Tag: UAE
Sharjah attracts visitors with its gorgeous mosques
July 16 (Notintown.net): The mosques of Sharjah are distinctive for their eye-catching aesthetic architecture and the tourism authorities are wooing the visitors with a new focus on these beautiful monuments. Tourists and believers alike visit Sharjah for the tranquil and hospitable nature of the cultural hub of the UAE.
The cultural ethos of Sharjah has made it the emirate for visitors looking for an experiential journey. It is an emirate routed in tradition, while opening its doors to the contemporary world, thereby offering the best of all worlds. Those seeking greater knowledge of and connection to Islam will certainly find it in this emirate graced with over 600 mosques.
The largest house of worship is the King Faisal Mosque. The complex geometric design and the likeness of the massive structure to a multi-pointed star make it the most recognizable landmark of Sharjah. The charm of this mosque is that it is very well-suited for worship with admirable acoustics, a very useful audio guide and the captivating voice of the Imam in the vast but quiet space, it all comes together to create a very special atmosphere.
Situated on the banks of the Khalid Lagoon, the Al Noor Mosque has a dream setting. Construction of the structure was completed in the year 2005. Visitors can take inspiration from architectural trademarks such as the minarets, domes and arches, which are reminiscent of traditional Ottoman architecture. This is because the mosque is modelled after the ‘Blue Mosque’ or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Turkey. Private tour bookings are possible, or one may opt for the regular free tours that are held every Monday at 10:00 am.
In order to promote a cross-cultural understanding, an excellent briefing program covering basic principles of Islam is provided for visitors, along with an opportunity to try on the ‘abaya’ and scarves that the local women of Sharjah generally wear.
The Al Noor Mosque is known for its guided tours and hospitable treatment to guests, however, it is also of great religious significance to the locals and outsiders who follow the faith. On Ramadan evenings, the mosque becomes unusually busy due to a large number of worshippers. The interlaced decorative interiors and architecture, in addition to the cooling effect of the use of gypsum (traditional building material made of coral) in building the mosque, creates a relaxing Islamic cultural ambience where peace and contentment permeate
The Al Noor Mosque is also one of the ten locations in Sharjah from where the Iftar(the breaking of the Ramadan fast) cannons are fired. On the Ramadan days building up to the much-awaited Eid al-Fitr, throngs of visitors arrive to witness the firing of cannons announcing Iftar time. This old custom of announcing the breaking of the fast is a charming cultural tradition that keeps Islamic heritage alive in the emirate.
Sharjah offers a true glimpse into modern life combining heritage and Islamic traditions with a cultural and educational identity that goes back many centuries and an enduring, gracious welcome.
The emirate of Sharjah is well-known for its rich, cultural heritage – an identity that has been recognized a number of times as shown by the winning of the Cultural Capital of the Arab World 1998 and Islamic Culture Capital 2014 awards. It is a vibrant city with an exciting food and arts scene, a heritage area that is the largest restoration project in the region along with various commercial centres and over 22 museums.
Dubai stamps passports with smiley on Happiness Day
March 21 (TravelAndy): The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai, has run a host of diverse activities in support of the International Day of Happiness, coinciding with 20th March every year. Also, passengers at the Dubai airport were surprised with General directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs on Tuesday welcoming them with the title ‘Welcome to the Happy UAE’ with a smiley face design stamp on their passports.
Events targeted the RTA employees, mass transit users, parking inspectors and drivers. Chocolate boxes were distributed to 1,600 employees, together with messages that inspire positivity and spread happiness & fun. Continue reading Dubai stamps passports with smiley on Happiness Day
Etihad’s 48hr Challenge to promote Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, May 2 (Notintown.net): Etihad Airways has thrown down the gauntlet to the millions of guests who transit through its Abu Dhabi home, as well as the residents of the UAE, by challenging them to experience a host of ‘once in a lifetime’ activities throughout the emirate in just two days, an official release said.
The ‘48 Hour Challenge’ is part of Etihad Airways’ wider stopover campaign promoting Abu Dhabi as a ‘holiday within a holiday’ for transit travellers and a ‘staycation’ option for UAE residents wanting a relaxing short-break.
The city’s many highlights can now be enjoyed through a series of exciting stopover programmes. Continue reading Etihad’s 48hr Challenge to promote Abu Dhabi
Emirates to fly Dubai-Bali twice a day
April 7 (TravelAndy): Emirates will start it second daily flight between Dubai and the Indonesia tourist hotspot Bali from July 2, 2017.
