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In today’s newsletter:

Take a look at the most recent news from Arabian Business. Here's what your missed on Wednesday:

The UAE is in the midst of an extended holiday for Eid Al Fitr. With public and private sector workers enjoying a nine-day break from work, when factoring in weekends, it is the longest holiday of the year. However, it is far from the final public holiday in the UAE this year and there are many more dates to look forward to.

Meanwhile, the UAE is set to host the Gulf Youth Games as regional countries go head-to-head in junior sporting championships. The Organising Committee of first Gulf Youth Games has announced that all sports facilities in the five host Emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Fujairah —are fully prepared to host the event.

In other news, Dubai International Airport has been named the “most luxurious” in the world, according to travel experts All Clear Travel Insurance. In an analysis of more than 1,800 global airports it was ranked as the best in the world for luxury experiences. With its zen gardens, luxury hotels, swimming pool, cinema and boutique dining Dubai took the top spot.

Additionally, Thailand is leading discussions with other South East Asian countries to launch a combined “Schengen-style” visa in a bid to further boost travel. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has identified Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar as partners in a bloc that already attracted around 70m tourists last year.

In Saudi Arabia, ROSHN Group has launched ALMANAR, its fifth integrated mixed-use community and its first venture in Makkah. The first phase of ALMANAR will provide 4,149 residential units that will house over 17,000 people on a footprint of 2.5 million square meters.

THE LONGER READ:

UAE ophthamologists take a look at the viral TikTok trend of Keratopigmentation which lets people change their eye colour permanently

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