The tourist site of AlUla. The number of visitors to GCC countries reached 39.8 million in 2022. AFP
The tourist site of AlUla. The number of visitors to GCC countries reached 39.8 million in 2022. AFP
The tourist site of AlUla. The number of visitors to GCC countries reached 39.8 million in 2022. AFP
The tourist site of AlUla. The number of visitors to GCC countries reached 39.8 million in 2022. AFP

GCC tourism officials call for 'aligning' mega events ahead of unified visa launch


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GCC tourism officials on Monday called for an aligning of mega events in the region as the six-nation economic bloc gets ready to launch a unified visa.

One of the main aims is to extend the length of stay of travellers coming to the region, which has been investing heavily in its tourism and business events sectors, said Khalid Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

"We want [leisure travellers] to combine their holidays here within the GCC and make it easy for them, so they can buy a package," Mr Al Midfa said during a panel session at the Arabian Travel Market event in Dubai.

"We might need to align some of the biggest mega events ... to work out in terms of timing, so we don't have overlapping events, and this will be definitely one of the things that we are going to work on with the rest of the GCC countries."

Visitors at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. Victor Besa / The National
Visitors at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

The remarks come as the GCC works on introducing a unified tourist visa, expected to open the Gulf region to tourists from the Middle East and around the world. The visa is expected to be launched either this year or next.

The number of visitors to GCC countries reached 39.8 million in 2022, showing a 136.6 per cent growth compared to 2021, with a target of reaching 128.7 million visitors by 2030.

Major aviation hubs in the region such as Dubai and Doha serve as a layover point for travellers en route to the US or Europe.

“We're at the phase where we're really studying the visa side [and] how it will work,” Mr Al Midfa said.

Unlike the Schengen visa, an entry permit for the 29 countries of the Schengen area, the GCC visa would be driven by the tourism sector, he said.

“Their vision and the structure was different and the objective was different. It was more maybe socio-economical [and] political. We structured [it] a bit differently for people to access the different GCC countries,” Mr Al Midfa said.

By co-ordinating on major events collectively, the GCC region could attract globally renowned figures, Fahd Hamidaddin, chief executive of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said during the same panel session.

“If we want to get the Taylor Swifts of the world, we can collaborate and get them to the region if we do it together,” he said.

“I really love the suggestion of aligning our calendar at least on the big events, not only the ones that we host individually.”

Saudi Arabia, which launched an e-visa for GCC residents last year, is working on “renovating” and “improving” its borders with several countries such as Qatar and Oman, Mr Hamidaddin said.

“On top of pro-business regulations related to access, I think, connectivity with high infrastructure capital investment, where only governments can take the lead, is also critical.

“Having a railway system that connects [the region] will also be a game-changer,” he said.

A GCC railway project, a 2,117km route connecting major cities in each of the six member states, is expected to be up and running by 2030.

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')

Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')

Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)

The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper

Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km

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About Proto21

Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SHAITTAN
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years

One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient

The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers

Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades

Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic

First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations

Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades

Improve the appearance of textbooks

Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings

Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught

Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 420 bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: from Dh293,200

On sale: now

The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

THE%20SPECS
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Have you been targeted?

Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:

1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.

2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.

3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.

4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.

5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

THE BIO

BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: May 06, 2024, 2:56 PM`