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With world-breaking skyscrapers, some of the most luxurious and out-of-this-world hotels, sweeping desert plains, the best restaurants you could ask for and too many landmarks to count, Dubai is a hub for all things travel and leisure and with this comes the inevitable sharing on Instagram.
In-keeping with the Instagrammable nature of the city, Dubai has ranked in the top 10 of Big 7 Travel’s ’50 Most Instagrammable Places In The World 2021′ list.

Stating that “Dubai was basically made for Instagram”, the emirate ranked number six out of 50 which is highly impressive and it is one of two Middle Eastern cities to appear on the list – Marrakech, Morroco came in at number 40.
Analysing the number of hashtags per travel destination, Big 7 Travel calculated the results from a survey they conducted with their social media audience of which they have over 400,000 Instagram followers.

The top destination was Tokyo, Japan followed by The Philippines. Iconic cities Paris and New York City took the number three and four spots followed by Istanbul, Turkey at number five.
Rounding off the top 10 was Dubai at number six; Havana, Cuba at number seven; Sydney, Australia at number eight; London, UK at number nine; and Chicago, USA at number 10.
While travel across the globe may still be largely on hold, that can’t stop you from dreaming of wanderlust.
Check out the full list of the 50 most Instagrammable places in the world below.
Tokyo, Japan
The Philippines
Paris, France
New York City, USA
Istanbul, Turkey
Dubai, UAE
Havana, Cuba
Sydney, Australia
London, UK
Chicago, USA
Singapore
Madrid, Spain
Berlin, Germany
Toronto, Canada
Hong Kong
Santorini, Greece
Taiwan
Milan, Italy
Moscow, Russia
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Prague, Czech Republic
Bogota, Colombia
San Francisco, California
Las Vegas, Nevada
Vancouver, Canada
Stockholm, Sweden
Jakarta, Indonesia
Buenos Aires, Argentina
São Paulo, Brazil
Vienna, Austria
Seattle, Washington
Budapest, Hungary
Seoul, South Korea
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Dublin, Ireland
Lisbon, Portugal
Minsk, Belarus
Warsaw, Poland
Armenia
Marrakech, Morocco
Hoi An, Vietnam
Bruges, Belgium
Nice, France
Tallinn, Estonia
Cape Town, South Africa
Sofia, Bulgaria
Helsinki, Finland
Phuket, Thailand
Baku, Azerbaijan
Athens, Greece
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As thick fog has encased Dubai for the last two days, copious amounts of videos and photos have been shared on social media.
And, of course, the social media savvy Crown Prince of Dubai joined in on the fun, putting everyone else’s posts to shame.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum shared a spectacular video to Instagram of the thick fog on Sunday, which showcases the best views of three of Dubai’s iconic skyscrapers – the Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab and Emirates Towers.
ALSO READ: The internet can’t stop talking about the fog in Dubai
“Early morning fog in #Dubai,” he captioned the post.

In just 24 hours, the impressive footage has amassed over 550,000 views and over 180,000 likes.

Expect more videos and photos to be circulated on social media of the fog for the next few days, as the National Centre of Meteorology has forecasted the mist to stay for the rest of the week.

#NCM #UAE #officialuaeweather #weatherforecast #seastate #windspeed #winddirection #rain #fog pic.twitter.com/VQbjp1i7Uv
— المركز الوطني للأرصاد (@NCMS_media) January 16, 2021

However, by Friday the fog is expected to have cleared.
As for temperatures in Dubai, expect it to get quite chilly during the evenings with lows of 14 degrees celsius. But, make sure you take advantage of the cooler weather,
But while the cooler weather is still here, now is time to savour the next few months of still being able to sit outside before the scorching heat hits the UAE. For some inspiration of some gorgeous al-fresco hotspots with stunning views overlooking Dubai’s skyline, look at our round-up here.
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With plans in motion to have half of the UAE population vaccinated by March, Dubai is pulling out all the stops to ensure this happens.
Two vaccines are currently being administered in the emirate – the Sinopharm vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine.

Ensuring the COVID-19 vaccines are administered as quickly and efficiently as possible, a new vaccination centre has been set up in Dubai and it was in record-timing.
Sharing a time-lapse to the Dubai Media Office Instagram page, it was revealed this new centre had been set up within 72 hours by the DHA.

Located at One Central, the centre has a capacity of 4,000 visitors per day.

In a press conference which took place earlier in January, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, the official spokesperson for the UAE health sector outlined the plans for the COVID-19 vaccines across the nation.
“We aim to reach more than 50 per cent of the country’s population during the first quarter of this year,” she said. “This will help us reduce cases in general, reduce critical cases in particular, and control the disease better in the next phase.”
Sinophram vaccine
The first of the two vaccines available in the UAE to be administered was the Sinopharm vaccine.
The vaccine underwent clinical trials in Abu Dhabi during summer last year and it was confirmed by health authorities saying that the “analysis [from the trial of 31,000 people] shows no serious safety concerns”.
High-up government officials including His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaab, the Minister of Culture and Youth and more have received the Sinopharm vaccine.
Pfizer vaccine
Then, at the end of December, the COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved to be administered in Dubai.
After undergoing numerous clinical trials, the vaccine has been found to have 95 per cent efficacy. Recently, the DHA outlined exactly who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine.
The vaccine has already started to be rolled out, with some government ministers already receiving their first doses. As of today, this now includes Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) Her Excellency Mona Al Marri.
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As things continue to progress for women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it’s been announced that female court judges will “very soon” be appointed.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, the undersecretary for women’s empowerment at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Hind al-Zahid explained how major developments for the representation of women in the Saudi legal system were coming.

