DUBAI // A push by the Philippine tourism department to sell its country's attractions to UAE travellers has yielded some quick results.
Five travel agents were invited by the department's new office, which opened in Dubai last April, to spend eight days in Manila, Davao, Cebu and Boracay. Ifraheem Henry, 35, a senior holidays consultant at Sharjah National Travel and Tourism Agency, was impressed after recently returning from his first trip to the country.
"The Philippines is an amazing place," Mr Henry said. "I particularly loved its beaches, water sport activities, the shopping options and the hospitality. People here are not aware of what the Philippines has to offer as a destination."
His agency now offers packages to Boracay, among other spots.
The "buy Philippines" drive appears to be succeeding, but it has come as something of a surprise to Filipino expatriates that the man leading the push is not one of their countrymen, but a Syrian - Mohamad Ibrahim Masri, 33.
Mr Masri, the director of the new office, said being an Arab has given him credibility to sell the Philippines to the region.In June, he spent nine days in Manila, Cebu City, Bohol and Boracay to look at hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, trains and buses.
"The Philippines is a beautiful country," said Mr Masri, previously the marketing manager for the Malaysia Tourism Board in Dubai.
"The Philippines has always been eyeing the Middle East market. It has participated in the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai for the past four years."
Angeline Rivera, the tourism office's Filipina sales and marketing co-ordinator, said it may seem odd to have a non-Filipino promoting her country.
"But he's so passionate about it," Ms Rivera said. "Emiratis are looking for something new. They've visited Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia three to four times.
"Mohamad believes the Philippines has so much to offer and he is keen to promote it in the Middle East."
Mr Masri said the more than 600,000 Filipinos in the UAE should think of themselves as ambassadors and talk more about their country. He said he particularly loved Boracay's white beaches, the Mactan resorts in Cebu, the Chocolate Hills of Bohol and dolphins swimming next to his boat.
Mr Masri said he would eventually like to have a chance to promote Syrian tourism, "but everything will happen when the right time comes".
The reactions from local Filipinos to having an Arab represent their country's tourism has been mixed.
"Why did our department of tourism hire a non-Filipino to do the job?" asked Boyet Briones Damot, 42, a project manager in Abu Dhabi.
"Was it a matter of logistics and funding? If we are proud about the Philippines as the destination of choice, shouldn't the drum-beater be a Filipino?"
But Mr Damot admitted he was impressed by Mr Masri's enthusiasm for the Philippines.
"If he were to deliver the same presentation to a group of Emiratis and Arab nationals, there's a good chance that they would also discover for themselves their piece of paradise in one of our 7,107 islands."
rruiz@thenational.ae
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
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
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
