Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is betting on the swift recovery of tourism in Lebanon as it expands its network with a new route to Beirut, following a ceasefire deal that ended more than a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The ultra-low cost airline will start flights from Abu Dhabi to the Lebanese capital three times a week starting on June 4, it said on Tuesday. Its entry into the market "is a sign of Lebanon normalising and focusing back again on VFR [visiting friends and relatives] traffic, but also building tourism back in the region. This is a sign of how consumers are reacting and how demand for Lebanese routes is increasing", Johan Eidhagen, managing director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, told The National.
Tourism to Lebanon will recover "relatively fast" with the Middle East as a tourism destination growing "massively", he added.
Tourism is a major pillar of Lebanon's crisis-hit economy. The country's real gross domestic product contracted by 7.1 per cent last year because of the war, “a significant setback compared to a no-conflict growth estimated at 0.9 per cent”, a recent World Bank report said. The country's GDP has declined nearly 40 per cent since 2019, with the war further compounding the economic crisis.
Reconstruction and recovery will cost about $11 billion, with $3 billion to $5 billion needed to be publicly financed, including $1 billion for the country's infrastructure alone. Private financing is required for about $6 billion to $8 billion of the costs, mostly in the housing, commerce, industry and tourism sectors, the World Bank said earlier this month.
Mr Eidhagen said the timing was right for Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to start Beirut flights amid "increased normalisation in the region" after a ceasefire deal led to a pause in the Israel-Gaza war and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. "We felt this was the right time to come in, plus at the same time, we had the ability to add capacity into the market," Mr Eidhagen said. The market debut is a "sign of us believing that the market will return to normalisation quickly and also that we can help fuel this".
Wizz Air will use its Airbus A321 narrow-body aircraft with 230 seats on the Beirut flights. They are high-density aircraft that require more passengers to fill, and have been chosen because "we can see that there's demand and the need for capacity in the market", he said. One-way tickets from Abu Dhabi to Beirut start at Dh359, which, the airline says, is 40 per cent cheaper than current flight prices on that route, with the aim of encouraging passengers to take more frequent trips.
"We are adding a new passenger profile to the mix, people who haven't been able to travel affordably before, because we can bring in a lower price level than what's currently available on this route, which will allow people to travel more than they were doing before," Mr Eidhagen said. The airline is aiming to attract the large Lebanese diaspora living in the UAE and holidaymakers taking short trips to Beirut, he added.
"I think, we will operate straight from the beginning with relatively high load factors, but Rome wasn't built in a day ... This is an investment in the future, not an investment in the summer. We're trying to build a market for point-to-point, low-cost travel between the UAE and Lebanon," Mr Eidhagen said.
"While there's a lot of traffic between UAE and Beirut, the frequency of travel is still relatively small and we believe that by making the route more affordable, people will be incentivised to travel more often or take more of these shorter trips." Load factor, or a measure of how well an airline fills available seats, on a new route usually starts in "mid to high" 80 per cent before growing to more than 90 per cent.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has suspended its Athens route for the summer season to "give room for new routes" such as Beirut and Milan that will start in June, Mr Eidhagen said. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi on Tuesday also announced a new destination to Gabala, Azerbaijan, starting on June 19.
"We have been operating to Baku and adding Gabala is a very strong product ... it's a great destination for those who want to get away from the sun and get into a colder climate. It's unexplored and a fantastic destination," Mr Eidhagen said.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between Hungary's Wizz Air Holding and Abu Dhabi state holding company ADQ, has an air operator certificate in the UAE and launched operations in 2021, during the pandemic. The airline's network takes in 34 destinations served by a fleet of 12 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
The%20specs
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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.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Barbie
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Greta%20Gerwig%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Margot%20Robbie%2C%20Ryan%20Gosling%2C%20Will%20Ferrell%2C%20America%20Ferrera%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