“Saudi woman assuming a position of judge is very soon,” she said. “There are initiatives on several levels.”
She also discussed how the participation of women in the labour market has made huge progress, with the participation rate currently at 31 per cent.

She continued, “As for the civil service sectors, the Saudi women’s participation rate has increased from 39 per cent to 41 per cent, and most of them are in the education and health sectors in addition to other sectors.”
Changes for women in Saudi Arabia
Changes for women in the Kingdom are a major focus in the Vision 2030 scheme, which is being spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Just three months after he stepped into the role in 2017, the Crown Prince unveiled in a royal decree that women would be able to secure driving licenses from June 2018.
Then, in March 2018, it was announced by the Ministry of Justice that women who are divorced in the country would be able to instantly retain custody of their children.
Under his plans, women are now also able to attend sports events in stadiums in three cities, female students in the Kingdom are now allowed to carry their phones while on campus and as of August 2019, women aged over 21 are now allowed to travel independently.
Last year alone, there were many notable history-making moments and appointments in Saudi Arabia paving the way for women.
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New entry requirements into Abu Dhabi have into effect as of Sunday, January 17, 2021.
It was announced by the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee via the Abu Dhabi Media Office’s official Twitter page that the changes have been implemented “as part of the proactive efforts and precautionary measures to contain and eliminate the spread of COVID-19”.

Now, in order to enter the UAE capital, a negative PCR or DPI test result must be obtained a maximum 48 hours prior to the date of required entry.
For those who are staying longer than four days, a COVID-19 test is then required on day four of entry into Abu Dhabi. For those staying eight days or more, another PCR test is required on day eight of entry.

The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee has updated procedures to enter Abu Dhabi from within the country, effective from Sunday, 17 January, as part of the proactive efforts and precautionary measures to contain and eliminate the spread of Covid-19. pic.twitter.com/MIkfqUEDZg
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) January 16, 2021

However, there are some exemptions to these testing requirements. Those who have been vaccinated in the national vaccination programmes and volunteers in Phase III vaccine clinical trials whose status is active, meaning they have the letter ‘E’ or gold star on the Alhosn app, are not required to get a COVID-19 test.
Towards the end of last year, testing requirements stated that a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours was permitted, but this has now changed.
Those who do not comply with the above guidelines will be subject to fines.
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With every winter in Dubai being accompanied by an unpredictable surreal sky, this morning was no different with cold temperatures being complemented with foggy skies.
As with any significant change in the weather – including the rain – residents in Dubai cannot stop talking about it.

Taking to social media, many residents have shared their different photos of the sky coated with thick fog, some of which are quite incredible to look at.

The Beauty of Winter Morning #Fog in #Dubai pic.twitter.com/S05q6NlOwf
— Peter Brun (@peter_brun) January 17, 2021

Fog is covering #UAE sky scrappers and roads, stay safe and be careful while driving. #Dubai #foggy pic.twitter.com/PWWibXnX2L
— Ijaz Malik (@Ijazmalik101) January 17, 2021

Can never get enough of this. #fog #mydubai #dubaifog pic.twitter.com/odCY6kfX56
— Florian Kriechbaumer (@djflore) January 17, 2021

However, spectacular some of the images and footage is from the fog coating Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authoirty has urged drivers to be wearing while on the roads today.
“Low visibility in fog reduces your sense of vehicle speed,” the RTA said on Twitter. “We advise you to lower speed and use fog lights for your safety and that of others on the road.”

Low visibility in fog reduces your sense of vehicle speed. We advise you to lower speed and use fog lights for your safety and that of others on the road. For more guidelines, visit: https://t.co/kbt3iuJ3rH#RTA pic.twitter.com/0XyHvmm0sY
— RTA (@rta_dubai) January 17, 2021

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Dubai-based airline Emirates suspended flights to six cities in Australia and South Africa over the weekend, citing “operational reasons” for the postponement.

It’s been announced that flights to the South African cities of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg will be postponed for the next two weeks from January 16 to January 28.
Meanwhile, flight routes between Dubai and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have been suspended and no date has been given as to when they will resume.
The final routes for Dubai-Australia flights include Dubai to Melbourne on January 19; Melbourne to Dubai on January 20; Dubai to Sydney on January 18; Sydney to Dubai on January 19; and Brisbane to Dubai on January 17.
The Dubai airline apologised for all inconveniences caused on their website and also advised passengers affected to contact Emirates for rebooking options.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel industry has been severely affected due to countries closing borders and the overall demand for flights decreasing.
However, Emirates has been making strong headway in resuming flights to many of its global destinations, particularly after Dubai reopened its borders to tourists in July 2020.
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Model and activist Hamdia Ahmed has become the first person in her family to graduate from university.
The 21-year-old shared her joy on Twitter over her success, being the first one out of her father, mother and siblings to obtain her Bachelor’s degree, which she received from the University of Southern Maine.

It’s an incredible achievement for the model, as for the first seven years of her life she was a refugee in Kenya. Ahmed’s mother was nine months pregnant with her when she was forced to flee Somalia with her four elder siblings.
The family eventually moved to the USA in 2005.

Now having graduated from university, Ahmed reflected on her struggles and the struggles of her family, her mother in particular.

“Twenty-one years ago my mother gave birth to me while she was escaping from a civil war,” she said. I spent the first seven years of my life in a refugee camp. My parents sacrificed so much for their kids.
“Today, I became the first person to graduate from college in my family.”
The university graduate also shared two photos – one of herself holding her degree and one embracing her mother.
Back in 2017, Ahmed became the first hijabi contestant to enter the Miss Maine pageant with the aim to break down stereotypes of Muslims and to have more representation in such events.
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