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Photos: Pope in UAE, Christchurch shooting and other events that marked 2019

Arab Reading Challenge, Iran tanker drama, Notre-Dame fire, US-China trade war and more

Last updated: December 23, 2019 | 19:29

Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Digital Content Producer

3 MIN READ

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January 1: UAE declares 2018 as the Year of Zayed, as to mark 100 years since the birth of Shaikh Zayed

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January 11: India's Congress party president Rahul Gandhi makes two-day visit to the UAE

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February 3: Pope Francis begin his three-day historic visit to the UAE, marking the first visit of the Head of the Catholic Church to the Arabian Peninsula.

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May 15: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum gets married.

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June 6: 17 people die when the driver of a tour bus from Muscat Oman fails to see the warning signs causing the bus to hit the 2.2-metre barrier that rips the top-left side of the bus.

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November 7: Sharjah International Book Fair broke the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the largest simultaneous book signing in one location with 1,502 authors signing copies of their own books.

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November 13: Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid honour Sudanese teen Hadeel Anwar Al Zubair who won the Dh500,000 Arab Reading Challenge She outdid 13.5 million students from 49 countries.

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January 4: A nine-member Momoland band performs at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

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January 7: Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek wins his first Golden Globe.

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April 12: Boyzone performed in Dubai as their farewell tour.

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August 31: US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s album Lover broke a new record for an international artist in China as it surpassed one million combined total streams sales within a week.

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January 11: US begin the process of withdrawing the troops from Syria

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April 2: Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika resigns.

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July 19: Iran seizes British tanker in Strait of Hormuz.

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February 27: US President Donald Trump shack hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the start of their second summit Hanoi, Vietnam.

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February 27: Pakistan has captures an Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman at it shoot down the fighter jet. He was released on March 1.

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March 15: A heavily armed gunman clad in military-style gear opened fire at Al Noor Mosque and another mosque in Linwood in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 49 people.

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April 15: A massive fire rages at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

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April 21: Sri Lanka bomb blast in churches and hotels kills more than 200 people, injuring another 450 people.

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February 14: Airbus is scrapping production of the A380 superjumbo.

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May 6: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Britain's Prince Harry gave birth to a baby boy, the seventh-in-line to the throne.

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June 12: Street protesters in Hong Kong protest against an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland china for trial.

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July 24: Boris Johnson becomes the new British prime minister.

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June 29: The Dh302-billion World’s largest solar project switched on in Abu Dhabi. An aerial view of the 1.7GW Noor Abu Dhabi project.

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August 23: China hits US with higher tariffs on $75 billion of American goods including soybeans, automobiles and oil.

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September 23: The world’s most well-known, and oldest, travel firm Thomas Cook declares bankruptcy After failing to reach a last-ditch rescue deal.

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November 17: The Dubai Airshow 2019 opens at Dubai World Central.

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December 5: Saudi Aramco raises $25.6b in world’s biggest-ever IPO while also comfortably overtaking Apple as the world’s most valuable listed firm.

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January 5: AFC Asian Cup football opens at the Zayed Sports Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE draw with Bahrain in the opening match

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January 9: Egyptian footballer Mohammad Salah receives the Outstanding Arab Athlete award during the 10th edition of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards

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February 2: Former world No. 1 and second seed Roger Federer wins his eighth Dubai crown and taking his career tally to a historic 100th title.

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May 12: Mumbai Indians pull sensational win over Chennai Super Kings, emerges as champions of IPL.

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June 22: Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid receives a trophy from Queen Elizabeth II, after winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in Royal Ascot.

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July 14: England beat New Zealand and win the Cricket World Cup after 44-year wait.

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August 25: Indian badminton player P.V. Sindhu becomes first Indian to win the BWF World Championships.

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November 2: South Africa defeated England to win the Rugby World Cup final for the third time in its history at International Yokohama Stadium in Japan.

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December 1: British driver Lewis Hamilton wins his sixth Formula One world title to clinch his fifth Abu Dhabi Grand Prix trophy at the Yas Marina.

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