A summer of reform in the UAE

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced the Tomorrow 2021 plan this week. It includes 50 initiatives to spur growth in areas such investment, jobs creation and improving the overall quality of life in the emirate.

The announcement was the culmination of a summer full of reforms for the UAE. Mina Aldroubi and Rory Reynolds, The National's news editor, discuss what this means for the country's future in this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines.

Also this week, we discuss the conflict in Syria, which has swung heavily in President Bashar Al Assad’s favour. If Idlib is taken by the government, it would leave the rebels with a few pockets of territory scattered across the country, effectively signalling their defeat. The National correspondent Richard Harris analyses the situation.