A new electronic travel regime will make it easier for Emirati citizens to visit Britain and is intended to lead to a surge in arrivals and investment.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) initiative opens for applications from citizens from the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan on February 1, and will apply to travel on February 22. It is already open to citizens from Qatar.
It is cheaper, faster and easier to apply for than the current Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW), which allowed visitors from the Gulf to stay in the UK for up to six months for tourism, business, study or medical treatment.
The new programme enables holders to make unlimited visits to the UK over two years, or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever comes first.
It is hoped the scheme will offset some of the loss of tourism which has resulted from the removal of tax-free shopping, which is deterring two million tourists from visiting the UK and costing more than £11 billion ($14 billion) in lost GDP.
It has been welcomed by Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE ambassador to the UK, who said it would streamline visits by Emiratis in terms of access, affordability and speed.
According to data from Global Blue, spending by visitors from the six GCC countries in the UK is only 65 per cent of 2019 levels.
Forecasts by VisitBritain predict spending by GCC visitors will return to 2019 levels this year and grow in 2025.
According to tracking data, three quarters of all holiday visitors from the UAE make repeat visits to Britain. Emirati tourists contributed nearly £800 million to the UK economy in 2022 alone.
Tourists from the GCC told The National they welcome the introduction of the ETA.
Jana AlBlushi from Oman said: “We are so happy, all of the GCC, because now we can visit any time. Before it was difficult for us. Now it is easy online. It maybe only takes 10 minutes or 15 minutes.
“Inshallah, I will now visit two times a year.”
Her son Maan, 20, was on his first visit to the UK and said the ease of the new electronic visa has encouraged him to return.
“It’s beautiful here," he said. "I will come back because now the electronic visa will make it very easy.”
Shamsa Alhooti, also from Oman, said she would also probably visit the UK more often as a result of the change.
“I am happy because it is easy now. This is the first time I have visited London. It’s very nice, beautiful.
“I am happy and I will visit more often.”
Magda Al Sharef, a dentist from Libya living in London who has friends from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, told The National her friends and relatives would welcome the change, as it saves them time on paperwork and hassle.
“They usually come twice a year, in the summer and at Christmas," she said. "But now they may now come more, for wedding preparations, for the sales and so on.
“It will be very helpful for them.”
Zayed Sustainability Prize
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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
TYPES%20OF%20ONLINE%20GIG%20WORK
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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.
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
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
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Company%20Profile
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)