KHOR FAKKAN // The quiet, east coast outpost of Khor Fakkan is off the beaten track for most visitors, but that is set to change with a Dh420 million mountainside villa resort.
The Chedi Khor Fakkan, which has taken five years to build and will open next year, is the international luxury hotel chain’s second Middle East property after one in Muscat.
It is expected to change the fortunes of Khor Fakkan’s 50,000 residents and signal a boom for the town, an enclave of Sharjah nestled between Fujairah and Dibba.
Staff at Khor Fakkan’s largest hotel, the Oceanic, have welcomed the development.
“The place needs to be more attractive to tourists, for them to feel there’s something different to come here as a destination,” said Nadar Ezzat, assistant front desk manager.
His colleague, Ahmed Abdel Nabi, said keeping guests entertained could be a challenge.
“At the weekend we’re always full with residents and locals visiting, but for the main bulk of our business where people come on package tours, staying for one to two weeks, it’s challenging,” Mr Abdel Nabi said.
The new hotel offered more potential, he said.
The development of the Chedi will coincide with other new facilities along the town’s corniche, including a watersports centre, cycling and running tracks, changing areas for beach visitors and other recreational facilities.
But Mr Abdel Nabi cautioned against overdeveloping the area as it could damage its traditional charm, which is a big attraction for visitors.
“That’s what tourists want to see and feel,” he said. “They want to come here and see something different.
“Many people are coming here from Dubai or Sharjah so we need to be able to offer something authentic.”
More interaction with Emirati culture and heritage would also be popular, he said.
Residents have also welcomed the development.
“It will bring people from all over the UAE,” said Sharif Asuma, an Indian expatriate who has lived in Khor Fakkan for 10 years and runs a shop on the corniche.
“It will be good for business. We do have tourists come but it will be better with the redevelopment.”
Over the past decade the town has seen some changes, Mr Asuma said. “It’s been improving but the changes here are needed.”
Another shopkeeper, Binus Sadar, who has lived in Khor Fakkan for seven years, said the town suffered from being so close to better known destinations such as Dibba and Fujairah. More visitors would bring a welcome boost to the economy.
“There are not so many visitors coming,” Mr Sadar said. “Maybe they are going to Dibba, Fujairah, there are other places to go to. People just don’t know about Khor Fakkan as much as other destinations.
“We would love to see more tourists so we hope the redevelopment will help things.”
Mohamed Farooq, manager of the Khor Fakkan Hotel Apartments, said the area struggled to attract large numbers of tourists for more than a day or two, although it was popular with locals.
“Most tourists seem to go to Dubai but for us, most of our business is from Emiratis who come from all over the emirates,” Mr Farooq said.
“Hopefully the redevelopment will help us raise some awareness about Khor Fakkan.
“When there are more hotels here, it will help us all as it will boost the destination, bringing more people here.”
Pegasus Tourism organises day trips twice a week for tourists staying in Dubai. Most stay at the Oceanic to use the pool and beach, and to have lunch.
Tour guide Zakir Nazarov said most of the day trippers came from Russia or Eastern European countries.
“They want to swim in the Omani Gulf but there really isn’t anything else for us to do with them. It’s not very interesting,” said Mr Nazarov, from Kyrgystan.
“They want to see somewhere different to Dubai but they don’t want to stay here because there’s nothing to do – no water parks, no Ferrari World. The redevelopment is needed. There’s nothing even cultural or historical like a museum to show them.”
Stanislav Volkov and Vachislav Mukko were part of a tour organised by Pegasus.
“I wanted to see a new place and leave Dubai so I planned a few tours like to Abu Dhabi and on a desert safari there,” said Mr Volkov, 23.
“Khor Fakkan is very beautiful.”
A trip to the east coast was a chance to see another side of life in the UAE, said Mr Mukko, 27.
“Dubai is like a city of the future and Khor Fakkan, a city of the past. It’s a totally different experience and I wanted to see that.”
mswan@thenational.ae
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
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
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- 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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Paatal Lok season two
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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
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
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Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
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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
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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
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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
Specs
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