Ramadan is right around the corner and with that comes shorter working hours and a renewed focus on spending quality time with loved ones.
Grab your friend and family and escape the hustle and bustle of the city or simply go explore what else the UAE has to offer with one of these top staycation deals.
From indulging in a bonfire-lit suhoor in Sharjah to enjoying the coast and mountain views in Fujairah, here are nine Ramadan stays to consider booking in April.
1. Rixos Bab Al Bahr — Ras Al Khaimah
Rixos Bab Al Bahr in Ras Al Khaimah has special discounts on family stays this Ramadan. Book a minimum of two nights at the resort on Marjan Island and you'll get a 15 per cent discount on regular rates for family suites. Guests can also enjoy iftar in the resort’s all-day dining restaurant or at Turkish restaurant Lalezar, and suhoor is included for all in-house guests.
Guided sunset yoga classes and Pilates will run throughout the holy month to help guests ensure they remain active during their stay and there are discounted rates on traditional hammam and massage services.
If you’re not fasting, you can still avail of the discounted room rates and it’s business as usual at the hotel where there's also a packed entertainment schedule for little ones at Rixy Kids’ Club.
Ramadan stays from Dh3,700 in a family suite sleeping two adults and two children for two nights, all-inclusive, excluding taxes; Rixos Bab Al Bahr, Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah; rixos.com
2. Emirates Palace — Abu Dhabi
For a Ramadan to remember, consider a stay at the ultra-luxury Emirates Palace. Nestled opposite Abu Dhabi’s corniche, the palatial property is offering discounted room rates on stays during the holy month. Guests can get 20 per cent off rooms, and a 25 per cent discount when booking more than one room, ideal for larger families. There’s also complimentary iftar for two, and your choice of in-room suhoor or breakfast.
Early check-in and late check-out will guarantee your stay is a relaxed affair and children under 12 dine at the hotel outlets at no extra cost. You’ll also get a gift on departure as a memento of your Ramadan stay.
From Dh1,675 per night, Emirates Palace, W Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi; mandarinoriental.com
3. Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort — Fujairah
Delve into the spirit of relaxation at the Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah’s Hajar mountains. With beautiful sea views and fresh mountain air, it’s the ideal place to reconnect with friends and family.
All guests get access to the hotel’s private beach and one of the largest swimming pools in the emirate as well as non-motorised water sports and beach activities. Children under 12 can stay free of charge and will also have access to the hotel's club for youngsters.
As the sun sets, enjoy iftar at Views, where a buffet-style dining experience is served accompanied by panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains.
From Dh583 (weekdays), and Dh808 (weekends), excluding taxes. Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah; Marriott.com
4. Al Raha Beach Hotel — Abu Dhabi
Soak up the sunshine at Abu Dhabi’s Al Raha Beach Hotel with a relaxing Ramadan staycation. Book a spacious room or ensure privacy in one of the hotel’s well-equipped villas. As well as having direct access to the resort’s pristine shoreline, guests checking in during the holy month will get 25 per cent off on food and beverages at the hotel’s restaurants.
Enjoy suhoor at the Saraya Tent and indulge in a lavish Iftar buffet at Sevilla. The newly renovated La Piscine restaurant and bar is the ultimate poolside spot if you want to take a dip and dine, and little ones can enjoy the hotel's outdoor play area, cinema and children's pool.
From Dh350 per room per night, excluding taxes; Al Raha Beach Hotel, Channel Street, Abu Dhabi; danathotels.com
5. Rove City Walk — Dubai
Within walking distance of the Coca-Cola Arena and all the shops, restaurants and cafes that this area has to offer, Rove City Walk is a good choice for a staycation this Ramadan if you want to be in the heart of Dubai.
The musical-themed hotel is also offering special room rates and each stay will include a complimentary iftar at The Daily restaurant. Even better, for every iftar consumed, you'll get a complimentary voucher valid for another iftar meal at any of Rove's The Daily restaurants, allowing you to share the love with family, friends or someone in need.
Ramadan staycation offers are available across all Rove Hotels, but rates vary depending on date and location.
From Dh542 per night, excluding taxes. Rove City Walk, Al Badaa Street, Al Wasl, Dubai; rovehotels.com
6. Mysk Moon Retreat — Sharjah
Take some time out this Ramadan to escape the hustle and bustle of city life with a trip to Mysk Moon Retreat amid the sand dunes of Sharjah's Mleiha.
While it's not a staycation of the traditional kind, the tented resort is offering guests access to private dome tents as a place to relax between enjoying a tasty iftar and a suhoor spread.
Late check-in during Ramadan starts at 5pm so that you don’t have too long to wait until breaking your fast. Feast on barbecue delights and then retreat to your tent where an outdoor terrace is a nice spot to sit and take in the night sky and a private plunge pool is a good place to cool off. Afterwards, enjoy suhoor at the communal bonfire area before heading back home.
From Dh999 per person, excluding taxes. Al Shuwaib-Umm Al Quwain Rd, Sharjah; mysk.com
7. Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island — Abu Dhabi
Check in to Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi for an all-inclusive stay overlooking the Arabian Gulf. Book at least two nights to get special Ramadan room rates that come with a complimentary spa treatment at Spa Escape.
There’s also a private shoreline, several swimming pools, water sports and a wealth of restaurants to choose from, including iftar at all-day dining restaurant Turquoise. Mermaid restaurant will also be serving daily iftar and in-house guests can indulge here for a Dh50 supplement, which is worth it for the beautiful views over Saadiyat Island. Late-night suhoor is also on the menu.
Dh1,500 per room, per night, all inclusive, minimum 2-night stay; Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi; Book through reservation.saadiyat@rixos.com; rixos.com
8. Dubai Edition — Dubai
Having opened in November, The Dubai Edition is offering guests a special staycation rate this Ramadan that includes suhoor and iftar during each stay. Check into the Ian Schrager-designed boutique hotel where you’ll have awesome views of Burj Khalifa and be in the vicinity of The Dubai Mall and Dubai Opera.
When the sun sets, get ready to enjoy a delicious iftar menu from the hotel’s upscale Italian restaurant Duomo where you’ll feast under an ever-changing artistic display cast on to vaulted cathedral ceilings. Later relax in your spacious room or suite and enjoy an intimate suhoor from the hotel’s in-room dining menu.
Dh1,999 per night per couple, excluding taxes. Dubai Edition, Fountain Street, Downtown Dubai, Dubai; marriott.com
9. The Chedi Al Bait - Sharjah
Escape to Sharjah for a peaceful Ramadan stay in one of the emirate's most upscale resorts. The Chedi Al Bait offers a quiet locale away from the bustle of the emirate where traditionally crafted, spacious rooms boast local Emirati designs.
Indulge in a twilight iftar at The Library, where a buffet-style spread features several Arabian dishes. The spa here spans 500 square metres and is the ideal place to unwind, with a plethora of treatments to choose from.
From Dh750 per room including breakfast or suhoor, or from Dh1,148 including breakfast or suhoor and iftar, Chedi Al Bait, Corniche Street, Sharjah; ghmhotels.com
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How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
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.”
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
