Eat Drink Stay Dubai Newsletter 47/w36

Hi Dubai friends,

Welcome to Week 36, Edition 47

So here is this week’s digest of the ‘Dubai news worth knowing’, all in 10 minutes or less of your time.

A bit less Dubai news/tips/advice this week, because there are two decent sales/offers to consider to get there. That’s if the Lufthansa/Swiss companion sales posted previously didn’t quite cut it.

Expect more Dubai deals and stuff shortly, as the PRs (and I🤓) get back in the groove after summer breaks.

👇 A few things worth knowing about Dubai this week 👇

💸 10% off Etihad with Amex.

💸 20% off Qatar Airways.

🧮 Dubai Tourism Statistics.

👨‍✈️ Emirates - that flypast, more (fun) statistics.

🇩🇪 Oktoberfest at Barasti.

Tittle-Tattle: Lionel Richie at NYE, Beach Clubs reopening, 10 Dubai drinks, Global Village reopening. Soho Beach.

Thanks for reading 👏

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FLIGHT DEALS

Up to 10% Discount on Etihad With AmEx

Etihad are offering up to 10% discount on flights booked with American Express.

Booking via this link*, passengers can avail of maximum 5% discount to/from UAE, or up to 10% discount elsewhere.

To use the promo, enter the first four digits of your AmEx card in the box on the website*, and if discounted flights are available and your card is eligible, the website will pop a message up saying “Promo Code has been applied successfully”.

The promo code worked for me with a UK-issued AmEx (see screenshot).

• This offer may not be available for all AmEx cards (hence the need to validate the first four numbers of the card).

• Offer is not valid for multi-city or stopover itineraries.

• Offer is not valid on partners, i.e. must be Etihad ‘metal’ (ie their own aircraft)

• Book by 31 Dec 24.

🔗 Etihad up to 10% off fares with AmEx*

FLIGHT DEALS

Qatar Airways “Summer Is Calling” With 20% Discount

Qatar Airways are also offer a promotion, with up to 20% discount in their “Summer is Calling*” sale.

Note - confusingly, this offer/sale seems to be also known as “Destination Sunshine” for some reason… hopefully the link will still keep working!

The promotion offers up to 20% discount when booked via website or app* for fares.

Additionally, discounts of up to 30% are available on seat selection and 20% for meet and greet services.

• Book between 03 and 09 Sep 24.

• Travel between 03 Sep 24 to 30 Jun 25.

🔗 Qatar Airways “Summer is Calling” Sale*

DRINK

Oktoberfest at Barasti

Two of my favourite things - beer and Barasti - combine this month as Barasti will be hosting (or should that be, leider-hosen?) their Oktoberfest celebrations between Sat 21 Sep to Sun 06 Oct 24.

🔗 Destination Mina Seyahi: Barasti

DUBAI

A Few Interesting Facts Behind Dubai’s Tourism Statistics

As reported in previous editions, Dubai’s inbound tourism numbers go from strength to strength.

I’m always interested to read more on this - and hopefully you are - such as, did you know Dubai’s a primary destination for ‘health tourism’? Almost 700,000 medical tourists visited during 2023, directly spending 1.34 billion dirhams on treatment, and bringing an indirect revenue of 2.34 billion AED towards GDP.

Dubai’s always been a haven for cosmetic surgery visitors - who hasn’t seen those ‘bandages by the beach’? - and thinking about it, it’s no big surprise given how exceptional the healthcare provision is locally that other types of medical tourists more will visit for procedures.

According to British Airways, Dubai is the 7th favourite destination of choice amongst British travellers. Given that BA came up with this from searches of package holidays for Dubai on their website, I’m sure that figure will be even higher if you asked Emirates or Etihad 🙂

1.89 million Western European visitors touched down in Dubai in the first half of 2024.

EMIRATES

Emirates A380 Flyover Johannesburg

Did you see this “epic flyover” during the national anthems in the recent South Africa vs New Zealand game at Ellis Park, Johannesburg?

This was their first A380 flypast in South Africa, and was partly to announce the start of their second daily A380 flight between JNB and DXB.

Read more about the crew and their famous pilot, who has also done a few of the famous Emirates ‘event’ flights, such as flying around that ‘flight attendant on the Burj Khalifa.

Chocolate, Drinks and Partnership Connectivity Statistics

Have you ever pondered how much chocolate gets consumed by Emirates passengers?

Here’s the choc info you never knew you needed, including Economy passengers scoffed 36.3 million chocolates. Not to be outdone, here’s more on the drinks brands available onboard, including some of the 10 new premium brands available.

Talking of interesting statistics, here’s a great infographic showing Emirates have doubled their partner connectivity to over 1,700 destinations via 162 partners.

DUBAI NEWS/TITTLE-TATTLE

Lionel Richie announced to headline at Atlantis “New Year Under The Stars” gala dinner/concert on New Year’s Eve.

Tickets are available from 6,500 to 200,000 AED for the VIP Sky Suite via Platinum List

🔗 Lionel Richie at Atlantis, The Palm

The 10 types of drinks in Dubai, and suggestions where to go for them.

These beach clubs are reopening for the new season in Dubai.

Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel and Aloft Dubai Creek get a new Complex General Manager in Sammy Gani.

Two Marriott hotels that go under the radar a bit, and Aloft is a great pick on price and if you’re looking to be around ‘Old Dubai’. Sheraton Mall of Emirates is fine if you really like malls I guess, though it does have a few good F&B outlets.

Gucci PR Director to join Jumeirah, to “help shape the hotel chain’s communication strategy”.

Global Village to reopen for its 29th season on 16 Oct 24, and will close on 11 May 25.

Will Robbie Williams open a hotel in Dubai?

Keinemusik to open Soho Beach on World Islands on Sat 06 Nov 24.