This was one of those days that seemed overly ambitious, afterwards. From Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam. Via cab, plane, train and tram. Ending with a “slow food” dinner in the suburbs of the capital of the Netherlands.

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A few days ago, we noted the coverage in The National on the plan by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways to come up with the defining first-class experience. The one that apparently will cost $20,000 for a one-way flight to London.

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At times, it seems as if one of the primary impulses in the UAE — and the Gulf, for that matter — is discovering innovative ways to spend astonishing amounts of money. “Gold” class is not enough. It must be “platinum”. The new watch, the most expensive car, the hotels that declare themselves to be […]

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If you are going to transit through the Gulf, some words of advice. Don’t get drunk in public. Don’t insult anyone based on their religion. The drummer of the German heavy metal band Scorpions, an American named James Kottak, ran afoul of both concepts, and is about to complete spending a month in a Dubai […]

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When we arrived in the UAE, in 2009, the concept of the Louvre Abu Dhabi had been approved, but its opening seemed remote. Distant in time. Well, not anymore. The Louvre, one of the world’s great art museums, tomorrow will open the Birth of a Museum exhibition in Paris — featuring art works that have […]

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First class is a way of life, in the UAE. For the Emirati citizens, certainly, but also for a significant chunk of western expats who eagerly join in to the notion of “only the best”. Today, one of the business reporters at The National did a piece about flying first class with Emirates, the Dubai-based […]

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Up for nomination? Only those countries I have never visited. I have been inside several I would like to see further … like Spain. I’ve done Barcelona but not Madrid. But these 10 are “never been there at all, and changing planes in the airport doesn’t count”. Let’s do them Letterman style, counting down, with […]

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A few of these surprised me. Starting with No. 1. Other surprises came from the cities not on the list. These are the 10 most heavily traveled routes, leaving from Abu Dhabi, per Etihad Airways, the government-owned, Abu Dhabi-based carrier — which just had a record year, as this National story notes, by number of […]

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999 magazine is published in English by a UAE government ministry, and the December issue had an interesting bit of information that makes for a handy list, too. (This was picked up by nearly every media outlet in the UAE, including The National. With comment from local law officials who make the point that ignorance […]

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Air Berlin is a pretty good name for an airline. Berlin is a hip place. The capital of modern and prosperous Germany. And German goods and services have a good reputation. “Air Berlin” … sounds like it may be cutting edge, and certainly well-run. Well, no. It is not. Air Berlin is just this side […]

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