Etihad will begin flying direct from Abu Dhabi to the Seychelles from March 26. Unsplash
Etihad will begin flying direct from Abu Dhabi to the Seychelles from March 26. Unsplash
Etihad will begin flying direct from Abu Dhabi to the Seychelles from March 26. Unsplash
Etihad will begin flying direct from Abu Dhabi to the Seychelles from March 26. Unsplash

Etihad resumes flights to Seychelles and Moscow, delays launch to Israel


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Etihad is set to fly to more destinations this spring. The national airline of the UAE is resuming flights to the Seychelles and to Moscow in March.

Etihad's direct flights to the Seychelles will recommence on March 26. The airline will fly twice weekly to the popular Indian Ocean holiday destination, which is reopening to tourists one day before.

Travellers planning to visit the Seychelles do not need to be vaccinated, but must have a negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours prior to departure.

Four-hour flights to Mahe will operate via Etihad's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets and Airbus A320s. Return fares to the island destination start from Dh3,175 ($864).

Etihad is resuming flights from Abu Dhabi to Moscow. Unsplash
Etihad is resuming flights from Abu Dhabi to Moscow. Unsplash

To the Russian capital, Etihad will fly twice-weekly from Thursday, March 25. Travellers flying to Moscow will go via an Airbus A321 jet, with fares starting from Dh2,585.

Travel to Russia is currently restricted, but citizens and residents, as well as UAE citizens and residents, can visit and no quarantine rules are in place. A negative PCR test is required for all non-Russian visitors.

Neither Russia nor the Seychelles is currently listed on Abu Dhabi's most recent "green list", which allows travellers to visit the UAE capital without quarantine restrictions. The list changes regularly, however, with the next expected update set to take place on Monday, March 22.

Flash sale on flights from Abu Dhabi to Morocco

After Morocco’s recent addition to Abu Dhabi's "green list", Etihad will launch a limited-period Casablanca sale.

Etihad is launching a flash sale on flights to Casablanca with fares from Dh999. Unsplash
Etihad is launching a flash sale on flights to Casablanca with fares from Dh999. Unsplash

Travellers can book to fly from Abu Dhabi to Morocco's largest city, with fares from Dh999.

The 24-hour sale launches at 11am on Monday, with 500 seats available at the promotional rate.

Fares are valid on flights departing between Wednesday, March 24 and Wednesday, June 30. Etihad's flights to Casablanca will operate twice a week via a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Travellers coming to the UAE from countries listed on Abu Dhabi's "green list" do not need to quarantine upon arrival.

Etihad delays inaugural flights to Israel

Etihad has also pushed back its inaugural flights from Abu Dhabi to Israel.

The airline was set to launch a daily service from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv in March 2021.

The launch of Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv has been rescheduled to commence on April 6. Courtesy Etihad
The launch of Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv has been rescheduled to commence on April 6. Courtesy Etihad

Etihad announced that the launch will now take place on Tuesday, April 6, and initially operate as a twice-weekly Dreamliner service.

Flights take three hours and 25 minutes and economy fares will start from Dh1,635.

The recently signed air transport agreement between the UAE and Israel has allowed airlines here to begin introducing passenger and cargo flights between the two countries.

All the countries on Abu Dhabi's "green list"

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier

ICC Academy, November 22-28

UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal

ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan 

UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

Signs%20of%20%20%20%20%20%20%20heat%20stroke
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Michael%20Knights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2026%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

The biog

Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos

Favourite spice: Cumin

Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

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.

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 

The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press

SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
%3Cp%3E%22Whatever%20the%20initial%20intent%2C%20what%20took%20place%20at%20many%20of%20these%20gatherings%20and%20the%3Cbr%3Eway%20in%20which%20they%20developed%20was%20not%20in%20line%20with%20Covid%20guidance%20at%20the%20time.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22Many%20of%20these%20events%20should%20not%20have%20been%20allowed%20to%20happen.%20It%20is%20also%20the%20case%20that%20some%20of%20the%3Cbr%3Emore%20junior%20civil%20servants%20believed%20that%20their%20involvement%20in%20some%20of%20these%20events%20was%20permitted%20given%20the%20attendance%20of%20senior%20leaders.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22The%20senior%20leadership%20at%20the%20centre%2C%20both%20political%20and%20official%2C%20must%20bear%20responsibility%20for%20this%20culture.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20found%20that%20some%20staff%20had%20witnessed%20or%20been%20subjected%20to%20behaviours%20at%20work%20which%20they%20had%20felt%20concerned%20about%20but%20at%20times%20felt%20unable%20to%20raise%20properly.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20was%20made%20aware%20of%20multiple%20examples%20of%20a%20lack%20of%20respect%20and%20poor%20treatment%20of%20security%20and%20cleaning%20staff.%20This%20was%20unacceptable.%22%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A