Ruba Haza
FUJAIRAH // The east coast tourism industry enjoyed a boost as residents and holidaymakers flocked to enjoy its beaches, water sports and dive sites this Eid.
Thousands escaped the cities to enjoy a long weekend against the backdrop of the Hajjar Mountains.
Patrick Antaki, general manager of Le Meridien Al Aqah Resort, said it is almost 100 per cent full.
“The Eid holidays have historically been a busy period for Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort and the east coast resorts as well, and this year it falls on a long weekend, along with the school summer break,” he said.
“Most of our bookings are online with several repeat guests who come and stay with us year after year. The majority of the guests are from the UAE, with a fair share from GCC and international markets such as Russia and Germany.”
Michela Colella, manager of Divers Down, said the centre handled three times the usual number of customers in recent days.
“People are on holiday and want to try something new and thrilling on the east coast. The majority of requests were for ‘discover scuba diving’, the first experience underwater for uncertified divers,” she said.
“We received lots of last minute phone calls, which unfortunately was hard to accommodate without pre-booking, and we expect to stay like this until tomorrow.”
But with a temperature reaching mid-forties in recent days, many visitors had preferred to stay away from the heat and not use the water sports activities from 11am to 4pm.
“The hot weather has prevented many people from using the water sports activities this year, compared to last year, which was a bit cooler,” said Simon Tambling, manager of Al Boom Diving in Al Aqah.
“100 per cent of our water sports activities were booked last year during Eid and it reached only 60 percent this year due to the weather.
“But 178 experienced and first time divers used our diving services during the Eid break. People started to come on Friday and we have been quite busy since then, most of the bookings were pre-arranged while the rest were walk-ins."
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Sean Kirrane (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Falaj Hazza – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Arim W’Rsan, Dane O’Neill, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Al Basrah – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Kalifano De Ghazal, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Oud Al Touba – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Pharitz Oubai, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Sieh bin Amaar – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Oxord, Richard Mullen, Abdalla Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: AF Ramz, Sean Kirrane, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Al Saad – Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Sea Skimmer, Gabriele Malune, Kareem Ramadan
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
