The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) has roped in a global travel company to showcase to India the Emirates' capital city .
The London-listed TUI Travel will promote Abu Dhabi destinations, such as the Yas Island attractions and Sheikh Zayed Mosque, through packages from three nights to a week.
As part of the partnership, TCA is holding a month-long campaign at TUI India's office in Select Citywalk Mall in New Delhi's well-heeled neighbourhood of Saketuntil August 31.
"India is one of the important destinations for us as it is close - only a three-hour flight away - there are daily flights and lately more Indians have been coming to Abu Dhabi," said Mubarak Al Nuaimi, TCA's director of promotions and overseas offices.
"But India is a big country and we have to do it in more destinations, such as Mumbai and Ahmedabad."
Indian guests look for hotels with access to golf courses, beaches and shopping malls, he said.
In the first half of the year, Indian travellers comprised the largest nationality checking into Abu Dhabi's hotels and hotel apartments, pipping British travellers who long held the top position as a source market.
Of the 1.3 million guests who stayed in Abu Dhabi during this period, more than 80,000 were Indians, a rise of 22 per cent during the same period last year.
They stayed on average for four nights, longer than last year.
"We hope to double that number for the rest of the year," Mr Al Nuaimi said.
TUI India is one the travel companies that TCA is in partnership with to tap the market. The others include Thomas Cook and Lama Tours. The capital will also have increased air access to India through Etihad Airway's 23 per cent stake in Jet Airways.
Etihad flies to nine destinations in India, including Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
Besides promoting the Western Region with its desert islands, TCA Abu Dhabi is also positioning Abu Dhabi as a cultural hub, citing the planned Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Listed on the London Stock Exchange, TUI Travel reported an operating profit of £87 million (Dh498.1m) in the second quarter, up by £13m over the same period last year.
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
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Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
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Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
