process in a piece today. […]

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Trying to put into context a shocking result involving a sports superpower. Al Ahli 6, Al Ain 3 … in the UAE domestic soccer league. The Crimson Tide of Bear Bryant or Nick Saban being routed by, say, South Carolina. The Man United of Alex Ferguson going down heavily to Stoke. That is like Al […]

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“One of us” has decided another year in the aging apartment here in the Hadbat Al Zafranah neighborhood … is “a non-starter.” Thus, we are in house-hunting mode. Half-hearted house-hunting mode, in the case of the other of us, but actually looking around. How is it going?

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The level of journalism in this part of the world can be spotty verging on wretched verging on pathetic. Especially among the bottom feeders of the English-language media. Some are known to thieve stories from rivals without attribution. I could name names, but they know who they are. And so do we, at The National. […]

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We here in the UAE are big on … biggest. Tallest. Highest. Longest. Superlatives of any sort, especially if we can get the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize it as a world record. Witness the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, the world’s tallest tower. And, the latest “est” planned?

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Perhaps the craziest part of this story is … I know how it could happen. It is astonishing, on its face. The Dubai police write around 2,000 traffic tickets per month for “reckless backwards driving,” as noted in this story in The National. And, yes, that’s fairly nutty. About 70 tickets a day for people […]

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Insults are a serious matter, here in the UAE. Walter Zenga can vouch for that. His wallet is 2,000 dirhams lighter because he indulged himself in a fit of pique aimed at a local reporter. The UAE is one of the handful of places in the world where a major sports figure can insult a […]

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The United Arab Emirates in many ways resembles another “United” country — the United States. And perhaps the most direct correlation is the Emirati preference for the same sort of fast food and rich food that many Americans also enjoy. To it: The Cheesecake Factory.

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London has turned out to be a fine city to host a modern Olympics. Lots of diversions, plenty of local expertise to make it all happen, good facilities, nice people, easy to reach … London is not new at this, though, having hosted twice before, including in 1948. But that was long ago, before the […]

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This is a bizarre story, now that I review it again. Because I could not get credentialed for the Summer Olympics in the way I have for 14 Olympiads before this one — with an actual “E” (press) credential — I became worried about getting into events at London 2012. Specifically, into UAE soccer events […]

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