Sports tourists heading to the UAE this winter are expected to boost the local hospitality and events economy by millions of dirhams, analysts said.
The UAE topped a list of preferred destinations for those travelling to the region to catch some of the biggest global sporting events, such as the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and European Tour golf’s Race to Dubai finals.
A recent report by online travel agency Musafir found travellers opted for the UAE because of its proximity to major sporting events as well as family-orientated activities, personal safety, security, room availability, shopping, adventure sports and seamless connectivity.
We have had several enquires about taking a yacht from Dubai to Qatar, but unfortunately that is not possible owing to certain regulations
Ahlam Mohammed,
Book Yachts, Dubai
Meanwhile, hospitality companies in Dubai reported “considerably” higher demand for hotel rooms, events, brunches and yacht hire resulting from the high-profile sports events in the final quarter of the year.
The football World Cup in Qatar is the main draw, with a deluge of arrivals imminent from South America ― a relatively new tourism market for the Emirates.
“This is the usual high leisure season for international source markets, but we are certainly seeing a rise in demand this year in arrivals from particular destinations, including Argentina and Brazil,” said Mohanad Malhas, general manager at Arabian Adventures, which operates desert safaris, overnight camping and dune buggy hire.
“We are witnessing strong demand for our services during the winter months of 2022.
“This is across our entire range of services, from planning, hotel stays, transfers, arrivals and in-resort organising excursions, managing events and cruises, alongside our award-winning desert safari and city tour products.
“For groups and individual travellers, clients are choosing Dubai as a hub during the months of highly anticipated mega events coming to the region this winter.”
Sports tourism destination
According to the World Trade Organisation, the Middle East is becoming the world’s fastest-growing sports tourism destination valued at an estimated $600 billion (Dh2.2 trillion).
Aloki Batra, chief executive of Five Hospitality — operator of Five Hotels on The Palm Jumeirah and in Jumeirah Village Circle — said Dubai was likely to hit peak popularity this winter.
“We have already seen a surge in advance bookings from celebrities, locals and visitors alike with a 25 per cent increase over last year,” he said.
“This is mainly from our key markets such as the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany and France.”
It is not only hotel providers who will benefit from the boom, with ancillary tourism services also reporting a significant rise in demand.
One of those industries is the pleasure yacht business.
Ahlam Mohammed, sales and marketing manager at Book Yachts in Dubai, said bookings were well up on recent years, with many people asking about sailing yachts directly to Qatar for the World Cup.
“October is usually busy, but we are seeing a lot more bookings than usual,” he said.
“We have many guests from India and America, but there are a lot more now coming in from Europe.
“People want birthdays, to hang out or just to enjoy a family holiday while they are here for the World Cup.
“We have had several enquires about taking a yacht from Dubai to Qatar, but unfortunately that is not possible owing to certain regulations, and it would take anything from 12 to 18 hours.
“Most people we speak with are travelling to Qatar by road from Dubai.”
Inbound flights to the UAE are expected to soar by up to 20 per cent compared with the same time last year, the Musafir report said.
Apart from attending sporting events, fans will want to explore thrill-seeking activities as an add-on for a comprehensive travel experience encapsulating all that the country has to offer.
The Musafir report said the average spend by travellers to Dubai would be about $5,000 (Dh18,300) for a hotel stay, transport, shopping and to explore the city.
Findings from the report showed UAE hotels will record an up to 40 per cent increase in demand for accommodation and price inflation with occupancy rates likely to hit 100 per cent during the tournament.
Data also showed an 80 per cent growth in advance bookings for travel between Dubai and Doha.
That has been encouraged by the joint multiple-entry tourist visa for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman to holders of the Hayya Fan ID.
“Sports events act as a catalyst and can have a tremendous impact on the economy ― as we will see millions of fans gather to not only watch their favourite sport but also to have an unforgettable experience during their stay in the region,” said Sachin Gadoya, chief executive and co-founder of Musafir Business.
“We are anticipating an exponential growth in the tourism sector, as arrivals and occupancy will be even more than pre-pandemic times, which is a much-needed boost for the travel and hospitality sector.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
THE%20SWIMMERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESally%20El-Hosaini%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENathalie%20Issa%2C%20Manal%20Issa%2C%20Ahmed%20Malek%20and%20Ali%20Suliman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Klipit%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venkat%20Reddy%2C%20Mohammed%20Al%20Bulooki%2C%20Bilal%20Merchant%2C%20Asif%20Ahmed%2C%20Ovais%20Merchant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Digital%20receipts%2C%20finance%2C%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%244%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%2Fself-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
INFO
Killing of Qassem Suleimani