Tourism in UAE

The United Arab Emirates is one of the modern and developed Arab countries that were able, within a short period, to have a strong position on the world map of tourism.The UAE in the recent years has become one of the leading countries in tourism in the Gulf and Middle East region. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council report, 41 percent of total investments in the travel and tourism sector in the Middle East region are accounted in UAE. Moreover, the report predicted a steady increase of the amount of investments in the UAE tourism sector by 7 percent every year (Ajou, 2012). The government of the UAE is trying to focus on other substitutes of the oil industry. According to the article, tourism sector contributed 14 percent to the UAE economy in the year of 2012 (Sambidge, 2013). Therefore, tourism is a good investment for the UAE and it's also making the UAE well-known worldwide and famous. According to the article, in the year 2012 the number of tourists heading to the UAE was estimated to reach ten million (John, 2013). This paper will cover the reasons behind UAE's success in the hospitality market. Also, it will go through the positive and negative outcomes of tourism in the UAE. Finally, it will provide some recommendations and suggestions based on the outcomes.

The UAE has acquired a strong position in the hospitality market and became a world class tourism destination. This was due to several factors. For instance, the UAE has a unique location in the world map that links between the east and west. Also, UAE's government has established various tourists' facilities in all of its seven emirates and is constantly developing more. For example, the country has exceptional hotels and resorts that were designed uniquely and provide excellent services. Moreover, the security and stability in the UAE is another significant factor that attracts tourists from all over the world. To be more specific, the crime rates are very low, the food hygiene standards are high, and the standards of medical care are excellent. Furthermore, the UAE is famous for its shopping malls and shopping festivals especially in Dubai. Tourists from all around the world enjoy shopping in the UAE during their visit. According to research, in 2011 Visa account holders from different countries such as Russia, UK, USA, and China spent $1.2 billion on general merchandise like clothes, music, antiques, and jewelry purchases in the UAE (Baricordi, 2012). Finally, the UAE has modern and developed infrastructure that provides high-ranking services for the tourists and residents such as airports, ports, roads network, means of communications and other impressive services.

The United Arab Emirates is doing an excellent job in its tourism sector and this is reflecting positively on the country's economical performance and it's contributing significantly to the GDP. According to the article, AED193.6 billion of UAE's GDP was from the tourism sector in the year 2012, and that contribution is estimated to rise by 3.2 percent by the end of 2013 (Sambidge, 2013). Moreover, due to the tourism sectors constant development, the unemployment rate will be minimized significantly, and more job opportunities are available. In 2012, a total of 383,500 jobs were supported by the travel and tourism sector and by the end of this year, the number is expected to further rise by 2.6 percent to 393,500 jobs (Sambidge, 2013). Nevertheless, tourism may affect the country’s natural resources by the excessive use of the increased numbers of tourists as well as locals and residents. Also, the heritage sites may be damaged and affected by the increasing number of visitors. Furthermore, traffic jams and accidents will increase due to the growing number of tourists as well as the population.

 

The negative outcomes of tourism are going to affect the country badly. Therefore, quite a few suggestions will help to minimize the bad impact of tourism. First, the country should adapt technology to minimize the excessive use of natural resources such as water. In term of the heritage sites conservation, the number of openings hours and days should be minimized and controlled. Moreover, the traffic jam and increasing number of accidents can be avoided by providing other means of transportation such as the railways in Dubai. 

To sum up, the UAE is a country that succeeded to be one of the leading countries in the tourism and hospitality market. This paper discussed the reasons behind the UAE's success in tourism. This mainly was the strategies used in providing the tourists with everything they are looking for. Then it discussed the positive outcomes such as the good contribution of tourism to UAE's GDP. Also the paper included the minor negative outcomes. For instance, traffic jams and overuse of the country's natural resources. Finally, it suggested using technology to avoid and overcome some of the negative outcomes.

