Tag: Visit Dubai

UAE to have major visa policy changes, which will came in to being from today, 21st October 2018. It is expected that the new visa rules will not just benefit expatriates, but boost the local economy as well. The visa policy changes include the extension of entry permits for visitors and visas for women. The Federal Authority for identity and Citizenship confirmed last week that it will begin extending the residency visa for widows and divorced women and their children for a year without a sponsor. The residency visas of students sponsored by the parents will also be renewed. The ... Read more

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai, (GDRFA-Dubai) will soon launch the “Smart Gate,” a quick and easy alternative to the standard manual passport control counters and e-gates. The new Smart Gate system has undergone testing and will go live next month. “The new gate enables each passenger to pass through immigration without assistance or travel document or ID and within only 10 seconds,” said Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, GDRFA-Dubai Director-General. The e-gates across the immigration checkpoints served more than 6,500 million inbound passengers from January to March 2018 and more than 6,800 outbound passengers during the same ... Read more

If you are planning to go to Legoland tomorrow, wear yellow and you may win a chance of getting a free entry. The first 20 people who turn up tomorrow will be given complimentary access. The offer is part of the International Day of Happiness. The fun and freebies doesn’t stop there. The staff of the park may surprise you by handing yellow envelopes which contains all sorts of prizes, which range from meal vouchers to Lego gift sets, park tickets and much more. One lucky family will even receive Annual Passes to Legoland Dubai and Legoland Water Park. “There are ... Read more

Sub Sea Systems, a world leader in innovative products for the marine tourism industry, will debut its latest creation, Aquaticar, at the 2018 Deal trade show in Dubai this April at the World Trade Center. Aquaticar is the world’s first underwater driving experience. Adventurers age 5 and up can drive futuristic vehicles through an underwater world of wonder that can be themed to fit nearly any experience– from a teeming coral reef to a rugged Mars landscape, or even a dark ride with startling surprises around every corner. Guests are dry from mid-chest up, and wet from mid-chest down, allowing pioneering underwater ... Read more

The private beach at ­Fairmont The Palm Dubai, located on Palm Jumeirah, is open for children with disabilities. The children can avail the facilities totally free of cost, thanks to a collaboration between Team Angel Wolf, a non-profit association and Fairmont The Palm. The children will be taken on a devise specially designed for the purpose. ­It looks like extended deckchairs with a lengthy seat section suspended on a tubular frame. Floatable armrests are also attached to the frame. The straps fitted at either end will help carers to pull them through the water. The beach will be open for children ... Read more

Dubai’s biggest yoga festival, holistic events and entertainment for yogis and complete beginners alike, will be conducted from 16-17 March.  The two-day event will see yoga sessions and classes running all weekend, from sunrise until sunset, taught by local and international yoga teachers. One of the international yogis taking part will be Tao Porchon-Lynch, who at 97 holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest yoga teacher in the world. Bollywood star and yoga practitioner, Malaika Arora Khan will also be leading the yoga sessions. Visitors will also be able to find healthy food stalls, yoga equipment, entertainment, and more. ... Read more

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Saudi Arabia rail link will be operational by December 2021. The 2,100 km (1,300 mile) passenger, cargo network, once completed, will connect six GCC states. “By the end of December 2021 we will have a connection between us and the Saudis,” Abdullah Salem Al Kathiri, director general of the Federal Authority for Land and Marine Transport. Phase 2 of Etihad Rail will be linked to Mussafah, to the Khalifa and Jebel Ali Ports, respectively in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and to the Saudi and Omani borders.    

