People in the UAE are looking ahead to the next public holiday and national celebrations.
As UAE National Day approaches, Sharjah’s Executive Council is reviewing plans for 10 days of celebrations to mark the occasion.
Elsewhere in the country, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, shared details of major advances for the UAE tourism industry and shared a story of how the advances made by the country were not always obvious to all.
In Dubai, Global Village has announced details of its new season. 40,000 shows, 400 performers and weekly firework displays will entertain crowds.
Across the country, Abu Dhabi began testing a new automated electric bus service and a female UAE resident became the first Pakistani in space.
Catch up on more news headlines from the past week, as selected by Arabian Business editors.
UAE National Day 2023: Sharjah plans 10-day celebration
Sharjah is planning to mark UAE National Day 2023 with 10 days of celebrations in the Emirate.
The Sharjah Executive Council is reviewing a proposal, which will see celebrations last for 10 days and include entertainment and cultural shows as well as a public holiday for workers in the Emirate. UAE National Day is celebrated on December 2 every year.
According to a report carried by state-run news agency WAM, the meeting reviewed Sharjah’s proposals for the 52nd UAE National Day. Plans include national marches, heritage, singing, folklore, aerial and entertainment shows, in addition to various activities, workshops and competitions that enhance the values of belonging and union and work to complete the nation’s civilisational journey.
‘People laughed when I suggested making Dubai a holiday destination – now UAE is 4th tourism spending destination in the world’: Sheikh Mohammed
In a message on social media, Sheikh Mohammed highlighted a recent World Tourism Organisation report, which ranked the UAE fourth in the world for international spending. Visitors spent AED224bn ($61bn) in the UAE last year, according to the WTO report, placing the country behind only the US, Spain and the UK.
Despite the meteoric growth in the UAE tourism sector, the vision was not always clear to others. In a personal post on social media, Sheikh Mohammed has shared details of how he was laughed at when suggesting a tourist-friendly vision in the 1980s.
Dubai’s Global Village 2023-2024: Opening date, firework times, ticket prices, show highlights
Dubai’s Global Village has announced details of its Season 28 entertainment program.
With over 40,000 shows, 400 performers, and a diverse range of offerings, the season promises to be a highlight of Dubai’s entertainment calendar.
Highlights include weekly firework displays, circus performances and international music and dance shows.
Dubai WhatsApp calls: Messaging app announces new update for users
WhatsApp has announced a new feature for video calls.
The messaging app now allows users to create a call link ahead of a catch-up with friends and colleagues into one video or voice call.
Dubai real estate slowdown: Transactions fall in September as off-plan sales dip 41.5%
It represents a decline of 8.3 per cent compared to a year earlier.
This slowdown in activity levels has been underpinned by a drop of 41.5 per cent in off-plan market sales, whereas secondary market sales increased by 30.5 per cent.
Major Kuwait visa changes boost travel to EU Schengen countries and Egypt
The German Ambassador to Kuwait, Hans-Christian Freiherr von Reibnitz, revealed the European country is now issuing five-year Schengen visas to Kuwaiti citizens. The announcement follows changes to visa rules for Kuwaiti citizens announced by the European Commission on September 8.
Since the September 8 ruling, Italy has already approved more than 1,000 multiple entry visas for citizens. Meanwhile, Egypt has also announced a new five-year visa for citizens travelling to the North African country.
Abu Dhabi launches automated electric bus service with 25 stations and 27km route
Abu Dhabi has announced the launch of a new rapid transit transport system in the city.
The new tram-style electric buses will carry passengers across Abu Dhabi and stop at 25 stations along a 27km route.
With each of the electric “buses” carrying up to 200 people it will provide a major boost to travel in the emirate.
Saudi Arabia’s flynas announces 7 new Madinah Airport routes
After becoming the only carrier with four operations bases across the Kingdom, the leading low-cost carrier will launch two domestic routes from Madinah to Abha and Tabuk and five international routes to Dubai, Amman, Baghdad, Istanbul, and Ankara to be operated alongside the other four existing routes from Madinah to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Cairo.
These additions will bring the total number of routes operated by flynas from Madinah to 11 so far.
Dubai’s commercial real estate crisis: Rental prices surge up to 300% in prime areas
The steadily deteriorating situation is said to be giving sleepless nights to commercial tenants, especially to small business owners operating on single-digit profit margins, as many of them are either slapped with eviction notices on reaching end of contract periods or asked to pay huge increases in rentals.
The lack of new commercial real estate spaces is also causing huge worries to new investors and companies entering the emirate – about 30,000 new companies set up with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in the past six months alone – as they compete to get spaces to operate.
Dubai-based woman becomes first Pakistani in space
Salim went into orbit as a space tourist on board the Virgin Galactic 04 flight on Friday, October 6. The Pakistani expat was part of a successful one-hour flight, which landed at Spaceport America, New Mexico after blasting off into space.
Namira Salim is one of Pakistan’s best-known adventurers, having previously visited the North and South Poles and skydived at Mount Everest. Resident in the UAE for more than 40 years, she is highly decorated in Pakistan and has served as an honorary tourism ambassador.
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