• 1. Dubai topped the list of destinations for UAE travellers. All photos: Unsplash
    1. Dubai topped the list of destinations for UAE travellers. All photos: Unsplash
  • 2. Abu Dhabi ranks second.
    2. Abu Dhabi ranks second.
  • 3. Switzerland is the international destination UAE travellers have the highest impression of.
    3. Switzerland is the international destination UAE travellers have the highest impression of.
  • 4. Singapore was the second-top international destination in the YouGov survey.
    4. Singapore was the second-top international destination in the YouGov survey.
  • 5. Fifth-ranked Canada.
    5. Fifth-ranked Canada.
  • 6. The Maldives ranked sixth overall, and the fourth-best international destination.
    6. The Maldives ranked sixth overall, and the fourth-best international destination.
  • 7. Still tightly sealed to tourists, Japan is the seventh most coveted destination for UAE residents.
    7. Still tightly sealed to tourists, Japan is the seventh most coveted destination for UAE residents.
  • 8. The UK may drop passenger locator forms for foreign travellers in April.
    8. The UK may drop passenger locator forms for foreign travellers in April.
  • 9. Germany scored 23.2 in the survey.
    9. Germany scored 23.2 in the survey.
  • 10. South Korea rounded up the list with a score of 21.8.
    10. South Korea rounded up the list with a score of 21.8.

Where do UAE travellers want to go? Switzerland is top spot abroad in destination survey


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Staycations in the UAE remain popular with Dubai leading a list of the top destinations for UAE residents.

Abu Dhabi came second in the list by YouGov, which ranked the top 10 destinations for UAE consumers using what the global public opinion and data company calls an impression score.

Dubai ranked highest with a score of 65.7, while the UAE capital was right behind with a score of 50.2. Both cities improved on their 2021 impression scores.

Abu Dhabi ranks second in the list of the places that UAE residents hold the highest impression of. Photo: Yas Links
Abu Dhabi ranks second in the list of the places that UAE residents hold the highest impression of. Photo: Yas Links

Internationally, the destination that UAE residents hold in the highest regard is Switzerland, which had a score of 31.6.

Famed as much for its natural alpine beauty as it is for its expensive watches and handcrafted chocolate, the country has also eased entry requirements. Travellers from the UAE can now fly to Switzerland without any Covid-19 restrictions such as pre-departure tests, vaccination requirements or passenger locator forms.

Singapore is the second international destination and fourth overall on the list. The Lion City also had the highest change in score, improving 6.3 points since 2021.

Having imposed some of the strictest border rules at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the island nation is slowly reopening to visitors and vaccinated UAE residents can visit from Friday, if they meet eligibility requirements and undergo quarantine.

Canada remains a popular destination with UAE consumers. Photo: Calle Montes / Photononstop / Corbis
Canada remains a popular destination with UAE consumers. Photo: Calle Montes / Photononstop / Corbis

Canada — which has just eased Covid-19 testing restrictions for travellers — is the third international country ranked highest by UAE residents. The sprawling nation famed for its craggy coastlines, culture-filled cities and mountain-laden wilderness, scored 28.6.

Holiday hotspot the Maldives also ranked in the top 10.

The idyllic island nation was the fourth-highest ranked foreign destination, and sixth overall. With most islands in the archipelago sticking to a one-isle, one-resort policy, the Indian Ocean destination offers social distancing almost by default.

The Maldives ranked sixth overall, and is the fourth-best international destination according to UAE residents. Photo: Unsplash
The Maldives ranked sixth overall, and is the fourth-best international destination according to UAE residents. Photo: Unsplash

Interestingly, there were no US destinations in the top 10, a country that has typically been a popular place for UAE residents to visit.

Top 10 destinations for UAE consumers

  1. Dubai 65.7
  2. Abu Dhabi 50.2
  3. Switzerland 31.6
  4. Singapore 30.9
  5. Canada 28.6
  6. Maldives 27.6
  7. Japan 25.7
  8. UK 23.6
  9. Germany 23.2
  10. South Korea 21.8

The information was published as part of YouGov’s Travel & Tourism: Brand & Destination Rankings 2022, which also ranked Emirates as the number one brand for travellers in the UAE, followed by Etihad Airways.

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Company profile

Name: Steppi

Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic

Launched: February 2020

Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year

Employees: Five

Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai

Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

'Gold'

Director:Anthony Hayes

Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes

Rating:3/5

Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229

iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649

iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179

Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.

Suggested picnic spots

Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
 
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes 

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Step by step

2070km to run

38 days

273,600 calories consumed

28kg of fruit

40kg of vegetables

45 pairs of running shoes

1 yoga matt

1 oxygen chamber

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Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

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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.
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Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press

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Manchester City transfers:

OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)

INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m 

ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho

ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
 

'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Updated: February 23, 2022, 8:09 AM