The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery launched a one-day retreat on the Palm. The retreat costs Dhs999 per person and comes with a night’s stay in one of the hotel rooms. The retreat is designed especially for busy city dwellers to disconnect from an ‘always on’ lifestyle and reconnect with themselves, through a series of experiences expertly created by the properties DHA approved doctors and specialists. Priced at AED 999 per person, the package comes with a complimentary night’ stay in one of the beautifully appointed rooms. Tucked away on the exclusive coastline of Palm Jumeirah’s East Crescent, the beachfront destination houses ... Read more

XDubai has launched a new playscape for children under 12 years of age with an aim to give children a platform to explore forest life and play in a safe environment. XPark Jr, located opposite Kite Beach in Jumeirah, is open to children aged 1-12 years old. The park offers free play options with wooden forts, climbing ropes, trees and streams. Within a supervised environment, the park will teach the students about small animals and plant life and allows them to build tents, campfires and to connect with nature. The park is designed to ignite the spirit of adventure in children, ... Read more

Dubai Airports concluded the Month of Innovation on a high note by winning two awards at the Aeronnovation Summit, which was organised by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as part of its strategy to support innovation in the country’s aviation sector. Dubai Airports won the awards under two categories – Improving Aviation Security for its security related platform AMIN, and Improving Passenger Experience for its Airport Community App. AMIN helps maintain security of the airport by using software and systems to centralise all security data to assist airport security professionals in analysing and processes information. The Airport Community ... Read more

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, launched the eight edition of the ‘Live Our Heritage Festival’ in the Global Village under ‘An Eye on Emirati Cultural Heritage’ theme. Running until 7th April 2018, the festival offers Global Village visitors a chance to enjoy an action-packed six-week programme of workshops and events focused on handicraft education in the UAE. The festival programme includes educational workshops focusing on traditional crafts in the UAE, such as: palm fronds braiding, veil making, thread weaving, perfume making, silver crafting and coffee making. Craftsmen will explain ... Read more

  The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has widened the scope of the Smart Pedestrian Signals Project in Dubai to cover 15 new locations after a successful trail debut on Al Saadah Street. The project is part of RTA’s efforts to realize the objectives of the Smart City initiative. The Smart Pedestrian Signals technology is the first of its kind in the region. “Smart Pedestrian Signals had been installed in several hotspots of Dubai including Al Muraqqabat, Al Rigga, Al Mankhoul, Baniyas, 2nd of December Street, Al Maktoum and Sheikh Khalifa Streets. They were also introduced at Al Barsha ... Read more

Emaar Entertainment, the leisure and entertainment subsidiary of Emaar Properties, has opened VR Park, Dubai’s latest and most exciting attraction, at The Dubai Mall. Blurring the lines between perception and reality, VR Park combines Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (VR), providing unforgettable rides, journeys and games in an unbelievable two-storey attraction. Through partnerships with some of the world’s leading VR developers, Emaar Entertainment is delivering unprecedented and awe-inspiring experience, with the all-new mind-blowing attraction set to transform the VR leisure and entertainment landscape through the breadth of games, rides and experiences to suit all ages. At VR Park, feel like you’re ... Read more

Passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) exceeded 7.9 million in January, according to the traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. DXB welcomed a total of 7,960,146 passengers in January, a small reduction of 1 per cent compared to 8,037,008 recorded in January 2017 when passenger volumes were boosted due to Chinese New Year which fell in February this year. South America was the top region in terms of percentage growth* during the month (22.6%), followed by CIS (19.7%) – with a bulk of the increase resulting from the surge on routes like Moscow, Baku, and Kazan among others, and Africa ... Read more

A large number of Kuwaiti nationals and people from many other nationalities participated in grand celebrations held in Dubai marking Kuwait’s National Day on 25 February. The celebrations featured concerts by Miami Band from Kuwait and singer Bader AlShaibi, a culinary session by famous Kuwaiti chef, Jameela Al Lenqawi, an appearance by popular Kuwaiti foodie influencer, Talal Al Rashed, in addition to a spectacular fireworks show and cultural activities including performances by traditional bands. During a dinner hosted by influencer Al Rashed, Emirati artiste Omar Al Marzooqi performed a special song to celebrate Kuwait’s National Day.