The UAE's private air travel industry is expected to end the year strong, lifted by an influx of high net-worth individuals, strong economic growth, new companies establishing operations and developed airport infrastructure.
Business jet movements at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport are expected to reach more than 18,000 in 2024, compared to 16,657 last year, according to the latest forecast by the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (Mebaa).
The UAE's share of the Middle East and North Africa's business aviation market has reached between 40 to 45 per cent this year, up from a share of 30 to 35 per cent in 2023, Mebaa said.
The Mena business aviation market has grown in 2024 about seven per cent year-on-year in terms of traffic, number of flight movements and number of registered aircraft, according to the association.
"We have not only come to the level of 2019, but we have exceeded it by almost 30 per cent, so the growth is very obvious," said Ali Ahmed Al Naqbi, founder and executive chairman of Mebaa.
"Everybody knows that real business happens in Middle East and North Africa, despite all of what is happening around us."
While aircraft registration is a "very complex activity", Mebaa is working closely with the authorities to increase the number of aircraft registered in the UAE, as a major business aviation hub, he added.
He was speaking in the lead up to the 10th Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association Show, which will be held from December 10 to 12.
This year's event will feature a new Advanced Air Mobility Pavilion with US-based air taxi developer Joby Aviation and Germany's Lilium putting mock-ups on display, according to Tim Hawes, managing director of Informa Markets, which organises the event with Mebaa.
Air taxis will be "complementary to business aviation", where these electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) will make travel easier by carrying passengers arriving to Dubai on business jets to their hotels or business appointments in a "seamless way" that avoids traffic delays, Mr Al Naqbi said.
Other new features at the Mebaa show include a start-up pavilion and a "NextGen programme" that aims to bring more than 500 students to the show to give them insights into various aspects of the industry to help inspire a new generation of talent.
The 2024 show is expect to have more than 145 exhibitors, including 64 new ones, and host more than 10,000 visitors from 95 countries, the organisers said.
That marks a 43 per cent increase in the number of countries coming to the show, with a big uptake from companies based in the US, Asia and Europe, which see the Middle East as a "valuable place to do business," Mr Hawes said.
Static displays of 25 aircraft will be on the tarmac from major manufacturers including Airbus ACJ, Boeing Business Jets, Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Textron, RoyalJet, Qatar Executive, Vista, Falcon and others.
"We are expecting a lot of deals to be signed at the show and it will be announced publicly, Mr Al Naqbi said.
The UAE is leading the region's business aviation sector amid an influx of wealthy individuals. The Mena region has attracted the most billionaire wealth globally since Covid-19 as the super-rich move to countries that offer premium health care, education, safety and ease of doing business, according to a report by Swiss banking group UBS.
UAE billionaires’ aggregate wealth rose by 39.5 per cent annually to $138.7 billion this year, with the number of billionaires growing by one to 18, UBS’s Billionaire Ambitions report found.
The UAE has established itself as the leading destination for high-net worth individuals globally this year, attracting more than 6,700 millionaires, according to British investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners.
The country’s tax-free environment, quality of life and robust financial infrastructure are major draws. Dubai was ranked 14th on Euromonitor's Top 100 City Destinations Index in 2024, according to the report released on December 5.
It was also ranked fifth among the Top 10 Cities for Tourism Performance in 2024.
"Dubai remains the leading city in terms of international demand in 2024. The city benefits from a growing number of arrivals from Asia Pacific and further recovery of high-spending Chinese tourists," Euromonitor said. "The upgraded more flexible visa-on-arrival rules that now include such major source destinations as India have become another important growth factor."
The emirate also ranked seventh in the Top 10 Cities in International Arrivals in 2024, according to the report.
The UAE Central Bank in September said it expects the country's economy to expand by 4 per cent this year, an increase from its June estimate of 3.9 per cent, on the back of a boost from its non-oil sector as the Emirates moves forward with its diversification strategy.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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1. Fasting
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3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Liverpool 4
Salah (19'), Mane (45 2', 53'), Sturridge (87')
West Ham United 0
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
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Rating: 3.5/5
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