Eid Al Adha falls on July 30 and lasts until August 2 this year, giving most of the UAE’s workers a four-day weekend.
And with most attractions now open again, there are lots of options for residents and Emiratis on how to spend their spare time during the coming holiday.
Life is close to normal across much of the UAE but all public places and attractions need to adhere to strict safety measures.
Masks remain mandatory and social distancing is still required.
Here is a guide to what’s open in the country, whether you are planning a few hours out or are looking at short staycation deals.
What's open in Dubai?
In Dubai, malls, gyms, sports academies and fitness clubs, as well as cinemas have all reopened, with continued social distancing and regular disinfection.
Beaches, parks and swimming pools, both at hotels and inside residential communities, are also up and running, as are waterparks.
Entertainment centres and game arcades are once again welcoming children in Dubai, with strict precautions in place.
Attractions such as The Green Planet, Burj Khalifa, Ski Dubai, Dubai Aquarium and others are admitting visitors.
IMG Worlds of Adventure became the latest theme park to open in mid-July and is operating on a pay-as-you-go basis.
However, Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is home to Legoland, Motiongate and Bollywood Parks, remain closed.
Abu Dhabi cinemas are closed but theme parks to reopen before Eid
In Abu Dhabi, more attractions have reopened recently.
Warner Bros World, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Clymb will all welcome visitors back for the first time in months on Wednesday.
All three will operate at 30 per cent capacity, with stringent precautionary safety measures to ensure the safety of guests and employees.
That means everyone, including those with annual passes, must go online to book ahead.
The theme parks joined Louvre Abu Dhabi, and other museums, including Qasr Al Hosn, which opened for the first time more than four weeks ago since they were closed back in March.
Malls, gyms, public beaches and parks are also now open, in addition to restaurants both inside and outside malls.
Hotel swimming pools have also now reopened in the emirate, but are yet to restart in communities.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is still not open yet to visitors, and Al Ain Zoo also remains closed.
Cinemas are also not welcoming movie fans in Abu Dhabi, either.
But it is possible to visit the drive-through cinema at Yas Marina Circuit on Friday evening.
Weekend staycation options in the Northern Emirates
Hotels and malls are open in the Northen Emirates.
Cinemas have also reopened in Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Ajman.
In Ras Al Khaimah, the Jebel Jais Flight, the world’s longest zipline is also operational again.
With hotels open, staycations are also an option.
Hotel occupancy rates in Abu Dhabi have risen by 3 per cent year-on-year since July 1, according to The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
But anyone entering Abu Dhabi requires a negative PCR test – a factor that people need to consider if they are looking to travel to the emirate.
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.
Eliminated after second session
11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.
Eliminated after first session
15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
