Earlier this year, when President Sheikh Mohamed announced 2025 as the Year of Community in the UAE, he introduced the “Hand in Hand” initiative, to foster a united and empowered community. This vision demonstrated the UAE leadership's commitment to fostering a united, empowered society. The Year of Community is an opportunity to strengthen the fabric of society through its focus on social cohesion, cultural preservation and developing inclusive spaces for collaboration and shared experiences.
At the heart of this vision is active citizen engagement. All UAE residents are invited to participate in volunteering, community-led initiatives and sustainability efforts, ensuring that progress is not just government led but shared by all.
There is no doubt this initiative will drive transformative changes throughout communities. We look forward to the collaborative opportunities it presents for all stakeholders in the country. By embracing collaborative urban development, the UAE is setting a blueprint for how sustainability and social well-being can go hand in hand.
The relationship between environmental sustainability and social well-being is fundamental to creating thriving communities. The UAE has demonstrated how sustainable development and community building can work in harmony to create a lasting positive impact.
The relationship between environmental sustainability and social well-being is fundamental to creating thriving communities
The basis of sustainable development is the nexus between water, food and energy. It takes about 2,000-5,000 litres of water to produce a person’s daily food, and a 50 per cent increase in food demand is expected by 2050.
As demand for all three resources increases rapidly amid urbanisation, economic growth and rising populations, it is crucial to ensure the integrated and sustainable management of water, food, and energy to balance the needs of people, nature and the economy.
At Sharjah Sustainable City, this connection is evident in every aspect of design and operations. The development's integrated approach demonstrates how sustainable practices can bring communities together while preserving natural resources for future generations.
Through the city’s innovative community programmes, we are fostering a culture of environmental stewardship and social responsibility. These programmes not only promote sustainable food production but also create spaces for neighbours to connect and collaborate. Regular health awareness sessions focus on the benefits of sustainable living, combining physical well-being with environmental consciousness. Our resident engagement initiatives include workshops on waste segregation and recycling, where families learn about responsible waste management.
As a sustainable development, we are also building community resilience. Our biodomes with vertical farms that produce chemical-free vegetables and community farming projects where residents can learn about sustainable agriculture while working together. The energy-efficient design of our homes and community facilities has created a shared sense of purpose among residents, who take pride in their reduced environmental footprint.
These initiatives align with vision of “Hand in Hand”, demonstrating how sustainable living can strengthen social bonds. When communities collaborate to address environmental challenges, they build lasting connections that extend beyond mere neighbourly relations. Our approach to community building through sustainability directly supports the UAE's broader goals for community development and environmental stewardship.
Our commitment to sustainable community development strongly resonates with the national priorities outlined in the Year of Community initiative, particularly in developing skills, nurturing talents and fostering innovation. Through our various programmes and facilities, we are creating an environment where sustainability and community spirit flourish, setting a benchmark for future developments across the UAE and beyond.
Today, we face a clear choice: we can continue building developments that increase pressure on the water-food-energy nexus and contribute to the climate crisis, or we can embrace the model of sustainable communities that offers a path forward. Developed on a resilient, people-centred housing model, sustainable communities are exactly what the planet needs.
At Sharjah Sustainable City, our community of over 600 households has reduced water consumption by 50 per cent through innovative recycling. Our smart homes, equipped with solar panels and energy-efficient appliances, significantly reduce electricity consumption. We treat 100 per cent of wastewater for landscape irrigation and have achieved high recycling rates.
While these are environmental achievements, they are also economic wins as residents see significant reductions in their utility bills. We have reduced energy consumption, improved waste management, and enhanced water recycling, supporting local and global sustainability efforts.
Sustainable communities help people to care for and connect with nature and each other. They promote a gentler way of life, in harmony with the seasons and the earth. More than an environmental imperative, this is a vision of how we can all live better.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
2-15pm: Commercial Bank Of Dubai – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Al Habash, Patrick Cosgrave (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)
2.45pm: Al Shafar Investment – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Day Approach, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
3.15pm: Dubai Real estate Centre – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Celtic Prince, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Sprint by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Khuzaam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Shadwell – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Tenbury Wells, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Jebel Ali Stakes by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
5.15pm: Jebel Ali Racecourse – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Rougher, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
