Dubai ready for the action in Doha and a star line up at 2023 Emirates Literature Festival, our editors comment on the top stories of November 15

GET ONBOARD, BELT UP – AND YOU’RE IN DOHA: It’s all set to go off with clockwork precision – as excitement reaches fever pitch for the Qatar World Cup, airports and airlines in Dubai and UAE are fine-tuning their schedules down to the last detail. Dubai World Central will handle the small matter of 120 daily flights on match days, and then add some more charter services too. All that the fans need to do is arrive at the airport in time – or make that well ahead of time. The same will be repeated for each fan landing in the country and getting ready for their paperwork to be processed. It will all be as precise as the most intricate movements within a Swiss watch. Dubai is ready for the action in Doha. (By Manoj Nair, Business Editor)

IMPRESSIVE LINE UP: The just-released line-up of authors, Hollywood stars and thought leaders for the 2023 Emirates Airline Literature Festival in February is indeed impressive. Many of them will be returning to the 15th edition of the fest as 'old friends', making it all the more special. That this fest is highly sought after by attendees over the years goes to show how Dubai has fostered a literary community of great caliber, even as it makes a nark fir itself on the global map. (By Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor).

UAE FANS READY FOR MESSI-MERISING EFFECT: Football fever has gripped the world with the Fifa World Cup in Qatar only a few days away. The frenzy has also hit top speed in UAE, where a number of teams will be setting up their bases in the country. As a start, the UAE fans will get to see Lionel Messi to unleash his magic wand when the Argentine superstar plays against UAE in a friendly at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. What a day it is going to be for the Messi fans, who must be longing to see the Argentine in action. Tickets for the friendly were sold out in a flash, a testimony to the stars popularity. Now the countdown begins for the match to kick-off. (By A.K.S. SATISH, Sports Editor)

LIVE LIFE ON THE FAST LANE THIS WEEKEND: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2022 is as much about the races as it’s about the star-studded concerts that take place after those adrenaline-charged moments on the tracks. This year, the concert line-up is impressive as pop icons Usher, Kendrick Lamar, Swedish House Mafia, and Def Leppard get ready to take over Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Park over the weekend. We have put together a guide on how to navigate the weekend so that you can make the most of the concert mash-up. Here’s hoping that all racing enthusiasts and music fans live life on the fast lane this weekend. It’s not often that world’s best racers and musicians convene under one roof. (By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor)