Abu Dhabi Will Be Home to the World’s Second Sphere Entertainment Venue

Sphere Entertainment has announced the location of its second development: Abu Dhabi. The new sphere, said to “echo the scale” of the original in Las Vegas, is a joint venture between Sphere Entertainment and the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi.

After a failed attempt in London, the company behind the Las Vegas Sphere may be heading to the Middle East, based on a review of public trademark filings by Skift.

On my recent trip to Hanoi, walking through the narrow streets of the Old Quarter, I had no trouble finding comfort food: Indian restaurants were thriving in almost every lane. It was a stark contrast to my visit in 2019, when I struggled to find any. 

Gambling has long been taboo in the United Arab Emirates, but officials in the country are quietly developing a multi-billion-dollar gaming industry, a topic Skift recently examined in depth.

In spring 2025, Freshta Ibrahimi aims to make history—by becoming the first Afghan woman to summit the highest peak in the world. Yet while climbing Mount Everest is a bucket list achievement for any serious mountaineer, for 32-year-old Ibrahimi, who already has a decade of climbing experience under her belt (having recently conquered Nepal’s Lobuche East), Everest represents more than just a physical challenge. She wants to wave a flag of hope for women living under an oppressive Taliban regime—and forge a path for them to one day follow suit.

Tucked into a small pocket in Amsterdam’s city center, the historic house at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 249 is a favorite among tourists and photographers. The building is a showstopper, with majestic step-gabled facades and an enviable location at the intersection of three canals where Amsterdam’s original defense walls once protected against invaders centuries ago.

Bahrain's Gulf Air plans to upgrade some aspects of its inflight offerings next year as it eyes a return to the U.S. amid its 75th anniversary celebrations.

Airbus is about to kick-start a new era of long-haul travel.

An iconic Las Vegas property will soon make a dramatic exit.  The Tropicana, one of the original Las Vegas hotels built in 1957 which closed earlier this year, will be imploded in the early hours of Wednesday morning at 2:30 a.m. PST.

A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveler España. This story is translated from the Spanish by John Newton.

One of the great hassles in surf travel is schlepping around a board. Long boards can be the size of a small airplane wing, and airport personnel, upon seeing a shortboard, sometimes hurl them, as if testing them for flight. Surfers know that it’s not uncommon to pay the oversized luggage fee, which is often north of $150 for one-way travel, arrive in some surfer’s paradise, and unzip their well-padded bag to find their board dinged badly or fully smashed.

The first rule of casinos in the UAE: You do not talk about casinos in the UAE.