ABU DHABI // For UAE travellers planning a visit to Africa, now just might be the right time.
Three countries in the continent are among the top five in a list compiled by foreign exchange company Travelex showing the global currencies that have had the biggest slide against the dirham over the past 12 months.
That means more money for your dirhams when travelling to those destinations.
With places on the list from every continent, travellers have plenty of choice if they are plan to escape the desert heat or make a getaway during the holy month.
At the top, Namibia and its southern neighbour, South Africa are now considerably cheaper for UAE residents after the value of their currencies fell by 20 per cent against the dirham.
For UAE travellers, that means a trip today will net an extra Dh830 when exchanging Dh5,000, compared with a booking made in May last year.
At No 3 on the list is Brazil (16 per cent fall against the dirham), which will surely please those flying out to catch the action at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, because they will be carrying about an extra Dh700 when exchanging Dh5,000.
The slide of the Brazilian real follows 12 months of dismal performance from the previous year, in which the dirham rose 39 per cent against it between June 2014 and June last year.
The Mexican peso is fourth, with Tanzania’s shilling rounding out the top five – which will make spotting a lion at Serengeti National Park a lot cheaper.
Rounding out the top 10 are Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Thailand and the Philippines.
Changes in the British pound, euro and the Chinese yuan have been negligible compared with the currencies on the list.
Because the dirham is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of Dh3.67 to $1, when other currencies weaken against the dollar, they also weaken against the dirham, giving tourists and expatriates sending money abroad to those countries a financial boost.
“The weaker rand is a big advantage for me,” said Abu Dhabi resident and South African Karla Green, who plans a trip home next month.
“It means I’ll stock up on things in South Africa to bring back, whether it’s clothing, vitamins or cosmetics, or even holding out for certain services, like getting a haircut and colour.”
Michelle Smith, marketing manager with Flight Centre UAE, said exchange rates, visas, the length of flight, direct flight options and price all played a role when people planned holidays.
esamoglou@thenational.ae
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
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- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
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The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
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Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5