Bibliography

Ajou, N. E. (2012, November 29). Travel and tourism companies in UAE must embrace online marketing to grow their businesses. Retrieved from The ultimate Middle East Bussines Resource: http://www.ameinfo.com/travel-tourism-companies-uae-embrace-online-320885

Baricordi, M. (2012). Tourism Outlook: UAE. Retrieved from Visa: http://corporate.visa.com/_media/visa-tourism-uae-12.pdf

John, I. (2013, february 15). UAE tourism revenue set to hit $7.5 billion by 2016. Retrieved from Khaleej Times: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/biz/inside.asp?xfile=/data/uaebusiness/2013/February/uaebusiness_February252.xml&section=uaebusiness

Sambidge, A. (2013, March 17). UAE tourism worth $52bn in 2012. Retrieved from Arabian Business: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/uae-tourism-worth-52bn-in-2012-says-report-493423.html

  Environment & Biodiversity : UAE National Council for Tourism & Antiquities. (n.d.). TOURISM. Retrieved May 20, 2013, from http://www.uaetourism.ae/en/19/tourism-and-discovery/environment-and-biodiversity


UAE tourist arrivals to rise 9% in 2012 - Arabian Travel Market. (n.d.). Welcome to Arabian Travel Market - Arabian Travel Market. Retrieved May 20, 2013, from http://www.arabiantravelmarket.com/Media-PR/ATM-Press-Releases/UAE-tourist-arrivals-to-rise-9-in-2012/
 

Hydroponics farmers

This is open hydroponics inside a greenhouse, an agriculture system without soil.  It gives at least 30 per cent more productivity and saves up to 40 per cent of water [used for irrigation], compared to conventional agriculture.  Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil. Although hydroponic systems do not involve soil, they may involve a wide variety of growing media, such as perlite, gravel, peat, sand, rock wool and others. Most of the plant nutrients are supplied by the nutrient solution, rather than by the media in which the plants are grown. The UAE farms produce vegetables and fruit mostly during winter. Productivity goes down considerably during summer. The new system is expected to change that and may ensure the presence of local vegetables and fruit throughout the year. In the closed hydroponics system the same nutrient solution is re-circulated and the nutrient concentrations are monitored and adjusted accordingly. The system, imported from Holland, grows plants without soil. They are fertilized with mineral nutrient solutions and the irrigation water is recycled using sand, screen filters and ultraviolet rays. But the system can be complicated to understand for farmers used to traditional methods. The farmers services Centre provide technical assistance.

Youths put skills ahead of money

About 50 students and recent graduates took part in the forum held a day before the Emiratisation Summit. They were from universities in different emirates. In a live voting session, 30 per cent of participants said the opportunity for growth and promotion was the most important factor when considering a job offer; 20 per cent said learning new skills was the top factor; while 18 per cent said work environment and culture was the main factor. Only 10 per cent said they would consider salary first. A mere 2 per cent said working hours were the most important criterion. Asked whether working for the private sector would throw up challenges, 81 per cent said yes and 13 per cent said no. Responding to the same question about the government, 40 per cent said yes and 31 per cent said no. The main concern about working in the private sector was competition for promotion and recognition; in the government, it was dealing with routine. However, as Ms Al Zu'bi pointed out, competition for government jobs will intensify as demand outpaces supply, and as the government moves into supporting less traditional industries such as media and hospitality as the economy matures. Abu Dhabi: a survey of Emirati youth found that nearly 70 per cent of respondents consider factors other than salary and benefits to be the most important criteria when deciding on a job. The survey, which was conducted in the capital as part of an Emirati youth forum, revealed that 30 per cent of the university students and fresh graduates polled place utmost importance on growth and promotion opportunities when selecting a job. Sulaf was speaking on the sidelines of the first youth forum that was conducted ahead of the annual Tawdheef Recruitment Show. The show, which begins in the capital on Tuesday, will see more than 2,500 job vacancies up for grabs. The vacancies are available at more than a hundred public and private sector organizations in a variety of industries, including finance, oil and gas, media, and health. Following the UAE government declaration of 2013 as the year of Emiratisation, this edition of Tawdheef will see a renewed focus on the recruitment of Emiratis. A number of positions will also be open for expatriates.

Taj Mahal

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan decided to build this great heritage in memory of his third wife, as she died and he was in love with her; she was Mumtaz Mahal. The work on the Taj Mahal began in 1632 in the 17th century when the Muslim era was there in its shining time. The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India and it is a very famous tourist place where people come to see it.  The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653 which took about 20 years to finish its construction. It is a tomb for the third wife and it has many other luxury sections. The Taj Mahal still exists in the same place and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1903. The cost of such an amazing work that time was almost 32 million Indian rupees which can be calculated in these days as almost one billion dollars.

