The summer holidays are under way and UAE airports and airlines are gearing up for a peak period of travel.
Dubai International Airport anticipates handling 3.3 million passengers from July 6 to 17, with the weekend of July 12 to 14 expected to be the busiest.
The world's busiest international air hub estimates that about 840,000 passengers will travel through on those three days.
Saturday, July 13 is likely to be the busiest single day for flights, with 286,000 passengers expected to pass through DXB, a spokesperson from Dubai Airports told The National.
On average, the airport predicts handling 274,000 guests per day from July 6 to July 17 as families fly out of the UAE for a summer holidays and tourists arrive in the country.
Dubai Airports is advising travellers to take note of recommended arrival times, which vary according to airline.
An airport spokesperson said passengers booked to fly with Emirates should aim to be at DXB three hours ahead of flight times, while those booked on flydubai should aim to be at the airport four hours before departure. All other passengers should arrive at Dubai International Airport no more than three hours before flight departure times.
Emirates Airline says that Saturday, July 6 will be its busiest day and advises passengers to get to the airport early and to clear immigration at least 90 minutes before flights are due to depart.
To boost holiday spirit among its passengers, the airline is offering free treats from Emirates-branded retro ice cream stalls at Terminal 3 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 6pm, until the end of July.
Flydubai is also prepared for a busy period of summer travel. “We are expecting the airport to be busier than usual over the summer holiday period,” a spokesperson from the airline told The National. “Passengers travelling from Dubai International should check in online between 48 hours and 75 minutes before the departure time of their flight.
To help passengers navigate DXB during this peak period of summer travel, Dubai Airports has shared other tips, like using the Dubai Metro, being prepared for security screenings in advance and packing spare batteries and power banks in hand luggage.
In the UAE capital, Etihad Airways is preparing for what the airline expects to be one of its busiest ever summer holiday seasons, with around five million travellers set to fly in and out of its Abu Dhabi hub at Zayed International Airport.
“Etihad is expecting a high volume of guests departing from Abu Dhabi over the coming two weeks as school holidays commence and local residents go on holiday,” said an Etihad representative. “Both Saturday, July 6 and July 13, will be the busiest days.”
The UAE's national airline is also reminding travellers to arrive at the airport in plenty of time and to consider using alternative check-in services to save time at the airport. These include home check-in services, where passengers can drop bags, select seats and collect boarding passes and luggage tags at home, with fees starting from Dh220 for up to four bags.
Off-site check-in and bag-drop facilities for Etihad flights are also available at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Yas Mall, Mussafah and Al Ain. Travellers using these services between now and August 15 will receive 2,000 Etihad Guest Miles.
Demand in the UAE is expected to remain high for the rest of the summer. Dnata Travel expects a 35 per cent increase in international travel in July and August, when compared to the same period last year.
Thailand, Maldives and Mauritius top list for UAE travellers
International trips account for 90 per cent of summer bookings at the UAE's longest-running travel agency, with staycations across the Emirates accounting for the other 10 per cent. Thailand is the most popular destination, followed closely by the Maldives and Mauritius. Turkey and the UK are also proving popular this year, while Malaysia and Germany are among the fastest-growing holiday locations for dnata customers.
“International travel is in high demand this summer, with destinations including Mauritius, Malaysia, and Germany witnessing some of the strongest growth we’ve seen this year,” said Meerah Ketait, head of retail and leisure UAE at dnata Travel. “Kuala Lumpur is also a popular destination in Asia for a city break. Germany’s vibrant cities are popular this month, as travellers seek to soak up the action of the Uefa European Football Championship, taking place across the country.”
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Tony Booth, professor of education
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Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
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Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Pivony – user-generated data
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
