Trends: What's in and what's out?

Nation:

In:
Smart talk - The need to be constantly connected has led to BlackBerrys and iPhones replacing traditional phones globally and are expected to do so in the UAE too.

Out:
Traffic forcecast - With 19 stations slotted to open in February, Dubai Metro is expected to reduce the city’s traffic by being the most effective mode of transportation.

World

In:
Going Green -Shrinking resources have forced issues like global warming and green economics to become the universal concerns for sustainable development.

Out:
Swine Flu - The outbreak of influenza virus H1N1, which spread globally by transmission and created mass hysteria all over the world, has now taken a back seat.

Region

In:
Lebanon, Syria reproachment - Syria and Saudi Arabia mend broken ties and Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri visits Damascus to signal more fruitful relations.

Out:
Gulf stability - Increasing conflict in Yemen weighs on Gulf security. Saudi Arabia has already suffered casualties in its battle to control Yemen’s Al Houthi rebels.

Business:

In:
SME businesses - Small and medium businesses are increasingly regarded as key contributors to growth all over the world. In the UAE, the government offers support for them.

Out:
Speculation - Complicated and speculative investment offers by banks and financial advisers will have a hard time in 2010 as investors became cautious.

Sport:

In:
In the pink - The English cricket season will start on March 29 in Abu Dhabi with pink balls and under floodlights. It will be played between the MCC and Durham.

Out:
Just for kicks - Most sports are perplexed by football’s refusal to adopt video technology to resolve blatant breaches of the rules even though we live in an ultra modern age.