History with Ruler of Sharjah, World Governments Summit focus and what really matters to you

It's not every week you get whisked away to Europe to visit a palace with an inspirational UAE  leader. I was honoured to be invited to visit Portugal with His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. In the splendid surroundings of Lisbon's Presidential Palace, Sheikh Dr Sultan was awarded the prestigious Grand Collar of Camões, becoming the first Arab recipient. The trip was a celebration of his ever-expanding knowledge and expertise in our region's history, which he has recorded in many books, including the recent The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman - Annals of History. There was incredible warmth and humour between Sheikh Dr Sultan and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa during the ceremony and it was a joy to behold in person. Definitely a 'pinch me' moment.

It was also a chance to dust off my keyboard and to get back to some hands-on journalism. I am a real history geek, so spending time in the libraries, listening to incredible stories and witnessing the occasion was a true delight. It was also another reminder of how UAE intellect and culture influences the wider-world.

Speaking of global impact, we have been covering the World Governments Summit (WGS) this week and with a real purpose; to report on the issues, announcements and speeches that affect the lives of you, the reader. There are so many talks, speeches and panels at these events that it's vital that we cut through with what really matters to you. I've been a very proud editor watching the teams on the ground and in the newsroom tackling the big talking points. Transport has been a real focus with the varying methods being adopted to tackle Dubai's traffic issues. We'll keep looking into how these will hopefully help us all in the not-to-distant future. One thing we know by living here is that things will move fast.

The WGS has been one of the highlights of a very busy 2026 - and we're only just into February. At Gulf News, we have had a great start to the year with more people visiting gulfnews.com than they have for years. I often dig into the 'audience analytics' to see trends and to spot opportunities but the main thing is that you find us useful, informative and relevant in a fast-paced world. Thanks to all of our loyal readers and for the feedback that is help shaping what content we focus on and how we present it. Please do keep getting in touch. This is a very exciting year for us all.

Those events keep coming and it's the turn of the Taste of Dubai event this weekend, which Gulf News is backing as a media partner. I'll be there with the family on Saturday to try food from restaurants across the city. We are definitely spoilt for choice, so it's a good chance to see a few of the famous names all in one place. Hopefully it will inspire the children to explore a few different dishes (wish me luck on that one). It's sure to be a fantastic event. Hopefully I'll see some of you there - do say hello.