At the end of December I will be flying to the United Arab Emirates to start work at a new paper in Abu Dhabi. It’s a very exciting time — I have never worked on a start-up, and it’s ambitions and aims are really firing my imagination.

The paper, which will launch in the first quarter of next year, is being edited by Martin Newland, former editor of The Daily Telegraph and former deputy editor of the National Post. He has recruited people from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times as well as his previous titles. Some employees with a presence in the blogosphere include Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, the deputy comment editor, and Colin Randall, the executive news editor.

Although it will be a huge change for me, I just can’t afford to turn down this opportunity. I have been lucky to work with some wonderful and talented people in the Irish Examiner but I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge.

I have an apartment which I will be renting from the company and I’m already plotting and planning what I’ll do with the place — though I’ll be sticking to the bare basics until I get settled.

Blogging will continue though, with a fresh perspective on the world at large. 😀