From the Editors: Bollywood celebrates big in Abu Dhabi with IIFA

Bollywood celebrates big in Abu Dhabi with IIFA: Fashion, glamour and the dazzle of Bollywood lit up Abu Dhabi over the weekend as the International Indian Film Academy Awards or IIFA saw a galaxy of stars descend on to the UAE capital. Last night saw the culmination of the three-day weekend with the glittering awards night that saw the who’s who of the Indian film industry bring their A-game to the event. Whether it was Salman Khan riding a bike into the Etihad Arena to make his grand entry or Abhishek Bachchan leaping off the stage for an impromptu jig with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aradhaya, the night unspooled much like a Bollywood potboiler with ‘Shershaah’ winning Best Picture, Kriti Sanon earning the Best Actress trophy for ‘Mimi’ and the Best Actor going to Vicky Kaushal for ‘Sardar Udham’. As the curtains came down on the event in the early hours of Sunday, it was with a promise that Bollywood was finally back with bang, pushing back the cobwebs of COVID-19. - Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor

Maintaining Dubai property market’s upswing Dubai’s residential property values and rents on the rise; plots in the city’s most upscale of neighbourhoods fetching solid investor demand; Grade A offices garnering fast improving lease terms. All signs point to a solid first six months for the Dubai property market. But everyone involved in the real estate space should do their utmost to not let values and rents rise too high too fast. Because as with earlier market upturns, the gains will not be limited to the top or the mid-to-high end of the property market. Rents too high in the residential and office space, especially in the mid-to-lower end will put the squeeze on incomes, and at a time when inflation and its attendant costs keep getting higher. It’s time for a bit of cooling down or stabilization during peak summer. In more ways than one. - Manoj Nair, Business Editor

Sustainability must become a way of life: On World Environment Day today, we would all do well to look inwards and take stock of just how eco-friendly we are. Sustainability means nothing when we just talk about it; it is meaningful only when we make it a way of life by taking those small steps that add up to make a big difference. Protecting the environment is primarily an individual responsibility and the sooner we take ownership of this mammoth task, the better off we and our communities will be. It is pledge we must take for not only our sake, but also that of the future generations. - Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor