The beautiful game has produced some beautiful results for the hotel industry. Bars and entertainment areas in the UAE are expecting bumper takings for the World Cup final on Sunday and now they are looking beyond the tournament to think up ways of generating similar business in the future.
The football festival in South Africa is the biggest sporting event of the year. The 2006 World Cup attracted an audience of 26.29 billion television viewers, FIFA said, and that number will be at least matched this time around. With those sort of viewing figures, hotels here have set up large screens and "stadium" venues to show the games. This has provided a much-needed boost to business during what is normally is a slow season for the industry.
"With the World Cup only coming around every four years, the opportunity to capitalise on an event which appeals across so many nationalities is too good to miss," says Saskia Adriaens at the research firm Euromonitor International. Given such a large expatriate community, many venues in Dubai offered special World Cup promotions. As a sport traditionally watched in bars across the globe, venues such as Barasti, the Palladium and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel built "stadiums" specifically to attract footy fans.
These have been very popular, with high-definition screens, air conditioning and atmospheric lighting all creating a great - and often free - atmosphere in which to watch the games." Ms Adriaens believes hotels will now try to promote other sporting events. "This has proved a good way to promote customer loyalty and an idea which could be used for the Rugby World Cup 2011, Tri Nations rugby, Twenty20 cricket and other high-profile sporting events," she says.
Hotels have certainly come up with creative ideas to package their World Cup coverage. The Media Rotana hotel in Dubai screened the games in an airconditioned tent set up for the tournament and also showed the matches in its British-style Nelson's bar. Nicola Zamboni, the director of food and beverage at the hotel, says the tent will remain after the tournament and will be turned into a "chill-out lounge" until Ramadan. It will then be used for iftars.
"We were always thinking about what we would do after the World Cup," says Mr Zamboni. "It's like the Olympic Games - everyone is always thinking about what to do with the stadiums afterwards." The tent has proved a hit with customers and boosted revenue, as the hotel's terrace bar is located outdoors and does not normally attract as many patrons during the summer. "This is generating more revenues," Mr Zamboni says, without going into details. "The whole thing is about capacity."
That the World Cup is a month-long event makes it easier to justify the cost of special efforts. "We'll definitely set up another venue like this for Euro 2012," says Mr Zamboni. "If there's something that is attractive and you can forecast enough revenues to justify the cost, we would set something up. Everything depends on the cost involved." For the midweek semi-final ties and Sunday's final, Mr Zamboni is expecting a full house and hopes food and beverage takings will overshadow the figures from the earlier games. "That's our goal." As for the long term, Mr Zamboni feels the hotel will retain the patronage of customers who came for the World Cup matches. "We have had a very good turnout and some people after the matches go to our restaurants," he says. "We have had a lot of new faces in the hotel. It's worked like a marketing tool for Media Rotana."
Barasti, the popular entertainment venue on the beach at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi hotel in Dubai, went one better than a stylish tent, building a five-storey, 20-tonne dome for the World Cup. With most of Barasti's seating outdoors, summer is normally a difficult period. But the World Cup and the purpose-built dome have increased customer capacity and boosted revenues, although figures are still coming in.
The airconditioned complex holds 1,200 fans, while the games have been broadcast on a 12-metre wide screen. Tolga Lacin, the executive assistant food and beverage manager, says the World Cup helped increase revenue by 70 per cent last month compared with June last year, without providing figures. But the investment has also been significant. One Dubai hotelier says he opted not to screen the matches in his hotel because it would have meant an outlay of Dh32,000 (US$8,700) for the rights to show the games. But Mr Lacin is convinced the move has paid off. Barasti is expecting up to 5,000 fans for the final, with capacity crowds at the dome. After the final whistle is blown at the tournament on Sunday, the dome will be left in place until August 8 and will be used to host DJ events at the weekends.
Beyond that, Barasti is now considering options for next summer to battle the hot-season slowdown. "To be honest there's nothing concrete, but we would look at doing something again," says Derryn French, the director of marketing and communications at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi. "We're going to regroup and discuss what we can do next year." Elsewhere, the Shangri-La Abu Dhabi hotel will be leaving its World Cup tent in place during Ramadan.
A spokeswoman for the hotel says it also is considering other ways to generate extra income from similar activities. Of course, revenue generated from the World Cup could have been even better. At Barasti, Mr Zamboni says that England's games topped the "takings league" and that the customer turn-out for the quarter-finals would have increased had the team remained in the competition instead of being knocked out by Germany in last 16.
"I don't know what would have happened if England was playing in the semi-finals and the finals," he says. rbundhun@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
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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
HAJJAN
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Company%20Profile
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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
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets