Hotels in the Middle East recorded higher occupancy rates this Ramadan, compared with last year, as the region recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Average occupancy rates stood at 53.1 per cent during the week from May 10 to 16, when Eid was celebrated, according to hotel data specialist STR.
The figure is slightly below occupancy rates recorded in 2019.
“Muslims worldwide have marked Ramadan in decidedly different ways over the past two years but for the Middle East, there is a sense of some normality as vaccinations expand and domestic restrictions are lifted,” said Philip Wooller, STR’s area director for the Middle East and Africa.
“Key markets in the region have been outperforming their global peers and near-normal occupancy levels for the holy month are another good indicator for the industry moving forward.”
Movement restrictions drove down average hotel occupancy rates around the world last year.
However, a wider distribution of vaccines has supported the resumption of travel and improved the hospitality sector’s outlook.
The recovery of the UAE’s hospitality and tourism industry is expected to hasten this year, driven by its Covid-19 vaccine push and relaxed travel restrictions for some markets, according to government officials and hoteliers.
STR said Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai had hotel occupancy rates of 67.2 per cent, 63.6 per cent and 59.7 per cent, respectively, during the reporting period.
Abu Dhabi expects its hotel occupancy rates to increase to at least 80 per cent this year, from 70 per cent in 2020, Saood Al Hosani, undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, told The National last week.
The UAE capital is also planning to remove Covid-19 quarantine restrictions for international travellers from July 1, apart from visitors from India, and expand its green travel list to boost inbound tourism.
Meanwhile, Dubai hosted more than 810,000 international guests in January and February and expects to attract more visitors this year. The emirate welcomed 5.51 million visitors last year, according to Dubai Tourism.
The Saudi Arabian cities of Al Khobar and Jeddah registered 63.5 per cent and 58.6 per cent hotel occupancy rates respectively during the period, according to STR.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
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Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
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1. Featherweight 66kg
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Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
