Uncategorized - Gulf Insider

1 week ago

‘Not Many Distractions’: Dubai Jumeirah Beach 1 Reopens; Residents Thrilled

For a few months, Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach 1 was shut to the public, with works ongoing for the cycling and jogging tracks. The sand area was being levelled and regular swimmers and walkers had to change their routine. After being closed to improve infrastructure and public facilities, the beach has now re-opened. There are newly-laid jogging tracks and a smoother cycling path now runs along the stretch. The walkways look organised and clean. Seating areas and beach access points have been improved. When Khaleej Times visited the beach, a few swimmers had entered the water, children rode their bicycles, some pushed two-wheel scooters forward with one foot. Teenagers skated along the track and parents walked with strollers. It was calm and not crowded. Residents said that the calmness is the real reason they choose this beach. Unlike Kite Beach or JBR, which are often packed with visitors, food trucks and activity zones, Jumeirah Beach 1 feels more secluded. There is no direct road cutting through the shoreline. You don’t hear constant traffic noise and there are no large commercial setups dominating the view. “It’s peaceful here. You can actually enjoy the sea without too many distractions,” said Ahmed Al Suwaidi, a regular jogger and a […]

1 week ago

Dubai Resident Accidentally Throws Away Gold Worth Dh50,000; How Police Helped Get It Back

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but what happens when your treasure literally ends up in the trash? For one Dubai family, what started out as a nightmare soon became a testament to the wonderful ways in which the city helps people believe in the impossible. Former Dubai resident Kamini Kannan, who lived in the UAE for 23 years before moving to India in 2021, was recently in town for a wedding. As gold prices underwent a volatile week in late January — with 22K gold prices rocketing above Dh600 per gram and climbing steadily — she decided to reevaluate how much she had invested in the yellow metal over the decades. Noticing that the worn-out pouch she used to store the gold was tearing apart at the seams, she temporarily moved the items — four 22K gold coins, 8g each, and one 50g 24K gold bar — into another pouch and left it at the dining table. Unfortunately, that pouch was unwittingly thrown away while tidying up later that day. What followed was a series of “miracles”, said the family, who assumed they would never see their valuables again. It was only the following morning, on February 1 […]

1 month ago

Trump claims US has captured Venezuela’s President Maduro and wife in major military strike

The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said its president, Nicolas Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington – an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack. Multiple explosions rang out and low-flying aircraft swept through Caracas, the capital, as Maduro’s government immediately accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations. The Venezuelan government called it an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets. It was not immediately clear who was running the country, and Maduro’s whereabouts were not immediately known. Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30am ET. Maduro, Trump said, “has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement. Details to follow.” He set a news conference for later Saturday morning. The explosions in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, early on the third day of 2026 – at least seven blasts – sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report hearing and seeing the explosions. It was not immediately […]

A Seasonal Escape: Exploring Qatar Through a Bahraini Lens

2 months ago

A Guide To Exploring Qatar This Winter

Getting to Qatar just got a whole lot easier. Bahrain and Qatar have launched a new ferry service operated by Masar that cuts travel time to just 80 minutes. No highways, no airport queues, just hop on the boat and you’re there (weather permitting). It’s a game-changer for long weekends. This winter, while we’re celebrating National Day and the festive season here, Qatar’s packed calendar of cultural festivals, sporting events, and New Year’s celebrations makes it the perfect time to use that new ferry. Whether you’ve got a weekend free or fancy a longer break, Qatar’s got museums, beaches, souqs, and enough dining and entertainment to fill your days. Where to Go Katara Cultural Village: This waterfront hub has art galleries, performance spaces, heritage sites, and luxury shopping at Galeries Lafayette and 21 High Street, all in one place. The amphitheatre (inspired by Greek architecture) hosts regular shows, and the museums cover Islamic heritage and global cultures. Easy to spend half a day here. Lusail City: If you want to see what Qatar is building towards, this is it. Futuristic architecture, waterfront dining at the Marina, and Lusail Stadium, where the 2022 World Cup final happened. The Boulevard is where most of December’s events are happening. […]

3 months ago

Bahrain Paralympic Committee Organises First Paralympic Gathering

The Bahrain Paralympic Committee, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, organised the first Paralympic gathering for intermediate and secondary school students with determination at the Isa bin Rashid Sports Halls, with 70 students from public schools taking part. The programme included workshops in several Paralympic sports, including badminton, taekwondo, athletics, wheelchair racing, boccia, and 3×3 wheelchair basketball, supervised by specialised coaches. Ali Mohammed Al Majed, Secretary General of the Bahrain Paralympic Committee, said the gathering supports the participation of students with determination in sports and helps identify talent for future national teams. He noted the cooperation of the Ministry of Education and participating schools in delivering the event. The gathering is part of ongoing initiatives by the Committee to promote Paralympic sports and expand opportunities for young athletes. Also Read: Bahrain To Compete In The 2025 Paralympic Beach Games In Türkiye

