Each New Year brings with it aspirations and opportunities to explore, and with this in mind I trust that 2007 provides all readers with the promise of new dreams to fulfil and joys to discover.

As the New Year unwinds we are pleased to turn the spotlight on HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a young man who regularly faces up to the many challenges of endurance riding, a sport now recognised as the toughest of all equestrian competitions for horse and rider.

Another individual who has never stepped aside of challenges is oil industry veteran Hussein Tadayon whose career with Bapco dates back almost half a century, with our Personal Profile giving an inside glimpse of some of his achievements.

On the global circuit – in the spirit of spotlighting new adventures – our focus turns on the intriguing and in-vogue Dutch capital of Amsterdam, the cultural extravagance offered by Venice, enthralling Turkey with its historic foundations plus Bora Bora, a holiday destination literally on the other side of the world to Bahrain.

For those who prefer to stay at home, the property feature looks at Riffa Views, a development amid green acres and luxurious lagoons as Bahrain’s first residential golfing community.

Ali Kashef Alghata
Editor-in-Chief