While demand for global travel is expected to remain soft for the rest of the year, UAE residents appear more eager than most to take flight again.
A new survey from YouGov reveals that UAE residents are more likely than any other global consumers to travel abroad for leisure in the next 12 months.
Using YouGov Global Travel Profiles, a daily survey that runs in 25 countries, the report investigated global travel demand, as well as the concerns and motivations of about 185,000 respondents from 25 markets around the world.
Only 18 per cent of those surveyed said they were planning an international holiday in the next 12 months.
It is clear that many people are broadening their horizons and want to travel - both domestically or internationally
Eva Stewart,
global sector head of travel and tourism, YouGov
The UAE and Saudi Arabia bucked the trend, with 58 per cent of respondents in the UAE and 48 per cent in Saudi Arabia saying they planned to take at least one international trip in the next year.
In both instances, respondents also said they were more likely to take an international trip than a domestic one, which also went against the sentiments expressed in most other markets. At the other end of the spectrum, only 4 per cent of those surveyed in Japan said they had any intention of taking an international trip in the next 12 months.
People in the region also expressed a greater willingness to travel for business, with 18 per cent of respondents in the Middle East and Africa saying they were likely to travel for that reason in the coming year, compared to 6 per cent of European respondents.
The report also looked at the primary factors preventing people from travelling. As is to be expected, health risks emerged as the main concern among global respondents, followed by travel restrictions.
In Saudi Arabia, health concerns were cited as the main concern, while in the UAE, travel restrictions and health concerns were seen as equal barriers, with 45 per cent of respondents selecting each of these as their main barrier for travelling. A third of respondents in the UAE also said the price of travelling has an impact on their decisions.
"As we move into a post-Covid world, it is clear that many people are broadening their horizons and want to travel – both domestically or internationally,” said Eva Stewart, global sector head of travel and tourism at YouGov.
“However, the picture is a nuanced one both between countries and within markets. It is crucial that the industry has a clear view of who is looking to travel and where they want to go so they can cater to these consumers as effectively as possible."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
BRIEF SCORES
England 228-7, 50 overs
N Sciver 51; J Goswami 3-23
India 219, 48.4 overs
P Raut 86, H Kaur 51; A Shrubsole 6-46
England won by nine runs
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
