Sushmita Bose 2016 THE WAY EXTRAORDINARY

extraordinary feats were achieved by some this year. the stories of underdogs who came out on top warmed our hearts. a palestinian won the global teacher award. emiratis scaled the tallest peaks. athletes at the olympics taught us about generosity of the

As the year gears up to down its shutters, it’s time to put aside the trivia of gloom and doom and open our minds to a new chapter. We, at Khaleej Times, took it upon ourselves to create a product that — we hope! — will have a far longer shelf-life than your usual regular dose of news and views have: 17 talking points (to welcome 2017) that are whacky, freewheeling, uber cool — yet to the point, on the ball. Irreverent yet relevant. The best part? They are all personalised. Imagine a

Bridget Jones’s Diary instead of a ramble on singlehood. Hooked already?

From singlehood gaining a brand-new currency to ripped jeans being the go-to item for fashionistas to why molecular gastronomy has had an atomic explosion — these ‘buzz points’ get a reinvention for our readers.

Team KT undertook a period of silent introspection (silent, because, we were told, the best ideas are always formed offline), and then proceeded into a noisy brainstorm in order to get to the bottom of what the buzziest, stickiest themes could be. There were scores of ideas compiled, disseminated, filtered... and, in the end, we had a list we thought would be the best fit for the eclectic melting pot that is Dubai.

We do hope you have as much of a blast reading ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ — that’s what our special package is titled — as we had been working on the project.

Plus, we present the finale of The Way We Were, focusing on extraordinary achievements of ordinary people. And the crowning glory is the lead photograph of an athlete who lost gold but won glory.

We wish you, our readers, a happy New Year and promise you many more reading delights and visual treats in 2017. OUR TEN-DAY PHOTO FEAST HAPPINESS SADNESS wow LoVE ANGER CuRIoSIty CHEER SHoCK HoPE

All pictures have been selected by our online and offline readers

DEC22 DEC23 DEC24 DEC25 DEC26 DEC27 DEC28 DEC29 DEC30 DEC31 WE WERE Today we present you with an eclectic visual treat that encapsulates the we felt throughout the year EXtRAoRDINARy EXtRAoRDINARy DEC31 READERS’ CHOICE

The generosity of the human spirit shines in the most unexpected of places. Citius Altius Fortius — faster, higher, stronger, but together... The spirit of the Olympics was exemplified by Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand as she stopped running during the...