Most material used building the Taj Mahal were different types of gems or stone such as agate, Yemeni, turquoise, lapis lazuli, coral, onyx, cat’s eye, jade and the blood stone those gems are in the inlaying work. And for the foundation they used the goldstone, magnet stone, all of those for floors; they also used the grey and yellow sandstone, the red sandstone, black slate, white marble, most of it was used in the foundations; the finishing touch was the red stone, and white stones. There also other types of materials which are used: those are the different bricks, sweet limestone, tiles, spouts for smoothing, and different kinds of clay and the glass, and the bricks masonry with massive white marble slabs. Most of the stones they brought from neighboring towns; the white marble was bought in Makrana mines in Rajasthan, and those semi-precious and rare stones were brought from Tibet, Kumaon, Jaisalmer, Cambay and Ceyton. They had a unique kind of transportation at that time; they used 1,000 elephants to carry all the materials It was designed by two architects namely Ustad Ahmad Lahauri and Mir Abd-ul Karim and with the help of Makramat Khan for the construction of the Taj Mahal. The original design came from Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Yes there are several  changes from the original design, due to some extensions theymade; the original design still stands with just some modifications and extensions ;the last touch helping the  constructions was Amanat  Khan; some of the construction workers and craftsmen from Turkey and there were other Hindu craftsmen.  Due to the weakening foundations it caused some problems like it cracks in the walls of the Taj Mahal.

Each and every one who knows the story and visits the place, will be fascinated about what they have been through and how the Taj Mahal was built. The memories of the characters who are silently in peace in the core of the Taj Mahal, bring pride to the country of India, and sets a good example of what love could do and, the difficulties of building such a masterpiece, with its expensive materials; people who see it will really appreciate it is such a work of art with a mix of love.  It’s an enormous feeling that will be felt if you go through the story of how this Taj Mahal was built. The Taj Mahal is still giving affection to all who come and visit the place. Besides its weakening foundation you can still admire how this work of art brings its radiance to people. I  just hope the administrators of India will give importance to such creations as it brings good memories and history to the country of India.

New Pearls Museum opens in RAK

There are many legends about the pearls in our world but two famous local legends is about two mothers ;one says she is daughter of the rain and the other said she is the moons daughter , and we can find all of these legends in RAK museum. RAK, which was historically known before as Julfar, was the capital of the pearl. The Japanese industry destroyed the old pearling industry when they created the fake pearls in the 1930s.The pearls in the Gulf were and still are named after the name of Emirati women like Moza, Hessa and Qmasha .The museum, which is one of a kind in the region, opened as part of a soft launch on the Al Qawassim Corniche, and the museum visitors can see the old pearls on the wall of the museum. The museum is related to RAK Pearls Holding, the company which has farmed the pearls in the UAE since 2005 in the Al rams area. These farmed pearls come with different colors, different shapes and sizes. There are two persons who manage the museum, Almahra Alzaabi and Fatima Tamim. On the first floor of the museum there are diving tools which the divers used; in addition, the divers oiled them self by 'Al Gre'at' to protect them in the water.  

How do Gulf corals beat the heat?

How do Gulf corals beat the heat article discuss the facts surrounding of the corals survival in the Gulf's water. Prof John Burt a marine biologists in Abu Dhabi gathered the information about how corals survive in such conditions of high temperature with the help of experts from UK and experiments. As a result, they found out that the corals live in symbiosis with zooxanthellae which lives inside the corals. In which the coral provides the shelter and nutrients for the zooxanthellae and in return it provides coral energy. They've also found out that if the temperature goes higher than 35°C the zooxanthellae will try to survive by producing oxygene and spitting out the zooxanthellae that damages the coral tissue and in a few more days it will die without the zooxanthellae. Prof John Burt worked also with an oceanographer from the marine biodiversity section to work out a solution that helps corals to survive. He suggested spreading the corals manually, settling them in artificial nurseries, and then planting them back out onto reefs. He also suggested that they should do it as soon as possible to prevent more loses of corals.

First reflective statement

What is the course about?

The academic reading and writing course is about how to write full paragraphs without any mistakes and how to summarize big paragraphs to short ones which cover all information which is in it. Also to develop our reading strategies to identify the important information and to improve our skills especially in English language without any copy or help from any website.

What have I learnt so far?

I learnt how to summarize the large passage to a short one and how to write the full report and how to cover much information’s in one or two sentences. Also I learnt how to share my ideas with others and work in groups if we need.

What do I expect to get from this course?

I expect I will learn new vocabulary and I will be better than before in summarizing and also I will use my second language which it is English and I will practice it too much through this course.

What do I know about hedley?

Hedley butterfield he is the one of the oldest teachers in the college; he is from Newcastle in Britain he was teaching in Saudi Arabia for 1 year and also he was teaching skills in Hong Kong for two years which were hard years teaching for him as he told us.