Day: September 7, 2023

Las Vegas and Dubai have a lot in common. Both cities have a passion for the spectacular, and their skylines shine like beacons against desolate desert surroundings. Travellers from all over the world swarm to these glittering oasis to play hard. However, due to its magnificent seashore overlooking the cream-colored Persian Gulf, diverse culinary scene, and strange vistas, Dubai unquestionably surpasses the old Sin City as a vacation destination. A better and larger metropolis is being planned as the current one keeps growing. At one point, it was estimated that this area was home to one-fifth of all construction cranes in the globe. That suggests that Dubai’s growth may not even be limited by the sky.

Dubai is home to the tallest structure in the world, one of the largest shopping malls, and one of the largest man-made marinas. Although on a smaller scale, this emirate is nevertheless linked to its past as a small harbor town. The vibrant Gold and Spice Souks (marketplaces) thrive within the gigantic Dubai Mall. On Dubai Creek, traditional wooden abras (boats) coexist with motorboats. Jumeirah Public Beach’s natural dunes border the skillfully sculpted Palm Islands. Despite constantly looking toward the future, this metropolis finds it difficult to let go of the past. Dubai’s popularity as a travel destination was aided by this dynamic, and it will continue to be so.

Best Travel Months
From November to March is the ideal time to travel to Dubai. In terms of weather, Dubai only really has two seasons: hot and hotter. The city experiences clear sky and ideal beach weather during the winter. On the other hand, this is also the busiest travel period, so Jumeirah Beach should be crowded. If you go during the summer, you can avoid the throng, but you should be ready for triple-digit temperatures and high humidity levels.

Dubai Money Saving Tips
Make advance plans Dubai travel will be pricey. But if you book a hotel stay two to three months in advance, you’ll have a higher chance of getting a better deal.

Come throughout the summer. During this time of year, the majority of visitors can’t handle the heat, therefore there is little competition for the best hotel deals.

Remain sober Outside of restaurants and bars, where prices are nearly as exorbitant as those of the Burj Khalifa, alcohol is rarely provided. If you forego the beverages, you’ll save a lot of money.

Customs & Culture
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven states (sometimes known as “Emirates”): Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al Quwain. The sheikh, or Arabic ruler, is in charge of each emirate. The Federal Supreme Council, the UAE’s legislative and executive branch, is presided over by the sheikh of Abu Dhabi, with the sheikh of Dubai serving as vice president. Dubai has long been the commercial and financial center of the emirates, despite the fact that Abu Dhabi is the formal capital of the UAE.

What to Eat
Spice is the main component of Emirati cuisine, the main cuisine of Dubai. Put down the salt and pepper; in Dubai, a larger selection of seasonings, some of which you might not be familiar with (Is za’atar in your spice cabinet? ), have already been sprinkled into the meal to add all the taste you’ll ever need. Cardamom, what about it?). The easiest way to explore Dubai’s diverse culinary environment is to start with the basics because there are so many intriguing and exotic dishes to try there.

Traveling in Dubai
The subway or a taxi are the two greatest ways to navigate about Dubai. Even though Dubai’s prices are high overall, a few trips in the taxi won’t break the budget. They also provide you the freedom to move whenever you want, without having to worry with traffic. Travelers can reach the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai International Airport (DXB) using the metro system in Dubai. Nearly 10 miles separate the airport from Dubai’s city center. The airport also offers automobile rentals, but be warned: driving in this region is not for the timid.

Requirements for Entry & Exit
An official U.S. passport that is still valid at least six months after your arrival date is required for Americans traveling to the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, travelers must have a return ticket or other documentation proving they will be leaving the UAE within that 30-day window. Travelers are required to get a tourist visa in advance of departure for stays longer than 30 days. Americans leaving the UAE by land will have to pay a departure tax of 35 dirhams ($9.60), which can only be paid in local currency.

During the first three months of 2023, the monarchy welcomed roughly 7.8 million visitors.
As the country tries to draw more tourists from abroad and diversify its economy away from oil, tourism revenue in Saudi Arabia increased by more than three times in the first quarter of 2023 to 37 billion Saudi riyals ($9.86 billion).

As more people visited, incoming tourism revenue surged by 225% as compared to the first quarter of 2022, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), a state-run news agency.

The kingdom welcomed 7.8 million tourists in the first three months of 2023, its best quarterly performance and a rise of 64% from the same period in 2019, before to the pandemic.

According to the SPA, the increase in revenue caused the kingdom to report a balance of payments surplus for the tourist industry in the first quarter, totaling 22.8 billion riyals, as opposed to a loss of 1.6 billion riyals in the same period previous year.
The National tourist Development Strategy’s goals are aligned with the Ministry of Tourism’s “efforts to strengthen the tourism sector and its role in the growth of the national economy,” according to the agency.

The kingdom’s tourism policy has established objectives such as bringing in 100 million new visitors, having the tourist sector contribute 10% of the gross domestic product, and creating 1 million new jobs by 2030.

According to data released in May by the World Tourism Organization, Saudi Arabia became the second-fastest growing tourist destination for the first quarter of 2023.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the country’s travel and tourism industry will expand by an average of 11% annually over the following ten years, making it the Middle East’s fastest-growing market.

According to a report from July 2022, by 2032, the sector might account for over 635 billion riyals of Saudi Arabia’s GDP, or 17.1% of the country’s whole economy.

Over 93.5 million tourists — 77 million local and 16.5 million foreign — traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2022.

Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, stated during an investment summit in Paris in June of this year that the country hopes to bring in 30 million tourists this year.

“The pandemic is over… We anticipate significant growth this year,” he stated at the time. He stated that it is “very doable” to reach the goal of 100 million visits by the end of the decade.

Additionally, he urged investors to seize “amazing opportunities in a market that remains untapped with a high rate of expansion over the next decade or two.”

The Saudi Tourism Investment Company, or Asfar, was founded in July by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to aid in the sector’s expansion.

According to the PIF, the company would make investments in new tourism projects and create tourist destinations including lodging, attractions for tourists, retail, and food and beverage options in towns all around Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest economy.

Asfar will seek to provide a supportive environment for regional suppliers, contractors, and small and medium-sized firms to construct tourism projects in addition to providing co-investment opportunities to the private sector.

In order to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to accommodate the anticipated amount of foreign visitors over the next ten years, the kingdom is additionally making investments in the aviation industry.

By 2030, the new national airline Riyadh Air hopes to have connections to more than 100 locations worldwide. It will start flying in 2025.

The national airline of Saudi Arabia, Saudia, and its low-cost affiliate, flyadeal, are both situated in Jeddah.

In November of last year, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the opening of a new airport in the nation’s capital, Riyadh, with six parallel runways and the capacity to handle 120 million passengers annually by 2030.