In November, Cairo emerged as the top hotel market to record higher occupancy, daily rates and revenue per available room among Mena cities tracked by advisory firm EY, as government incentives to charter airlines paid off.
Hotel occupancy in Egypt's capital city jumped 14.6 per cent to 77.9 per cent in November from the same period a year earlier, while average daily rates (ADR) rose 15.6 per cent and revenue per available room (RevPar) surged 42.1 per cent, according to a hotel survey by EY.
“The significant increase in occupancy levels may be attributed to the government’s efforts in November to revive the tourism industry by increasing incentives for charter airlines carrying a certain number of passengers on international flights,” said Yousef Wahbah, Mena real estate, hospitality and construction sector leader at EY.
Egypt’s tourism industry, an important foreign currency earner, has been recovering since the 2011 uprising and the suspected downing of a Russian plane in Sinai in 2015, which killed all tourists on board and deprived the country from a major tourist source market.
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Read more:
Egypt optimism grow as Cairo ups economic outlook
How 2018 will shape up for Egypt
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Overall, the region's hotel industry had mixed results in November. In the Arabian Gulf region, all markets except Kuwait and Oman had lacklustre performance.
All three indicators fell in Dubai, which recorded an increase in tourist arrivals but is suffering from an increase in supply of hotel rooms.
Occupancy in November in Dubai fell 1.3 per cent to 88.2 per cent, ADR dropped 1.4 per cent and RevPar declined 2.8 per cent.
In Abu Dhabi, occupancy surged 6 per cent to 88.6 per cent because of the Louvre opening and the Forumla One race in the emirate. ADR decreased 4.1 per cent but RevPAR grew 2.9 per cent.
“The Mena hospitality market is expected to continue the same trend until the end of the year,” said Mr Wahbah. “In the GCC region, the hospitality market can expect some improvements across select cities over the next few months due to better weather conditions as well as the shopping attractions.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
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Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival