Dubai was not particularly high on the list of destinations Julia Deere wanted to visit. Nor was she particularly impressed with the city once she arrived.
But with seven hours to spare before her connecting flight in Dubai on a trip from London to Singapore, she decided to head out of the airport and explore.
"I got a cab to Dubai Mall, went to a few shops and then had dinner in a cafe in the mall which overlooked the Burj Khalifa and the fountain show," says Ms Deere, 28, an events manager from Britain.
"In the short time I was there I didn't particularly like it, but if I pass through again for work, I might stay a night to take more in."
She spent about £40 (Dh231.28) during her brief, essentially unplanned, visit to Dubai but enjoyed her stay just enough to consider coming back again.
And that is exactly what the emirate is looking for.
With millions of travellers passing through Dubai's airport each year, the emirate has used its status as a travel hub to help to drive the tourism industry.
Now Abu Dhabi is on the same flight path as it tries to lure more of the growing numbers of transit passengers out of the waiting lounges and into the city.
A record 12.4 million passengers passed through Abu Dhabi International Airport last year, up 13.9 per cent from the previous year, according to aviation authorities.
Already, a Dh25 million (US$6.8m) redevelopment and expansion plan is under way at the airport as Abu Dhabi grows as an aviation hub. At the same time, the capital is striving to boost tourism revenue by attracting 7.9 million hotels guests annually by 2030.
"There are so many millions of passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi airport," says Torbjorn Bodin, the general manager of the Radisson Blu hotel on Yas Island.
"So many people are coming from Europe, going through Abu Dhabi to India, to Australia, to other parts of the world. And from the other way, going from East to West. If we can have all these people staying for two days or three days in Abu Dhabi, that would be an enormous boost for tourism in Abu Dhabi," he says.
Etihad Airways is offering a free 96-hour visa for passengers passing through the capital. Tourists from countries including Britain and other European nations were already receiving visas on arrival.
But now the promotion offers a free visa for tourists from many other countries including China, India, Bangladesh, Belarus, Canada, Egypt, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia and South Africa. Before visitors from such countries would have to pay Dh300 for Etihad's visa service.
"With record numbers of passengers transiting through Abu Dhabi in 2011, the visa service will lure more of them to venturing beyond the airport," says Saj Ahmad, the chief analyst at StrategicAero Research.
"Dubai has been highly successful in doing this already. In particular, the list of countries to whom this new visa service applies … represents the eclectic mix of people from across the globe that both fly with and are now served by Etihad's growing network, so it makes sense to open up Abu Dhabi to them and give them a chance to spend in the city," Mr Ahmad says.
The offer also includes a free city tour of Abu Dhabi.
The Radisson Blu, which has partnered Etihad in the visa promotion, has reported increased interest for bookings as more travellers become aware of the offer.
Transit visitors have played a vital role in the continued growth of Dubai's tourism industry, as airlines, hotels and local authorities have linked up for promotions. Emirates Airline offers free 36-hour visas and stopover deals.
"People [are] travelling from all over the world, transiting through Dubai," says Guido de Wilde, the senior vice president and regional director for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in the Middle East. "Then all the authorities trying to keep that traveller who transits through Dubai in Dubai. All these efforts are paying off."
Dhanush Kumar from Hyderabad in India is just the sort of passenger Dubai is seeking. He stayed in Dubai with his wife for three days on a stopover visa through Emirates Airline.
"Comparing to other visa processes, it was very quick," says Mr Kumar. The couple spent 200,000 rupees (Dh14,590) on shopping and going out in Dubai during their stay, he says.
"My wife liked Dubai so much, more than UK, and she was telling me that she wants to go again with the whole family."
rbundhun@thenational.ae
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
Ferrari
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THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
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
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In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Labour%20productivity%20is%20lower%20than%20the%20average%20of%20the%20developed%20economies%2C%20particularly%20in%20the%20non-tradable%20industries.%3Cbr%3E2.%20The%20low%20level%20of%20basic%20skills%20among%20workers%20and%20the%20high%20level%20of%20inequality%20between%20those%20with%20various%20skills.%3Cbr%3E3.%20Low%20employment%20rates%2C%20particularly%20among%20Arab%20women%20and%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jewish%20men.%3Cbr%3E4.%20A%20lack%20of%20basic%20knowledge%20required%20for%20integration%20into%20the%20labour%20force%2C%20due%20to%20the%20lack%20of%20core%20curriculum%20studies%20in%20schools%20for%20Ultra-Othodox%20Jews.%3Cbr%3E5.%20A%20need%20to%20upgrade%20and%20expand%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20particularly%20mass%20transit%20infrastructure.%3Cbr%3E6.%20The%20poverty%20rate%20at%20more%20than%20double%20the%20OECD%20average.%3Cbr%3E7.%20Population%20growth%20of%20about%202%20per%20cent%20per%20year%2C%20compared%20to%200.6%20per%20cent%20OECD%20average%20posing%20challenge%20for%20fiscal%20policy%20and%20underpinning%20pressure%20on%20education%2C%20health%20care%2C%20welfare%20housing%20and%20physical%20infrastructure%2C%20which%20will%20increase%20in%20the%20coming%20years.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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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
Company%20Profile
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