With a week’s holiday announced for Eid Al Fitr in the UAE, many people now have a confirmed nine-day holiday on the horizon. If you haven't yet made plans for your time off, don’t despair as there are plenty of Eid staycations that can still be booked today.
From a luxury escape on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah to a back-to-basics mountain getaway in Ras Al Khaimah, read on for a dose of staycation inspiration.
And if you're planning to jet overseas, you'll find some exciting holiday ideas in this story, with everything from a wildlife-filled safari in Sri Lanka to a Maldivian adventure for solo travellers.
Sofitel Dubai The Palm
Sofitel Dubai The Palm still has Eid availability. Photo: Sofitel Dubai The Palm
Head to Palm Jumeirah this Eid Al Fitr and enjoy front-row seats to the city's celebratory fireworks displays when checking in at Sofitel Dubai The Palm. With a private beach, 11 restaurants, bars and lounges and a luxury spa by L'occitane, the five-star hotel’s Eid package includes daily breakfast for two, late check-out and an exclusive Arcadia perfume gift.
Located on Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah, the resort's Eid offer is inclusive of a one-night cabin stay for up to three people, a barbecue dinner and plenty of activities to choose from including a high ropes course, hiking, archery or air rifle shooting. Cranking things up a notch, the nearby Jais Zipline, the world’s longest, will be open 9am-3pm over the Eid holidays and the Jais Sledder – the UAE’s longest mountain coaster – will be open from 9am-5pm.
Rates from Dh649, including one activity. Dh150 supplement for barbecue dinner (for two people); www.beargryllscamp.ae
Studio One Hotel
Studio One Hotel is open for Eid bookings. Photo: Studio One Hotel
Book a two-night stay at Studio One hotel this Eid and get 20 per cent off the total rate. The cinema-themed hotel has its own private viewing room to take in your favourite films, a family swimming pool and some great restaurants including Italian spot Larte, popular Irish bar McGettigan's and the swanky Maine Oyster Bar and Grill.
Spend the Eid holidays at NH Collection Dubai The Palm. Photo: NH Collection
Located on the popular Palm West Beach, the NH Collection Dubai The Palm has discounted rooms on offer this Eid for GCC residents. The luxury property has panoramic views of the Dubai skyline and shimmering ocean, with three restaurants, a private beach club and luxury spa. Check in over Eid and get complimentary breakfast, a Dh100 voucher towards a treatment at Soul Senses Spa and 15 per cent discount on food and beverages across the resort.
Rates from Dh925 per night, excluding taxes. Discount excludes in-room dining and View 180;www.world.nh-hotels.com
Queen Elizabeth 2
Travellers in Dubai can spend a night on the historic QE2, the city's only floating hotel. Photo: Accor / Firoze Edassery
Spend a night at sea with a stay at the Queen Elizabeth 2, Dubai’s only floating hotel. Book the staycation special between April 10 and 13 and get a complimentary upgrade to a sea-view room, daily breakfast, a special Eid dinner in Lido restaurant, early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability. There’s also 20 per cent discount on food-and-beverage spends during your stay. Read our review of the property here.
Room rates start from Dh549 for a classic room;www.qe2.com
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi
Eid stays at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi come with stunning ocean views. Photo: Park Hyatt
In the beautiful surrounds of Saadiyat Island, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi offers a relaxing escape and the sense that you’ve left the city. There is up to 15 per cent off room rates for GCC residents checking in over the holidays, with the code UAER when booking online. As well as having one of the best private beaches in the UAE, the hotel is also home to several restaurants, four swimming pools – including one of the largest in Abu Dhabi – and a fantastic children's club. Read our review of the property here.
Check in at The St Regis Dubai, The Palm, this Eid and get 20 per cent off dining. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
On the trunk of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, The St Regis Dubai comes with excellent views of the city skyline and the Arabian Gulf, and it still has availability for stays over Eid. Check in and enjoy round-the-clock butler service, discounted treatments at Iridium Spa and 20 per cent off dining at Cordelia – the hotel's all-day-dining venue – and at Ruya, which serves Anatolian dishes. Read our review of the hotel here.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
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
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
