The Big Bus Company’s Tour of Dubai bus drives toward the Atlantis Hotel with the Burj Al Arab hotel in the background. Jeff Topping / The National
The Big Bus Company’s Tour of Dubai bus drives toward the Atlantis Hotel with the Burj Al Arab hotel in the background. Jeff Topping / The National

Additional route for Big Bus Tours in Dubai



Big Bus Tours is expanding in Dubai with a new route that will take visitors to sites such as Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence.

The Marina Tour is the company's third route in Dubai and takes tourists to 15 stops, running at 20-minute intervals throughout the day.

Other stops on the tour are Dubai Marina Mall, The Walk, Marina Beach, Mall of the Emirates, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Palm Jumeirah Monorail Station, beach resorts, the Marina Promenade, Marina Quays, and Atlantis the Palm.

“Dubai combines numerous factors including modernism, creativity, dynamism and world-class services, all of which are essential aspects to consider when it comes to assessing the expansion of our operations on a global scale,” said Christopher Preston, the company’s chief operating officer.

The country has seen “so much development in such a short time” that the company must “strive to keep pace with the city”, said Mike Lees, general manager for the Middle East for Big Bus Tours.

“We are very excited about the launch of our new Marina Tour, which provides the perfect introduction to some of the newer areas of Dubai,” he said.

Big Bus Dubai launched in 2003 and has a fleet of 25 vehicles for three routes – the City, Beach and Marina tours, the company said.

The company also operates tours in Abu Dhabi.

Officials from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai attended the company’s announcement, held at the Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach.

Ahmad Al Falasi, chief executive of support services at the department, also attended.

Big Bus Tours offers excursions in 16 cities, including Budapest, Hong Kong, Miami, Muscat and New York. The company started in London in 1991.

newsdesk@thenational.ae

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues