Travellers visiting Saudi Arabia can experience Al Ula from a new vantage point, with a helicopter tour over the ancient region.
Twice-daily flights are ferrying visitors over the archaeologically rich region in Saudi’s north-west, taking in seven major sites during a 30-minute leisure flight.
Previously only accessible to archaeologists, geologists and those with private bookings, helicopter rides over one of Arabia’s oldest cities are now open to the public and cost $199.
The tours aim to give visitors a new way to appreciate the diversity and monumentality of an area that was once the crossroads of both the Silk Road and Incense Route.
Don Boyer, a geologist who was one of the first to undertake research-based flights in Al Ula, says that visitors can expect to be "blown away", just as he was the first time he took to the air in Saudi Arabia.
“The fact that you have these three completely different landscapes – the Precambrian Arabian shield rocks, the sandstone that was laid down over it and then the black basalt formed by volcanic eruptions – all in the one area is what makes Al Ula so special,” said Boyer.
From Elephant Rock to ancient Dadan
The flights take in seven of Al Ula’s most famous landmarks, starting with the monumental Jabal AlFil, or Elephant Rock. Towering about 52 metres in the air, the natural formation has eroded over millions of years and is now in the shape of an elephant with a ground-bound trunk.
From here, choppers fly towards Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first Unesco World Heritage Site and the ancient southern capital of the Nabataean Civilisation. The vehicles also fly over the sand-dusted remains of the Hijaz Railway, and one of the last trains that were designed to speed pilgrims from Damascus to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
Turning west, there's a birds-eye view of Maraya. The reflective concert hall holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest mirrored building on Earth and visitors will be able to take some unique pictures of the helicopter reflected in its glistening frame.
Finally, tours turn south over Jabal Ikmah, Al Ula’s open-air library and back down to cross Dadan, a stone city that was formerly the capital of two ancient civilisations. A flyover above Al Ula’s Old Town gives passengers an unusual view of the 12th-century medieval city before it's time to land.
“The landscape we see today is more or less the same landscape those guys saw 7,000 years ago. The pleasure of flying over this part of Arabia as opposed to, for example, heritage sites in Europe is that there is no clutter,” said Boyer.
“In Al Ula, it’s vast, you see things in their raw state and the state of preservation is generally very good indeed.”
Is Saudi Arabia open for tourism?
Saudi Arabia has reopened to vaccinated international visitors travelling on a tourism visa from several destinations. Travel to the kingdom remains restricted for those from specific countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan and India.
All visitors arriving in Saudi Arabia with a valid tourist visa must be fully inoculated with two doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson. Tourists who have been vaccinated with Sinovac or Sinopharm can fly to the kingdom once they have received an additional dose of one of the four approved vaccines.
There’s no quarantine in place for vaccinated tourists, but all travellers must provide a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure and complete an online travel form before departure.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Company%20profile
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