Keen to get away for the long Eid weekend? Well, while the cost of travel does go up over public holiday periods, there are still affordable deals to be found.
For the public sector the Eid Al Fitr holiday has been scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 14, and last until Shawwal 3, which will either coincide with Sunday, June 17, or Monday, June 18.
From flights to European destinations to comprehensive island break packages, here are nine Eid options that all come in at under Dh4,000 per person, some with flights and hotels included, some flights only (and in some cases extra tours thrown in, too). Head here for a list of staycations and luxury Eid holidays.
Note: While the prices quoted are what we discovered when searching Eid dates for travel at the time of publishing, prices are subject to change depending on demand.
Athens, Greece
Wego.co.ae is offering round-trip flights from Dubai to the Greek capital from just Dh1,856 per person this Eid weekend. Take the opportunity to soak up the pristine beaches, summer sun and rich history of ancient Greece. Tour the Acropolis museum and Parthenon. To book go to www.wego.co.ae
Baku, Azerbaijan
It's a great time of year to visit Baku, whether you're keen on visiting the royal complex that is the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, or the landmark Maiden Tower. With Wego, you can fly to the land that offers a feast fit for a king, for just Dh1,742 per person from Dubai return. For more go to www.wego.co.ae
Kathmandu, Nepal
Whether you're a solo traveller or want to give the family an experience they won't forget, Wego is offering round trip flights to Nepal's largest city for just Dh1,106 per person. Disconnect from the stresses of daily life and get there in no time at all - flights from Dubai are just over four hours. For more go to www.wego.co.ae
Yerevan, Armenia
HolidayMe.com are offering a two-night package to Yerevan, Armenia, including flights from Sharjah, for Dh3,302 for two people (it costs around Dh2,460 if you take the same holiday post-Eid). You will stay in a three star hotel, and get a city tour and airport transfers. See HolidayME for booking and more affordable deals.
Read more: 12 new UAE flight routes for 2018
Cairo, Egypt
Emirates Holidays offers a variety of packages - during our search we discovered a deal that means flights and three nights in Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel and Spa, Cairo for Dh2,832 per person. The hotel is less than one kilometre from the Sphinx and Giza Pyramids so you will have plenty to do. See Emirates Holidays for booking and more affordable and last-minute deals.
Zanzibar, Tanzania
The beautiful archipelago of Zanzibar is home to beaches with impossibly turquoise waters, as well as the historic Stone Town, which is peppered with Omani influence. Pictured is the rooftop Tea House Restaurant. The good news is that flydubai runs affordable flights to the tropical island, and their holidays there, including flights and hotels, start from Dh3,136 per person (these were the quoted prices at the time of searching). The best bit is that the hotels on offer as part of their packages are all seriously luxe four- and five-star options - the cheapest quoted was Karafuu Beach Resort & Spa in Pingwe. See FlyDubai for booking and more affordable deals.
Wadi Rum, Petra and Amman, Jordan
Tajawal is offering a three night/four day holiday to Jordan for Dh3,380 per person including flights. The holiday will take you to Petra - truly one of the world's most extraordinary historical sites - as well as to the sand dunes of Wadi Rum, where The Martian was filmed. You will stay in Petra for one night, camp at Sun City Camp in Wadi Rum another night, and then stay in Amman the final night. See Tajawal for booking and more affordable deals.
Read more: The ultimate adventure tour of Jordan
Tbilisi, Georgia
Tajawal is also offering a three day, two night holiday to Tbilisi in Georgia - pictured is the city's gorgeous Old Town. The deal costs from Dh2,235 per person for the stay, with breakfast, plus flights. See Tajawal for booking and more affordable deals.
Read more: Where to eat, sleep and stay in Tbilisi, Georgia
Pattaya and Bangkok, Thailand
Musafir has a three-day holiday deal for Thailand that includes two nights stay in Pattaya, a one night stay in Bangkok (pictured) and three different tours (including a Bangkok temple trip and a Coral Island tour). The holiday costs from Dh2,849 per person (although this may change depending on travel dates), with flights via Muscat. See Musafir for booking and more affordable deals.
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
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
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