Author: Gerard Urbanozo

More widely observed over UAE and Saudi visitor, there is an overall trend towards increased ‘slowness’ as well as ‘solitude’ and more spend time in locales ‘long-staying’ and less time in more fleeting hops from destination to destination. As travel patterns evolve experts believe this direction of longer and richer experiences is redefining travel in the region. Surveys show that 75% of the UAE travellers have sight seen alone within the last one year, and another 82% has opted for slow travel. With this trend, the need for other passenger specific services such as lounges has also grown, with companies…

A number of schools in the UAE are flying the flag for this worldwide trend that sees classroom teaching done away with in favor of project based learning that is a bid to prepare students for real life. This is due to the changes that are occurring for a revamp of education programs and changing the methods to enhance students for the next big challenge, eliminating rote learning, and separation of subjects. At other place such as GEMS Legacy School in Dubai sustainability and climate action are incorporated in academia through project based learning cross-cutting all classes. As pointed out…

The IIFA Utsavam 2024 was a three day event that consisted of the stars from the South Indian and Bollywood industry. Organised in Abu Dhabi, it ended with the declaration of the winner of this year’s performance award for movies in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Aishwarya Rai won the Best Actress award for her powerful role in Ponniyin Selvan: II during the inaugural award for Ulaganayagan while Vikram received Best Actor (Tamil) award for the same movie. Samantha Ruth Prabhu was awarded the ‘Woman of the Year’, which adds feathers to her name in the Indian film industry. Full…

On Monday 23rd September 2024, the President of UAE, Sheikh Mohamed will make his first official trip to Washington as President where he will be welcomed by US President Joe Biden at the White House. It is also the first time a UAE and US president have met in America since the formation of the UAE. Since the creation of the UAE in 1971 the United States of America has been one of the first countries to recognize the new state and establish diplomatic relations with it. Sheikh Mohamed has met with several former US presidents and also bumped into…

The Department of Finance (DOF) for the Government of Dubai has announced the introduction of its new corporate image suggesting its progressive attitude. This new identity seeks to reinforce DOF’s strategic vision to become a world class centre of financial sustainability in line with the long-term vision for the development of Dubai. Implementing the rebranding also corresponds to the tendencies of the modern international experience, which the department is designed to contribute to the further development of the emirate. H. E. Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, Director General of DOF said, “With this new look, DOF reiterates its relentless commitment to…

The annual Dubai Shopping Festival or better known as DSF is now in its 30th season and the fourteen days were full of amazing sales, firework shows, and some celebrity entertainment. The event starts from Friday, 6th of December, 2024 and finishes on Sunday, January 12, 2025 so it is 38 days of fun all over the city. Described here is DSF which started in 1996 and has grown to as being one of the oldest retail festivals across the globe that is enjoyed by residents and tourists alike. That is, this special celebration of the anniversary of the formation…

Dubai Safari Park’s sixth season will be starting on the first of October, 2024 for families and lovers of fauna all over the world. A famous protected area that impacts the development of sustainable tourism and proper attitude to wildlife attractions where tourists can interact with various species of animals experiencing six different zones. After making some changes during their off-season which is during the summer, the park presents citizens and tourists with a new learning experience. There are various ways on how the guests can move around the park such as through the walking paths or in the shuttles…

Emirates airline is currently famous for providing in-flight entertainment and luxurious services to its passengers; however, now the airline’s passenger experience is going to get even better with the help of a new perfume that the airline will provide to the passengers as well. In partnership with VOYA – a luxury organic beauty brand, Emirates has now offered a ‘luxury fragrance’ across 400 daily flights to bring the spirit of relaxation and luxury in mid-air. This strategic symbiosis of Emirates’ aerobal expansion and VOYA’s nature-based Irish brand identity is a creative marriage. The fragrances are stimulations of the aircraft’s many…

RTA, the transport authority of Dubai, has recently launched two other important bridges in Al Khail Road that has added to the infrastructure of the city. These new bridges have been built at Zaa’beel and Al Quoz 1; the bridges’ total length is 1,350 meters and its performance is around 8000 vehicles per hour. Zaa’beel bridge spans 700 meters, and has three-line bridges that links Zaa’beel Palace Street and Oud Metha Street to Al Khail Road directing traffics towards Jebel Ali. The Al Quoz 1 bridge is measuring 650 meters in length with two lanes that connect Al Meydan Street…

The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture in Saudi Arabia has issued that there had been copious precipitation in eight regions of Saudi Arabia between 9 a. m. Friday and 9 a. m. Saturday. While the National Center for Meteorology measured the highest rainfall to be in the Madinah region with 37. 4mm precipitation. Among them, there is Makkah, Madinah, Qassim, Aseer, Tabuk, Jazan, Najran, and Al-Baha regions. Other significant amounts recorded as follow: Madinah Airport 35. 2mm and at the Haram 27. 6mm. Yalamlam recorded a precipitation of 17. 4 millimeters whereas Al-Leith Dam recorded 8 millimeters in the…