Thousands of UAE residents plan to meet relatives in Europe and the Caucasus this summer.
Families are holidaying together in destinations that include Iceland, Malta and Cyprus – forgoing trips home as the prospect of hotel quarantine proves too much to bear.
The Greek islands, Georgia and Armenia are also among the top choices.
Meeting relatives halfway has proved more attractive than 10-night hotel quarantine in places such as the UK and Ireland.
We have seen a very strong pick up in enquiries for different holiday destinations, especially Malta, Cyprus and the Greek islands
Local travel agents said airlines are offering "seasonal flights to a number of destinations that offer hassle-free travel" for vaccinated passengers.
That is leading to an increase in bookings and enquiries from travellers who would usually spend their summers at home in countries such as the UK, Philippines, India and Ireland.
“We have seen a very strong pick up in enquiries for different holiday destinations, especially Malta, Cyprus and the Greek islands,” said Paul Farrell, owner of Premium Choice Travels in Dubai's Jumeirah Lakes Towers.
“Emirates and Etihad launched seasonal flights to Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, which has created a lot of interest due to the travel corridor with the UAE.
“Because there are not many locations or countries that people can travel to easily, airlines and hotel providers are looking to entice people back, and as a result, prices haven’t really increased significantly.”
Mr Farrell said his agency has also been getting requests for longer stays in European destinations that offer hassle-free travel for UAE residents.
Many are using their accumulated annual leave for a vacation rather than just a staycation.
“Clients are looking for a lot of self-catering packages that extend beyond the traditional holiday stay duration,” he said.
“More people are looking to stay beyond the usual 10 days or two weeks. I’ve got one family at the moment that wants to go to Cyprus for three weeks and similar enquires for Thailand, as that is meant to open on July 1.”
Ellanie Villena, owner of Angel Wings International Tourism travel agency in Dubai, said she received a lot more enquiries for destinations such as Armenia and Georgia for two to three-week stays.
Usually, the destinations are popular for long weekends or Eid breaks but over the past few months, bookings increased because people have a lot of annual leave to use up before the end of the year.
Mother-of-two Laura Morgan usually spends a large chunk of her summer back home in the UK, but this year plans have changed.
“The plan is to meet my mother in Cyprus on July 14. We were due to go to Thailand but she would have been travelling from the UK and couldn’t get travel insurance,” she said.
“She’s already had one flight cancelled from the UK to Cyprus but we have booked a second, so fingers crossed it all goes okay.
“We’re going for 20 nights and not bothering to go to the UK after. There is just too much uncertainty and I’m still stressed after our visit there at Christmas.”
Ms Morgan, who has lived in Dubai for seven years and has a one and three-year-old, said booking flights to Cyprus from the UAE was straightforward because she and her husband were fully vaccinated.
“Our flights are booked and we booked a large self-catering villa on Airbnb but managed to find a place that would let us cancel for free up to July 9,” she said.
“Travelling is stressful right now. My mum is having a panic because of the traffic-light system for travel in the UK.
"There is only two weeks to go until we are meant to meet but it feels like a lifetime away with so much uncertainty.”
Maria Lopez, a fashion designer from the Philippines, is travelling to Georgia to meet her cousin and brother who live in the UK.
With family living all over the world, including the US, Singapore and Saudi Arabia, the mother-of-two said they usually all have a reunion in the Philippines every two years.
“We just can’t manage a trip home this year. I don’t want to risk getting stuck in the Philippines as I need to return to work by the end of July and things there are still a little unstable,” she said.
“We talked about cancelling the family reunion altogether but just two days ago three of us decided to book flights to Georgia and we will spend three weeks there.
“I am vaccinated so I just have to get a PCR test within 72 hours before I fly back to UAE so it’s simple.
“My flight was less than Dh2,000 and the accommodation is affordable. If I don’t meet at least some of my family now I might not see them for another year and I can’t face that.”
In the past, the UK was one of the UAE's top five destinations for holidays and room nights, however, since mid-January, the Emirates have been on the UK’s red list, meaning anyone travelling from the UAE must isolate in a managed hotel for 10 days.
In the Philippines, unvaccinated passengers are required to quarantine for 14 days, with 10 in a government-managed hotel.
Vaccinated passengers must show proof of inoculation before going into quarantine for just seven days.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1
Man City: Agüero (25', 35', 75'), Jesus (31'), Silva (48'), Kongolo (84' og)
Huddersfield: Stankovic (43')
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
