Ras Al Khaimah's new summer promotion aims to boost domestic tourism to the emirate. All travellers booking three nights or longer in any hotel will get free activity passes, complimentary children's dining and the chance to win a brand new Mercedes. Courtesy Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah / Al Hamra
Ras Al Khaimah's new summer promotion aims to boost domestic tourism to the emirate. All travellers booking three nights or longer in any hotel will get free activity passes, complimentary children's dining and the chance to win a brand new Mercedes. Courtesy Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah / Al Hamra
Ras Al Khaimah's new summer promotion aims to boost domestic tourism to the emirate. All travellers booking three nights or longer in any hotel will get free activity passes, complimentary children's dining and the chance to win a brand new Mercedes. Courtesy Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah / Al Hamra
Ras Al Khaimah's new summer promotion aims to boost domestic tourism to the emirate. All travellers booking three nights or longer in any hotel will get free activity passes, complimentary children's

Ras Al Khaimah staycation deal: free zip line ride and children stay and dine free


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

If you've been thinking about booking a staycation, you might want to consider heading to the northern-most emirate.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has just launched a new promotion in an effort to boost domestic travel.

From Sunday, June 7, any guest booking three nights or longer at participating hotels in Ras Al Khaimah will get free activity passes to some of the emirate's most popular attractions, including Jebel Jais Flight, the world's longest zip line. Children under 12 will also stay and dine for free during these three-night bookings.

Some of the participating hotels include:

  • Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah
  • The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert
  • Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa
  • Marjan Island Resort & Spa
  • The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Hamra Beach
  • DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan

Free activity passes

Travellers who book three nights or more in any Ras Al Khaimah hotel this summer, can get free passes to tour the Al Suwaidi Pearl Farm. Photo Courtesy: Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
Travellers who book three nights or more in any Ras Al Khaimah hotel this summer, can get free passes to tour the Al Suwaidi Pearl Farm. Photo Courtesy: Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Travellers can opt to receive two passes to Suwaidi Pearl Farm, where guests take a tour that will teach them more about the pearling industry.

Set in a small fishing village against the backdrop of the Hajar Mountains, this family-friendly excursion was set up by the grandson of one of the last pearl divers in the UAE.

Thrill-seekers might prefer to opt for passes to Jebel Jais Adventure Peak. There, adrenalin-pumping options include the world's longest zip line, navigating seven zip lines and a 15-metre sky bridge on the Jais Sky Tour or tackling obstacles, rope swings and wobbly bridges while suspended off the ground on the Jais Sky Maze.

Book a staycation in Ras Al Khaimah this summer and you can fly the world's longest zip line for free. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Book a staycation in Ras Al Khaimah this summer and you can fly the world's longest zip line for free. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Every booking for three nights or longer in any participating hotel in Ras Al Khaimah is eligible for two free passes. Abu Dhabi residents who cannot currently leave the emirate, can book a staycation for further down the line, as the promotion runs for stays until Monday, August 31.

Post check-out, eligible guests will also be entered into a weekly prize draw hosted by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority where there's the chance to win a number of prizes, including a brand-new Mercedes.

Children stay and eat free

The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert
The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert

As part of the summer tourism campaign, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has also collaborated with hotel operators to offer free stays and complimentary dining for children under the age of 12, on bookings of three nights or more.

There are several hotels taking part in the promotion, so it should be easy to find something to suit every traveller – from family -riendly hotels to budget stays or exclusive villa resorts with private pools. A full list of the hotels particpating in the promotion can be found on the website of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.

Safety guidelines at UAE hotels

Hotel swimming pools and beaches are open in Ras Al Khaimah, and all hotels have implemented enhanced hygiene and safety procedures to protect guests against Covid-19 transmission.

These include daily temperature scanning, upgraded sanitation policies in rooms and facilities, social-distancing measures on beaches and in swimming pools and limited dining capacity in restaurants. Inspectors from Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority will conduct daily spot checks to ensure adherence to these preventive measures.

  • Beaches at hotels must be sectioned off with each area having a maximum capacity and socially-distanced sunbeds. Signage must also remind guests to keep the advised two metres apart from other. Courtesy JA The Resort
    Beaches at hotels must be sectioned off with each area having a maximum capacity and socially-distanced sunbeds. Signage must also remind guests to keep the advised two metres apart from other. Courtesy JA The Resort
  • Restaurants in hotels must space tables two metres apart and no more than four guests can dine at any one table. Courtesy Anantara Eastern Mangroves Abu Dhabi
    Restaurants in hotels must space tables two metres apart and no more than four guests can dine at any one table. Courtesy Anantara Eastern Mangroves Abu Dhabi
  • Hotels across all emirates must test all staff for Covid-19 before reopening to guests.
    Hotels across all emirates must test all staff for Covid-19 before reopening to guests.
  • Spas will remain closed at hotels for the moment. Courtesy Al Bait Sharjah
    Spas will remain closed at hotels for the moment. Courtesy Al Bait Sharjah
  • The new guidelines state that swimming pools can open with limited capacity, enhanced sanitation and enforced social distancing measures. Some emirates may impose additional rules on hotels in keeping with the advice of the relevant authority.
    The new guidelines state that swimming pools can open with limited capacity, enhanced sanitation and enforced social distancing measures. Some emirates may impose additional rules on hotels in keeping with the advice of the relevant authority.
  • Guest rooms must remain empty for 24 hours after the last guest leaves to ensure time for proper sanitation. Courtesy Rosewood Abu Dhabi
    Guest rooms must remain empty for 24 hours after the last guest leaves to ensure time for proper sanitation. Courtesy Rosewood Abu Dhabi
  • Isolation rooms must be allocated that are near the hotel entrance lobby. Courtesy: Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island
    Isolation rooms must be allocated that are near the hotel entrance lobby. Courtesy: Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island
  • New guidelines have been issued for hotels across the UAE operating or reopening during the pandemic. Courtesy JA Hotels
    New guidelines have been issued for hotels across the UAE operating or reopening during the pandemic. Courtesy JA Hotels
  • Swimming pools and beaches must be regularly cleaned and maximum capacity numbers apply. Courtesy Lapita, Dubai Parks and Resorts
    Swimming pools and beaches must be regularly cleaned and maximum capacity numbers apply. Courtesy Lapita, Dubai Parks and Resorts
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Company%20profile
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Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Results

2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)

2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash

4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.

4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

Closing the loophole on sugary drinks

As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.

The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
 

Not taxed:

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg

Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Huroob Ezterari

Director: Ahmed Moussa

Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed

Three stars

The biog

Marital status: Separated with two young daughters

Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo

Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian

Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness

Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon

Qosty Byogaani

Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny

Four stars

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Haemoglobin disorders explained

Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.

Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.

The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.

The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.

A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

FINAL LEADERBOARD

1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65 69 - 12-under-par
2. Matt Kuchar (USA) 65 71 66 69 - 9-under
3. Li Haotong (CHN) 69 73 69 63 - 6-under
T4. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71 68 69 67 - 5-under
T4. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 67 73 67 68 - 5-under
T6. Marc Leishman (AUS) 69 76 66 65 - 4-under
T6. Matthew Southgate (ENG) 72 72 67 65 - 4-under
T6. Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68 71 - 4-under
T6. Branden Grace (RSA) 70 74 62 70 - 4-under
T6. Alexander Noren (SWE)  68 72 69 67 - 4-under

PROFILE OF INVYGO

Started: 2018

Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo

Based: Dubai

Sector: Transport

Size: 9 employees

Investment: $1,275,000

Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
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Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.