It might have been the start of the hottest season of the year, but new figures show a dramatic increase for tourism in Abu Dhabi this June.
According to tourism officials, the number of hotel guests shot up by 30 per cent compared to 2016.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA) says that the first six months of 2017 saw more than 2.25 million guests stay in the emirate.
Some of the increase can be attributed to Eid Al Fitr, a popular time for travelling and which fell at the end of the month.
But the figures were also boosted by visitors from China, one of the fastest growing areas for UAE tourism.
TCA Abu Dhabi has heavily promoted the emirate as a destination for Chinese tourists and has been rewarded with a 78.5 per cent month on month increase and rise of 55 per cent year on year, representing 185,000 guests.
China was one of what TCA regards as six key markets to show an increase, with visitors from Saudi Arabia also doubling in June.
Saif Ghobash, the Director General of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), said the figures showed “We are on track to achieve our forecast guest arrivals growth for the year, and we are well placed to maximise these opportunities as we head into the second half of 2017.
“Abu Dhabi Summer Season is also now well underway and we expect the remaining series of theatre, music and entertainment shows along with significant promotions in our retail and hospitality sectors to have a positive effect on demand well into August.”
With Chinese tourists taking the top sport, visitors from India and the United Kingdom took second and third place. There was also encouraging news from the USA, with American visitors showing double digit growth after what TCA calls “a period of stability.”
Granting Chinese visitors visas on arrival is being credited with making the UAE a more attractive holiday destination. The visa rules were relaxed last year for both Chinese and Russian visitors.
Abu Dhabi’s latest guest numbers come just a few days after Dubai revealed it had received a record number of visitors for 2017, with numbers rising by over 10 per cent year on year.
Hotel occupancy in Dubai has also increased, and now stands at 79 per cent. Dubai has set a target of 20 million visitors by 2020, which would put it on a par with London and Paris, based on the latest Global Destination Cities Index, and higher than New York and Tokyo.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')
Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
THREE
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Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
