####U.S. instates electronics ban On March 25, a ban on passengers carrying electronics into the U.S. came into effect, prohibiting travelers from 10 different airports in the Middle East from bringing electronics aboard the airplane. The affected airports include Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE. Travelers traveling directly to a U.S. airport from these airports will therefore have to check in all electronic equipment larger than cellphones.

Alexandre de Juniac, director general and chief executive of the International Air Transport Association told the National that the ban is unacceptable and creates commercial distortion. He called for governments to find a different way of securing flights.

Several of the affected airlines launched alternative initiatives for passengers bringing their own electronics. Qatar Airways offered free laptops to business passengers and announced that they would soon offer a laptop loan service to economy class passengers. Emirates Airways allows passengers to use their laptops until boarding time, after which the devices are placed on hold and returned upon landing.

The U.K. followed the U.S. with its own electronics ban. However, it does not include the UAE or Qatar.

####Activist Ahmed Mansoor arrested

The 2015 Martin Ennels Award Laureate Ahmed Mansoor, a UAE national, was arrested on March 20 for allegedly inciting hatred and defaming his country online. Prosecutors said that he aimed to influence people to break UAE laws and regulations.

The United Nations Special Procedure Group had expressed worry that Mansoor’s location and the charges against him were not specified by authorities, but on March 29 The National reported that Mansoor was charged with promoting “false and shaded” information to spread “hatred and sectarianism.”

Mansoor, along with four other UAE nationals, was arrested in 2011 on charges of insulting the ruling families and threatening national security. They did not appear at their court hearing, as their lawyers argued that they had been denied access to their own court documents.

####Mother of the Nation Festival in Abu Dhabi

On March 26, the Mother of the Nation Festival opened in Abu Dhabi. The festival takes place on the Abu Dhabi Corniche and celebrates values of women empowerment. It runs until April 4.

The festival area has six different zones, each with its own theme: Happiness, Pavilion, Progress, Souq, Beach Dining and Main Stage & Signature Events. Different workshops and performances take place in all zones, along with theme-specific activities like restaurants in the Beach Dining zone and shopping in the Souq zone.

The name of the festival, Mother of the Nation, honors H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who believes that women’s empowerment is vital to the advancement of society. She has received more than 500 awards for her work in various fields, especially on the empowerment of women.