Travel through Dubai airports gets better and why is it raining billions today, our editors comment on the top stories of Feb 10

ENJOY TRAVELLING THROUGH DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS: Passengers travelling through Dubai International Airports will experience smoother journey, thanks to a new biometric system. The new seamless travel passage with biometric clearance applies to those registered with General Directorate of Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) since 2019. Registered passengers will not be required to show their passports or IDs as their passage through the airport is cleared by a biometric system. In other words, they can walk through the terminal to the plane just by showing their face. Dubai has always been at the forefront of introducing new technologies to make travel easier. The new initiative will make travelling a joy for everyone at one of the world’s busiest airports. (By Ashfaq Ahmed, Senior Assistant Editor)

IT’S BEEN RAINING A FEW BILLIONS TODAY: It does seem that some of the ADX-listed behemoths did have a good time in 2022 – Alpha Dhabi and the Multiply Group definitely had one, with net profits in the billions of dirhams. The two entities have developed a keen sense of where to park their investment funds, and in 2022 that generated yields in spades – and then some. But what will please UAE stock market investors is the solid start Tecom Group and Salik made post their IPOs. Tecom, apart from the gains on the top- and bottom-line, recorded occupancy gains across its industry-specific hubs. That, in what’s proving to be a tough year for the technology sector worldwide, is encouraging. As is Salik’s numbers that recorded the increased activity across its toll gates. UAE’s listed companies have the smarts to deliver all over again in 2023… (By Manoj Nair, Business Editor)

ASHWIN, ENGINEERING HIS SUCCESS ON THE FIELD: You might love him for his canny skills or hate him for his straight talk, a no-nonsense approach, or for his brilliant acumen in analysing a situation or his position. Ravichandran Ashwin is certainly a different breed. He doesn’t tread on the oft-taken path and tries to venture into the road not taken. The off-spinner has now joined ranks with his idol Anil Kumble as the second Indian bowler to cross the 450-wicket mark. Both Ashwin and Kumble, India’s highest wicket-taker with 619 Test wickets, have plenty of similarities. Both are tall, which makes it difficult for a spinner to toss up the ball, hence use different techniques to get the required revolutions in the ball. Adding to that they both are Engineering graduates, so they are clever in their craft. Another 170 wickets might be far for Ashwin to cross the milestone, but he knows how to engineer his success on the cricket field. [COMMENT BY: A.K.S. Satish, Sports Editor}

ICONIC INDIAN MOVIE TO BE SCREENED AGAIN: Bollywood romantic classic ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ is set for a wider theatrical release this Valentine's Day, according to Indian media reports. But why should this be a surprise? Released in 1995 and set in exotic European locales, 'DDLJ' as it's popularly known remains one of Bollywood's refreshing takes on romance, between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol who play non-resident Indians. The movie continues to have an outsized influence on pop culture. Two out of five Bollywood memes would invariably feature the famous train scene from the movie. Switzerland tourism uses it to pull Indian tourists to this day. It features in "Indian movies you mustn't miss" rankings compiled over the decades. A theatre in Mumbai, the Maratha Mandir, screens this movie exclusively. The only time this didn't happen was during the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns. So, why should we be surprised that one of India's iconic movies that celebrates love gets a re-release? (By Rajagopalan Venkataraman, Assistant Editor-Features)