Dubai's Burj Al Arab lights up in green and a close encounter with a whale shark - best pictures from the Gulf

Six striking photos from around the region over the past 24 hours

Dubai's seven-star Burj Al Arab lights up in green for St Patrick's Day. AP

A paddleboarder meets a whale shark in Abu Dhabi. Christian Bildsten

Kei Nishikori of Japan plays Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis championships. Getty

Residents in Dubai woke up to hazy skies on Wednesday, with temperatures hitting 33 degrees. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Saudi Arabia’s minister of sports, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, and Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali meet to discuss the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP set to take place in December. SPA

The Friends of the Environment Station in Yemen's war-torn region of Abs is run by an all-women crew. The solar panel station powers 43 houses throughout the country. AFP

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Hunting for truffles in Iraq's Samawa desert