Operated by Emirates’ popular Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a two-class configuration with 42 seats in Business Class and 386 seats in Economy Class. The outbound flight EK360 will depart from Dubai at 0125hrs and arrive in I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport at 1430hrs, the airline said.
Emirates to fly Dubai-Cambodia from July 1
March 3 (TravelAndy): Emirates will launch its maiden flight on the Dubai-Cambodia route on July 1, 2017.
It will operate daily flights on this route with one stop at Yangon in Myanmar, said the airline.
The flight will depart from Dubai at 09.15 and arrive in Yangon at 17.25. It will leave Yangon at 18.55 and reach Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh at 21.25. The return flight leaves Phnom Penh at 23.10 and arrives in Dubai at 05.40 the next morning, after a stopover at Yangon. Continue reading Emirates to fly Dubai-Cambodia from July 1
UAE visa-on-arrival for Chinese citizens
January 24 (TravelAndy): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently announced visa-on-arrival facility for Chinese visitors.
We have approved a decision to grant visas on arrival at the country’s airports to visitors from the People’s Republic of China,” Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai tweeted in his official Twitter account.
Previously, Chinese citizens had to apply for a visa before their arrival in the UAE. Continue reading UAE visa-on-arrival for Chinese citizens
Ras Al Khaimah to open ‘via ferrata’ for climbers
November 16 (TravelAndy): To encourage adventure tourism, Ras Al Khaimah, one of the emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will officially inaugurate its newly built ‘via ferrata’, an iron path connecting mountains.
A via ferrata is a secured climbing route, which is equipped with steel cables, ladders and fixed anchorages, that facilitates safe trekking, climbing and hiking along mountain trails.
This via ferrata is built across Jebel Jais, the highest mountain peak in UAE. This is the first commercial via ferrata built by the Emirates. Continue reading Ras Al Khaimah to open ‘via ferrata’ for climbers
Jet Airways to fly Kozhikode-Sharjah from Oct 30
October 12 (TravelAndy): Jet Airways has announced a daily flight service from Kozhikode to Sharjah, from October 30.
Kozhikode is the closest airport to Kerala’s beautiful Wayanad district, which attracts a significant number of tourists.
The outbound flight will depart Kozhikode at 21.25 and arrive in Sharjah at 23.55. The return flight will depart Sharjah at 16.20 and arrive in Kozhikode at 21.45, said the airline. Continue reading Jet Airways to fly Kozhikode-Sharjah from Oct 30
Robot lifeguards on Dubai beaches
September 11 (TravelAndy): Dubai has introduced robots as life guard on the public beaches, said reports.
These boat-like robots can move at 35kmph, almost 12 times the speed of a human lifeguard. It is operated by remote control.
The 125cm robot can travel 130km on a single charge and can conduct some 30 rescue operations at a go. Continue reading Robot lifeguards on Dubai beaches
Etihad to fly Abu Dhabi-Venice from Oct 30
August 18 (TravelAndy): Etihad Airwaysis all set to launch daily services between Abu Dhabi and Venice in Italy from October 30.
The daily flight service will depart from at 02.30 and reach Venice at 06.40. On its return journey, the flight will leave Venice at 10.55 and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 19.55.
“Launching our service to Venice further supports a very popular passenger route between Italy, our Abu Dhabi hub and onwards throughout Etihad Airways’ growing network, as far afield as Australia,” Kevin Knight, chief strategy and planning officer, Etihad Airways, said the airline in a statement. Continue reading Etihad to fly Abu Dhabi-Venice from Oct 30
India extends e-visa to UAE tourists
April 10 (TravelAndy): Citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who intend to visit India for tourism, can now get an e-visa.
The tourists need to carry a printout of the e-tourist visa (e-TV), which will be e-mailed to them, during their visit to India.
A foreign traveller with an e-TV can enter India through 16 designated airports — Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Tiruchirapalli, Thiruvananthapuram and Varanasi. Continue reading India extends e-visa to UAE tourists
Storm hits flight services in Abu Dhabi
March 9 (TravelAndy): Flight services have been affected at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the wake of a storm that hit the UAE capital on Wednesday.
Around midday, Abu Dhabi International Airport tweeted: “Due to severe weather conditions, flights at Abu Dhabi International Airport are suspended until further notice.”
According to Etihad Airways Twitter, 10 flights scheduled to take off from Abu Dhabi International Airport were delayed and 11 arriving flights were diverted. Continue reading Storm hits flight services in Abu Dhabi