The UAE National Day is being marked by luxury properties in the Maldives, while in the Emirates a new food tour will be hosted around Old Dubai to honour the occasion.
In Saudi Arabia, St Regis launches a new hotel in Riyadh, while One&Only opens in Athens.
Here's a round-up of recent travel and tourism news – in case you missed it.
Maldivian hotels launch UAE National Day offers
With a long weekend on the horizon for UAE residents, several hotels in the Maldives are offering special National Day rates and winter travel deals.
This includes Kandima Maldives – on the three-kilometre-long island resort Dhaalu Atoll – with 264 studios and villas. Stay three nights in a Sky Studio over the National Day weekend on a half-board basis at Dh3,605 per adult with a free group dolphin cruise and spa session for two, plus a 20 per cent discount on diving and water sports. Domestic transfers by seaplane, plus taxes, are also included.
Another option is Nova Maldives, which opened last year, with 76 overwater and beachfront villas, three restaurants, including overwater Teppanyaki and a spa. Stay three nights in a beach villa with full-board including three daily meals, free dolphin cruise and couple's spa session, plus discounts on water sports – for Dh5,290 per adult. Transfers and taxes are also included.
New National Day food tours in Dubai
The UAE hospitality brand Rove Hotels has teamed up with local food tour specialists Frying Pan Adventures to host a specially curated tour in honour of the country's 52nd National Day.
It's a culinary journey around Old Dubai, running on November 30 and December 1. Cross the Dubai Creek on an abra, stroll through the narrow alleyways and try traditional foods, from deep-fried street snacks to an authentic Emirati meal enjoyed while sitting in a carpeted majlis.
Regag bread, claypot almond chai and rose lemonade from the oldest cafeteria in the souq are just a few of the treats in store. It costs Dh175 per person and can be booked through the Frying Pan Adventures website.
Europe's 10 best Christmas light displays ranked
Research from ferry and cruise operator DFDS has determined Europe's must-see festive light displays via an analysis of TikTok videos and views.
London is named the best city to see the illuminations, as Regent Street and Covent Garden are the top two spots to be dazzled by the lights.
The annual Brussels by Lights display in Belgium and Christmas at the Botanics in Edinburgh are also rated among the top five spectacles. Oxford Street, again in London, rounds out the top five.
Bahnhofstrasse's Lucy Christmas lights in Zurich, named after The Beatles' song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, is also ranked in the top 10. As is Colmar's display, a fairytalelike town in north-east France bordering Germany where the buildings are dressed to resemble gingerbread houses each year.
The St Regis Riyadh opens its doors
A new hotel in Saudi Arabia's capital city has opened, marking Marriott International's 500th luxury property globally. The St Regis Riyadh, located in the heart of recently launched destination Via Riyadh, features 83 rooms and 21 suites, plus a two-bedroom Royal Suite with separate living room, dining area, pantry and library. Each room also has floor-to-ceiling windows and walk-in wardrobes.
Dining outlets include The Drawing Room for afternoon tea and light bites, Jackie for American-Greek cuisine and rooftop poolside venue Stella Sky serving sushi and sashimi infused with Saudi spices.
The 1,240-square-metre St Regis Spa, meanwhile, has four treatment rooms, a couple's suite, ice fountain, sauna and steam rooms.
Ras Al Khaimah runs pet-friendly tourism campaign
A feline character inspired by a real cat named Leo, who was rescued by RAK Animal Welfare Centre, is the face of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority's latest brand campaign, showcasing the northern emirate as an ideal place for a pet-friendly holiday.
The emirate is known for its love of animals and pet-friendly properties. Last year, it launched a new programme called Ras Al-K9 to attract dog owners.
This new programme, called All About You, also features an online game where players can use a beach bag to collect holiday essentials and be in with a chance of winning prizes, such as a three-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Ras Al Khaimah and discount vouchers.
New One&Only resort welcomes first guests in Athens
One&Only Aesthesis, which opened in Greece on November 11, harks back to the golden days of the Athenian Riviera in the neighbourhood of Glyfada.
The property, located in a 21-hectare beach and forest reserve, overlooks the Aegean Sea about 30 minutes from the ancient sites of Athens.
It features rooms, bungalows, suites and villas, plus outdoor living spaces, private pools, gardens and fireplaces, paying homage to mid-century design vernacular with marble, timber and woven leather.
Manko is the signature dining spot serving Peruvian-inspired cuisine, while Ora by Ettore Botrini celebrates Mediterranean dishes and El Bar de Paco Morales reimagines Andalusian flavours. Alelia bar, meanwhile, is a tribute to the nation's olive tradition.
A kids' club and Greece's first Guerlain Spa with 10 treatment rooms, a hammam and an outdoor pool also feature.
Premier Inn Middle East begins flash sale
Budget-friendly hotel group Premier Inn Middle East has launched its Purple Sale with hotel rooms available from Dh99 (plus fees) a night across seven properties in the UAE and Qatar.
The flash sale runs until November 29 for stays up to October 13, offering children free accommodation and breakfast.
The hotels included are in Dubai's Ibn Battuta Mall, Al Jaddaf, Silicon Oasis, Dubai Investments Park, Dubai International Airport and Dragon Mart. It also encompasses Doha Education City branch.
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.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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