An iftar meal in Ramadan. Getty Images
An iftar meal in Ramadan. Getty Images

On the move: Where is the Arab Airbnb?



Airbnb has done great things for the travel industry, and for itself. Its 150 million users can “belong anywhere”, not just by renting rooms or self-contained accommodation, but through myriad curated “experiences” that the company provides via its free online content or paid-for programmes. One-size-fits-all tours are out; local guides are in. Yet all Airbnb really did was to brand, harness and monetise existing travel trends. Thus, what was a San Francisco-based start-up is now a US$31 billion (Dh113.86bn) corporation with offices in 20 cities around the world.

In practical terms, unless I’m somewhere in Eastern Europe, such as Plovdiv in Bulgaria, where you can rent an entire apartment for $18 (Dh66) a night on ­Airbnb, I find that the price of the accommodation offered is often almost or the same as a chain hotel, without the same level of privacy or guaranteed standards. It also turns accommodation booking into an endless, uncertain chore akin to a real estate search.

I once Airbnb’d in a house on ­Waverley Street in Old Palo Alto, California, just around the corner from Apple founder Steve Jobs’ house at No 2101. This less-than-famous Airbnb-er was subletting rooms in a house that he was renting, because it provided a reliable income stream for his own struggling start-up.

While this was an interesting insight into the nature of the place, the absurdly long list of rules and regulations that visitors had to adhere to made it feel more like a stay on Cell Block H than a holiday. No outdoor footwear was allowed anywhere in the house, there was to be “no noise” after 8pm, and no gathering in the kitchen or loud washing of plates. There was the constant feeling that your presence needed to be minimised.

You would never feel like this in the home of, say, a Tunisian or Jordanian, and having lived in the Middle East for the past nine years, I now sometimes find myself craving Arab hospitality when I travel. Here, the focus is on the guest, rather than the convenience of the host. The experience is a one-off dynamic between people that will be remembered for years to come. Instead of the impersonal welcome of a generic list of recommendations left on a sterile kitchen table, or a cursory cup of coffee or can of drink before the host can get on their way, an Arab host will go out of their way in their hospitality.

When I couldn’t bear the thought of another hotel in New York, my Lebanese friend in Brooklyn invited me to her flat in Bedford-Stuyvesant. But she didn’t just give me directions; she picked me up in an Uber, then we chatted into the night. The following day, she took me to her local hangouts because I would also enjoy them, and in the evening we spent four hours at a great little jazz bar.

Yes, there are western-based home-­sharing sites such as Book Halal Homes and Muzbnb. But it is time to think bigger. It is time, I think, for Arabbnb. Who better to give outsiders a real taste of the region than the world leaders in hospitality? ­Palestinian grandmothers and ­Lebanese teenagers will develop new income streams, and the educated-but-sometimes-­ignorant travellers of the West will have an in-depth, life-­changing experience. Who will help me take this forward?

Get in touch @behanthere

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

Results:

Women:

1. Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) 322.95 points
2. Lysanne Richard (CAN) 285.75
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3. Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR) 392.30

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Bio

Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind. 
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.

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Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Max touring range: 620km / 590km
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Name: Almnssa
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Based: Gaza
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  • Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”

PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”

OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”

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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

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