The Sunday Times

For several months now The Times and The Sunday Times have enjoyed same-day distribution in the Sandlands thanks to a local printing arrangement. This is indeed a blessing (since The Guardian has almost completely vanished from the newsstands I pass, and it was always yesterday's issue) although finding many of the advertising spaces hosting the commercial messages of local real-estate developers and merchants of luxury goods takes some getting used to.

Now the undertaking seems to have gained the confidence to go for sales promotions with give-aways which are completely relevant locally and very well targeted to the audience they hope to attract.



Today's issue is banded to hold a free CD, titled Barasti, which is the very lovely beach-side lounge bar of the Hotel Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, a place where I'd definitely be a regular if I lived in Big D.



Co-sponsors include 92 Dubai, a radio station, and a brand of alcohol discreetly identified just by its bat-in-a-circle logo and which tends to remind me of Bacardi. Martin Metcalf has compiled a pleasant chillout and swing flavoured playlist and my only criticism is that no fusion-arabesque tracks from such as Blue Bedouin or REG Project are featured. Next time, maybe.