Dubai: The year 2010 was eventful for the UAE.
One event that stood out was the quick manner in which Dubai Police unveiled details linked to a political murder in the emirate.
The assassination — by Israeli spies — of Hamas Commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel put the spotlight on the emirate's police.
In pictures: Key UAE moments in 2010
Residents were riveted by the cloak and dagger killing of the Hamas leader by a large group of secret agents.
The murder led to a huge diplomatic fallout for Israel whose agents had used passports of people from friendly Western countries.
Dubai Police resolved the case and zeroed in on the Israeli Mossad as prime suspects.
The UAE was also at the world's centre stage for building the world's tallest tower — the Burj Khalifa measuring an iconic 828 metres.
Other achievements included the discovery of a huge oil field offshore Dubai, and promises to build four reactors on one site.
Dubai held the largest party in January to celebrate the opening of Burj Khalifa. The event included a jaw-dropping firework display and had His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, make an announcement that the tower would be named after the UAE President.
What also caught the imagination of the public was the interception by Dubai Police last year of an Al Qaida bomb plot from Yemen.
Another feather in its cap was the discovery of Al Jalila offshore oil field in the emirate of Dubai.
The new oil field —named after the daughter of Shaikh Mohammad — will be the fifth field in production in Dubai since oil was discovered in the 1960s.
"This important discovery will provide an impetus to the various sectors of the economy of Dubai," a statement from the Media Office said.
Most of Sharjah came to a standstill due to massive power cuts in the height of summer in July forcing people to spend the nights in their air-conditioned cars. Families living in the Industrial Areas suffered extensive blackouts. Business kept open only with the help of portable power generators. Sewa said the crises was due to a hitch in natural gas supply to run the power turbines.
The fierce heat of summer also sparked a series of fires in Sharjah. One destroyed a residential building and made 23 families homeless. A spectacular fire at the National Paints factory in May gutted four warehouses and closed all traffic on the Emirates Road from Dubai.
The news that tugged at people's hearts was the news of a baby whale shark who was finally released into the sea after 18 months of captivity and the death of a baby dolphin in the Dubai Dolphinarium.
Other significant events that captivated residents was the visit of Queen Elizabeth.
The UAE had rolled out the Red Carpet for the Brtish Monarch in November as the year slowly came to a close.
