What makes Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque a top destination?

STRONG CORPORATE RESULTS SHOW UAE ECONOMY IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK: The past week has been a busy one with some of UAE’s top companies announcing their half-yearly or quarterly results. And the numbers have one thing in common – they all point towards a healthy business environment that allows businesses to thrive and boosts consumer confidence. Top banks like Dubai’s Emirates NBD and Abu Dhabi’s FAB have unveiled stellar results, and most importantly, seen a sharp drop in impairment charges. Loan books have increased in size, too, pointing to improved consumer confidence. This echoes the UAE’s Central Bank report earlier this month, which said individuals and corporates in the UAE borrowed more in the second quarter of 2022 as improving economic outlook drove demand. Lending remained strong despite recent interest rate increases, the apex bank had said in its Q2 Credit Sentiment Survey. The icing on the cake was the H1 performance of Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways. After a painstaking four-and-a-half-year turnaround journey, the carrier swung to a core operating profit of $296 million in the first half, despite fuel costs increasing by almost 60 per cent in comparison to the same period last year. (By (COMMENT BY Anupam Varma, Assistant Editor)

WHAT MAKES SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE A TOP DESTINATION?: That the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi received over 1.5 million guests during the first half of this year goes to show that it is one of the top destinations for visitors in the UAE. Besides being a splendid work of art and architecture, the mosque’s state-of-the-art facilities ensure that a visit is an experience, the tour smooth and hassle-free. Above all, there is a great sense of peace and calm that one gets at the mosque which makes it a huge draw among residents and tourists. (COMMENT BY Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor).

RONALDO BACK AT MANCHESTER UNITED FOR FINAL FAREWELL? Cristiano Ronaldo was adamant that he wanted to leave Manchester United this summer. The Portuguese superstar did not travel with the squad for their preseason tours of Thailand and Australia and trained alone whilst hoping to secure a move to another club, one that was preferably playing in the Champions League. United failed to qualify for the tournament and the 37-year-old wanted out. But it appears there have been no takers for the attacker and he has now returned to training with the Red Devils and will be in the squad for the team’s friendly with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford today. It marks a complete turnaround for Ronaldo who could yet leave before the transfer window shuts at the end of August. This could well be his farewell match and it will be very interesting to see who he plays for next season. (COMMENT BY Imran Malik, Assistant Sports Editor)

DUBAI BECOMES THE PLAYGROUND FOR BOLLYWOOD STAR BIRTHDAYS? Sad about turning a year older and wiser? Fret not, take a leaf from Bollywood stars Sonu Sood and Kiara Advani’s life. These two stars chose to fly into Dubai and bring in their birthdays in style. If Bollywood star and real-life savior Sonu Sood chose to ring in his birthday with select guests at a plush restaurant at the Dubai Festival City, then Kiara Advani chose to play tourist in Dubai with her beau and actor Siddharth Malhotra and enjoyed a low-key celebration. And why do these stars choose the UAE to herald a special chapter in their lives? This glittering city with its ever-altering skyline has something amazing for everybody. For instance, if you are a shopaholic (here’s looking at you Kiara), then the sprawling malls are your haven. And like Sonu always says: ‘Dubai is always an amazing host’. And we couldn’t agree more. (COMMENT BY: By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Assistant Editor Features)