ABU DHABI // Tourism chiefs are celebrating the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque's status as the world's second most popular landmark.
This week, the travel website TripAdvisor released its list of the world's top 25 landmarks, with the capital's Grand Mosque beaten only by the ancient Incan site of Machu Picchu in Peru.
"This is excellent and deserving news for both the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre and Abu Dhabi as a destination," said Sultan Al Dhaheri, the acting executive director at the emirate's Tourism and Culture Authority.
"The mosque regularly comes out among our top attractions in visitor surveys undertaken by us, and I think all who do visit, particularly on the complimentary tours conducted by Emirati guides, leave impressed and with a better understanding of our culture.
"It is an attraction for all ages and nationalities."
The mosque's high position in the list reflected the 4,462 reviews it received in this year's Travelers' Choice Attractions Awards, with 3,844 rating it "excellent" and 543 "very good".
It scored higher than famous historic sites such as Petra in Jordan, India's Taj Mahal and St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
It was the number one attraction in Abu Dhabi, seeing off competition from Yas Marina Circuit and Emirates Palace.
Holger Schroth, the general manager of the Emirates Palace, said the mosque was the most popular attraction with hotel guests, and one the concierge team actively promoted.
"I am happy to see that it has risen to this latest ranking and I believe this is a testament to the fact that our guests appreciate the preservation of Arabic culture and traditions in Abu Dhabi," he said.
The high rating was also a good omen for the emirate as a tourist destination, he added. "This prominent position on TripAdvisor's landmark list will entice more visitors, from the region and abroad, to explore all that Abu Dhabi has to offer," Mr Schroth said.
Philipp Economou, general manager of the Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi, said the mosque's ranking was good news for the hotel, which has stunning views of the landmark.
"Given that one could wake up to a view of the Grand Mosque from our rooms, coupled with this ranking, curiosity levels among travellers will definitely rise and we think it will increase our reservations," he said. Like many hotels in the city, the Holiday Inn provides a shuttle-bus service to the mosque.
Doris Greif, the general manager of Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, said many repeat guests returned to the mosque time and again.
"It is perceived as a unique opportunity to learn more about Islam and get to see this incredible architecture," she said. "What we notice here is that our repeat guests are also going repeatedly to see the mosque. Some say that it is so much to take in, that in one tour it is not possible."
William Moujaes, the executive assistant manager for Park Rotana Complex, was optimistic that the ranking would help to boost tourism in Abu Dhabi.
"Being recognised by TripAdvisor comes as no surprise," he said. "However, it will certainly raise the awareness globally."
Shaun Parsons, the general manager of Le Royal Meridien, said TripAdvisor was an important tool for helping to build a destination's reputation. "It is definitely important for the destination from a tourism perspective," he said.
This is the second year of TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Attractions Awards, with 929 winners identified. As well as the overall top 25, there were lists for countries and regions around the world, including Asia, Australia, China, Europe, India, South America, the South Pacific, the UK and the US.
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
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Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Jigra
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
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On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Other key dates
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Finals draw: December 2
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Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
