Etihad Airways has announced 10 new direct routes from Abu Dhabi to destinations in Asia, Africa and the United States – including Hong Kong and Atlanta.
As part of its expansion plans for next year, which chief executive Antonoaldo Neves predicts will be the company's biggest ever, the UAE's national airline is now selling tickets to and from seven destinations in Asia, two in Africa and Atlanta on the US Eastern Seaboard.
Atlanta will be the first of the 10 new routes to take off, with flights scheduled to begin on July 2, 2025. When that happens, Etihad will be the only airline offering direct flights between the UAE and the capital of Georgia.
Flights to Taipei in northern Taiwan will start in September, followed by new routes to Medan, Phnom Penh and Krabi in October and Tunis, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Hanoi and Algiers in November. Tickets for each destination are already on sale.
Abu Dhabi tourism is 'going to explode'
Mr Neves said Etihad is on track for its biggest year, thanks in part to the expansion of Zayed International Airport. “In 2025, we're going to have 21 million passengers,” he said. “And departures will go from 56,000 in 2022 to more than 100,000, something that would never have been possible at the old terminal.”
In addition to expanding its network, Etihad has also outlined plans to fly more frequency to European destinations in the first half of next year and says it will prioritise scheduling to make travel times more convenient.
“Now tourists who come to Abu Dhabi from Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Russia or Switzerland – six destinations that are huge countries in Europe – can come to the UAE on a very convenient flight schedule.” added Mr Neves. “They arrive around 9 or 11am, go to the hotel. And then when they come back they can leave the hotel at 7am or 9am. It's perfect timing for tourists, so you're going to see the number of tourists explode next year.”
Etihad hopes its focus on Asia will increase the number of tourists visiting Abu Dhabi. “In the first part of this year, we had around 40 per cent capacity growth into Europe,” said Arik De, chief revenue and commercial officer. “Going into next year, we're going to add around 36 per cent capacity. That growth enables us to unlock this eastern network. Then it's not only amazing for the UAE, because a lot of these places into Asia are not currently served, but we are going to be the only airline that can take someone all the way from Nice to Hanoi, for example.”
Etihad had previously announced new direct services to Al Ameain, Warsaw and Prague, with flights set to begin in June and July. The airline will also start flying directly from Abu Dhabi to Nairobi, Kenya from December 15.
Passengers will pay more
By the end of 2025, Etihad plans to have more than 90 destinations in 50 countries across the world. This will be made possible with the arrival of new jets. Etihad expects to be operating more than 110 aircraft, up from 71 in 2022, including brand new A321LRs, Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s. The airline also plans to reinstate two of its A380 super jumbos early next year.
But passengers hoping to see a respite in airfares next year will probably be disappointed, according to Mr Neves, who points to aircraft supply chain issues faced by the aviation industry.
“In the end, airfares are about supply and demand and if planes are not delivered, demand is going to grow and fares are going to go up,” he explained. “I hope they deliver planes, because we're in the business of selling tickets and we want to sell more and cheaper tickets, but the reality is our load factors now are extraordinary. And Abu Dhabi is doing extraordinary well, so demand is really, really strong. So for fares to be controlled there is an urgent need for Boeing and Airbus to deliver planes.”
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
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Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (All UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)
Saturday
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)
SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)
Sunday
Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
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Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
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Sector: Water technology
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