The restaurant on Cannes’ La Croisette boulevard didn’t require reservations, just first-come, first-served. Except for one table.
A group of five men arrived and took their seats at that lone reserved spot, chatting easily with the waiter. It was a former senior Gulf politician and his family.
The mood in the restaurant reflected how Cannes, and a handful of cities along the French Riviera, feel in July: the coastal summer escape speaks fluent Gulf.
Across town, another restaurant, famous for its open-air ambience, tucked into the almost-Italian alleyways of old Cannes, was packed on a Saturday night. Nearly every table was taken by Gulf guests.
“I came here at the beginning of July to escape the heat and enjoy the summer,” said Aya from Saudi Arabia. “After two weeks, a wave of fellow Gulf tourists arrived.
“We come every year, but this year feels different. It’s like the whole Gulf moved here,” she added, holding up her phone case showing the flags of Saudi Arabia and France side by side.
The Gulf presence isn’t just felt in restaurants. It stretches to the beaches.
At one family-friendly beach club just before sunset, the calm sea was filled with swimmers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and other neighbouring states. Six different groups stood waist-deep in the water, chatting in various Arabic dialects, with only one French couple nearby.
“Are we in Cannes or in Bahrain?” one man joked to his friends, laughing as he realised he was surrounded by people from his region.
Each summer, tens of thousands of Gulf tourists escape the searing heat back home for cooler destinations like France, the UK, and Spain. The French Riviera remains one of their favourites.
Mediterranean escape
Gulf visitors are known for their high spending power, filling five-star hotels and crowding luxury boutiques along the famed Croisette beach.
In 2024, travellers from GCC countries made approximately 24.4 million outbound trips, spending about $75.4 billion abroad, according to Gulf figures and VisitBritain’s market data.
With more airlines launching from the Gulf and competition intensifying to win over travellers, the GCC outbound tourism market is projected to grow to $81 billion in 2025 and could reach between $139 billion –$198 billion by the mid-2030s, according to travel experts.
France alone welcomes more than 100 million international visitors annually, generating tens of billions in tourism revenue. GCC nationals form a growing slice of that, though exact numbers for July visits are not publicly available.
In Antibes, 20 minutes from Cannes, two men sat on one of the Riviera’s most exclusive beaches, gazing at the multicoloured blue sea framed by green hills and dotted with boats.
“I love this view,” one of them said in a Saudi dialect. “But it’s a little too calm being here. I don’t want to just relax, let’s go somewhere else.”
The nearby old town of Antibes bustles with tourists in summer. Its narrow streets are packed, and its cafes buzz around the clock with people from all over the world.
But Gulf visitors stand out. In nearly every cafe, Arabic can be heard, and some waiters have even learnt a few Arabic phrases to use with regulars.
“The South of France is Mediterranean, and it feels closer to our hearts,” Aya said.
“I wouldn’t want to live here, but coming every summer for a few weeks makes life more exciting. I randomly bump into neighbours and people I haven’t seen in years. I feel at home.”
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Oppenheimer
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Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
July 8: New Zealand v Lions (Third Test) - kick-off 11.30am (UAE)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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