3 months ago

Touchdown Middle East Data Centre Conference Returns To Bahrain for 3rd Edition

The Middle East’s premier data centre conference is back. The Gulf Data Centre Association (GDCA) has announced the dates for the third edition of Touchdown Middle East, and it’s set to be the biggest yet. Mark your calendars for 19th and 20th November 2025, when the region’s most influential data centre leaders, innovators, and decision-makers converge for two days of game-changing conversations. Last year’s conference attracted over 400 attendees, 24 participating companies, and 21 sponsors. Touchdown Middle East 2025 promises to be even bigger. This is where C-suite executives, industry pioneers, key stakeholders, and disruptive operators come together. They’ll explore the latest trends, forge strategic partnerships, and shape the future of the Middle East’s digital infrastructure. If you’re serious about data centres in the GCC, this is where you need to be. The conference takes place on Wednesday, 19th and Thursday, 20th November 2025 at Al Dana Hall at The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain. Attendees will gain region-wide insight into the latest trends, developments, and opportunities in the data centre market. The programme includes keynote speeches from industry experts, panel discussions from leading voices, and plenty of business development opportunities. “Our vision with Touchdown Middle East has always been to create […]

4 months ago

Google Ai Search Now Speaks Arabic As Gemini Expansion Reaches 200 Countries

Google has expanded its Gemini-powered AI search experience, known as AI Mode, to more than 35 new languages — including Arabic — extending availability to over 200 countries and territories. The company’s latest Gemini AI model powers the update, enhancing natural language understanding and multimedia handling to deliver more accurate, contextually relevant search results tailored to local cultures and languages. AI Mode enables users to engage with Google Search in a more dynamic and conversational way, particularly for exploratory questions and complex tasks. Google Gemini AI search gets Arabic support According to Google, people using AI Mode now tend to ask questions nearly three times longer than those using traditional search — signalling a growing shift toward deeper, analytical exploration. The company also introduced a “Query Expansion” technology, which breaks a user’s question into multiple subtopics and runs several searches simultaneously. This helps users discover a broader and more nuanced range of information compared with standard queries. Google first launched AI Mode in the Middle East and North Africa region in English last August. The addition of Arabic now marks a major milestone in providing more precise, culturally relevant, and linguistically accurate responses for Arabic-speaking users across diverse domains. Also Read: […]

4 months ago

Luxury Hotels Boom While The Rest Of the Industry Slumps

Many Americans are cutting back on hotel stays, pushing the industry into one of its steepest declines since the pandemic. But the wealthy are still spending freely on luxury travel, buoyed by stock gains and rising home values, according to the Washington Post. That divide mirrors the wider economy: the housing market has slowed, but million-dollar homes and high-end cars are selling briskly. Hotels show the contrast most sharply — while overall bookings and prices slump, luxury brands like the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis are up 2.9 percent this year, compared with a 3.1 percent drop for economy hotels. “The upper end is doing okay, but the lower end is decidedly not,” said Jan Freitag of CoStar. “The industry is on a very uneven keel … but the high-end traveler is still traveling.” Weaker demand and fewer foreign visitors — especially Canadians reacting to the Trump administration’s “America First” policies — have driven hotel revenue down for two straight quarters. “Overall the hotel industry is not doing well,” Freitag said. “Foreign travel is down, group bookings are decelerating, and lower- and middle-income travelers are struggling.” WaPo writes that international visits to the U.S. are expected to fall more than 8 percent […]

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Search Here

‘Not Many Distractions’: Dubai Jumeirah Beach 1 Reopens; Residents Thrilled

Dubai Resident Accidentally Throws Away Gold Worth Dh50,000; How Police Helped Get It Back

Trump claims US has captured Venezuela’s President Maduro and wife in major military strike

A Guide To Exploring Qatar This Winter

Bahrain Paralympic Committee Organises First Paralympic Gathering

Touchdown Middle East Data Centre Conference Returns To Bahrain for 3rd Edition

Google Ai Search Now Speaks Arabic As Gemini Expansion Reaches 200 Countries

Luxury Hotels Boom While The Rest Of the Industry Slumps

Recent Posts

Bahrain: Five Years, BD2,000 Fine For Trafficke

Bahrain: No Foreign Hires Without 21-Day Wait

Bahrain: Postal X-ray Scan Exposes 3Kg Drug Shipment

Bahrain: Unlicensed Medical Practice Penalties Set At Up To Five Years And BD5,000 Fine

Ramadan To Fall Entirely In Winter For First Time In 29 Years

Bahrain: Farmers’ Market To Continue Every Saturday During Ramadan

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