Looking back, 2017: 10 videos viewers loved on KT

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Looking back, 2017: 10 videos viewers loved on KT

As we look back at the year that was, we crunched the numbers and provided a list of the most viewed videos across all our portals.

By Nur Suhaimi

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Published: Tue 26 Dec 2017, 1:12 PM

Last updated: Wed 27 Dec 2017, 12:49 AM

Viral videos seem to get all the attention these days, but sometimes compelling stories can have a more lasting effect.

In 2017, the top videos on the Khaleej Times website all stem from content based on strong storytelling, whether it be from the investigation into criminal activities or a light-hearted angle on a family being reunited. We see a trend that videos on UAE's laws and regulations tend to be amongst the top favourites.

As we look back at the year that was, we crunched the numbers and provided a list of the most viewed videos across all our portals.

How forged passports are caught in UAE (Feb 28, 2017)

Last year, 1,069 cases of fake passports were detected by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner Affairs (GDRFA). As the UAE is preparing itself with the influx of tourists for Expo 2020, the government has employed the most advanced machines and officers in order to prevent any foreigner with a wrong intention from entering the country.

Read more: How forged passports are caught in UAE



Take a look inside a Dubai Police patrol car (May 20, 2017)

Khaleej Times spent a day at Dubai's Traffic Police department to understand how they monitor traffic violators. Turns out, every patrol car is equipped with the following: a laptop, a 12-eye camera, sounds, lights, a torch, a cone, a first aid kit, a cleaning brush, a cloth, a tape, a shovel, a reflective triangle, a hammer, an iron rod, a fire extinguisher, a video recorder and an electronic notebook!

Read more: 14 Things you will find inside a Dubai Police patrol car



How they prepare the UAE's largest Iftar at Grand Mosque (June 1, 2017)

It is a humongous task to whip up an Iftar of this scale. Over 350 chefs, 180 stewards and more than 400 support staff are what it takes to cook this grand feast on a daily basis. And the amount of ingredients are mind-boggling: 7,000kg of rice, 12,000kg of chicken and around 20,000kg of vegetables every day.

Read more: Inside the kitchen that whips up the grand mass Iftar



Dubai gurudwara serves Iftar to Muslims during Ramadan (June 16, 2017)

The temple, Gurunanak Darbar Gurudwara, hosted about 120 residents of over 30 nationalities to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan and support the Muslim community in breaking their fast in an multicultural setting.

Read more: Muslims have Iftar, pray in Sikh temple in Dubai



5 violations other than speeding that Dubai Police radars catch (Jul 28, 2017)

So we know that the radars are either installed at traffic signals or on streets to detect speed or when a motorist jump a red signal near a radar, you will get a fine. but do you know what else can a radar catch?

Read more: 5 violations other than speeding that Dubai radars catch



Separated at childhood, siblings have emotional reunion in UAE (Aug 1, 2017)

Hani Nader Mergani Ali and his sister, Shameera, were finally reunited with the help of social media. Hani got his hands on his birth certificate and other documents including his mother's photo and sought help from some Malayalees in Sudan. The news of Hani's search for his mother reached them through a relative. Soon they managed to contact him.

Read more: Separated at childhood, siblings have emotional reunion in UAE



Emotional reunion of Indian mother with son after 17 years (Aug 18, 2017)

It was one of those rare emotional moments - a mother meeting her lost son after 17 years. At the Sharjah International Airport, Sudanese national Hani Nader Mergani Ali got his Indian mother back. Estranged from his mother while he was just four, Hani had been waiting for this moment since then.
Read more: Emotional reunion of Indian mother with son after 17 years



Flying to Dubai? Here's how Dubai Customs knows what's in your bag (Aug 28, 2017)

Dubai Customs reveals what you can and cannot bring to Dubai and how your bags are checked at the airport.

Read more: Dubai Customs reveal what you can and cannot bring to Dubai



How Dubai Police handle emergencies (Sep 27, 2017)

The Dubai Police headquarters receives about 10,000 calls daily on 999. Nearly 120 officers work in four shifts round the clock to take those calls. On an average there are 20 call-takers on a given shift, and have 400 vehicles at their disposal to handle emergencies.

Dubai Police's strategy is to answer 97 per cent of the emergency calls received on 999 within 10 seconds or three rings. Usually they reach the site within 12 minutes.

Read more: Here's how Dubai Police handle emergencies



How to find out if your UAE visa is genuine? (Nov 28, 2017)

With around 140,000 passengers every day, Dubai airport is one of the busiest in the world for international travel. Around two million passengers arrive at the Dubai airports every month. They have a resident, employment or a tourist visa to enter the country. But how do immigration officers verify the genuinity of your ID?

Read more: Here's how immigration officers at Dubai airports check whether your UAE visa is genuine or fake


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