Connect with us

Travel/Tourism

Spring Beckons: 10 Fresh Ideas for Family Fun across Dubai This Season

Published

on

If you’re looking for ways to spend time together as a family this spring, think Dubai for all manner of exciting activities and experiences. From outdoor sports to inspiring cooking classes, to culturally-enriching art exhibitions, we present below fresh ideas on how to make the most of your holiday in the emirate this Spring.

Tour the Town

A walking tour is a great way to discover the best of what a city has to offer. And now, thanks to a collaboration between Dubai Tourism and two digital tour apps, you can discover and learn more with what is, essentially, a virtual tour guide in your pocket – and it won’t cost you a dirham. The tours, titled ‘Metro Moments’ (available on the Voice Map app), and ‘Al Fahidi Architecture Tour’ (available on the on the Pocket Guide app), are available to download from the Apple Store and Google Play. They use GPS technology to provide users with audio guides to various points of interest in real time, as you progress from one to the next.

Hand Over the Reigns

One of the best things about taking some time off from the grind of everyday life is the fact that you don’t have to sit behind a wheel during rush hour. Yet it’s hard to switch to “holiday mode” when you’re worried about keeping your little ones happy and safe – which is why it’s great that taxi company Careem now offers a kids’ service – a vehicle dedicated to families that are equipped with a universal child car seat that’s suitable for kids up to 30kg. Drivers are also specially-trained Careem Kids Captains, who are pros at safely installing and altering the seat sizes, and who can help you to look after your family while you also take a “holiday” from the driver’s seat.

Go on Safari

Hop over to Dubai Safari, where you and your family will be able to experience an incredible array of creatures, big and small. Not only is there a truly impressive collection of unique wildlife for the whole family to “meet”, there are also plenty of edutainment-focused activities that mean there’s heaps of learning and fun to be had, while specially-trained guides inform about the flora and fauna you come across.

Cook up a Storm

Take a family cooking class and learn the essentials and perfect some useful life skills at the Culinary Boutique in Jumeirah, a cooking school and café featuring speciality classes dedicated to certain types of cuisine. It also features Family Day sessions and Kids Cooking Lessons, specially designed for families and little ones. Take a class here and you’ll be able to enjoy the meal you made together afterwards.

Paint a Picture

Head to The Jam Jar in Dubai’s Al Quoz area, where you can rent all the painting equipment you need before unleashing your and your family’s creativity in the onsite studio. They supply everything – from brushes, paints, and canvases, to helpful staff that assists you if you need help or inspiration – and you can, of course, take your artwork home at the end of the session. Why not make it a family challenge to each paint your favorite memory from Dubai so far?

Make a Splash

Few places do edutainment better than Legoland Dubai, a park that was exclusively created to cater for families with children aged 2-12. Whether you’re exploring Miniland, an impressive array of structures and recreations of entire areas of Dubai and other famous landmarks around the world made entirely out of Lego bricks, heading to The Factory arena to see how some of the products are produced (and perhaps walking home with your own customised Lego brick), or just enjoying the wide variety of land- and water-based rides, you’re guaranteed to head home with satisfied, smiling faces, who might also have learned a new thing or two.

Find Adventure

If the thought of streams, waterfalls, fountains, trees, and gardens, complete with tree houses, wooden bridges and climbing nets, not to mention a sandy play area, petting zoo, and even a “mud kitchen”, gets your kids excited, then it’s time to put Dubai’s new XPark Jr on your “must visit” list. Located next to Jumeirah’s XDubai Skatepark close to Kite Beach, this adventure park was specially designed for little ones and families, to allow children to take healthy risks in an environment where they can build confidence, make friends, inspire their imagination, and defy their limits in a positive way.

Skate it Out

Dubai’s burgeoning skateboarding scene offers some truly impressive facilities for skateboarders (or hopeful skateboarders) where there are ramps to suit every ability, and lessons to help improve your technique. If you’re seeking an alfresco vibe, head to XDubai Skatepark near Kite Beach. There are plenty of spots from which parents can watch or if your kids prefer a bit of space while they’re trying out their new tricks, you can easily pop over to one of the nearby beachside cafés and restaurants. For indoor skating, make your way to The Zoo Skatepark in Al Quoz – Dubai’s largest indoor skate venue and one of the city’s most extensive.

Fun and Games

Calling all mini-golf fans! While golf often gets a bad rap as a private, exclusive sport, the miniature version is open to the entire family and promises fun for all – especially somewhere like Tee and Putt. It’s the only place in the UAE that offers a glow-in-the-dark golfing facility, and they’ve recently introduced a new concept that blends mini-golf with the ‘escape room’ concept, creating a unique puzzle-style golf challenge where participants have to solve nine puzzles on nine holes in one hour. Good luck!

Run the Good Race

The racing track at Dubai Autodrome isn’t just a place for adrenaline-fuelled adults – it’s actually a great way to spend a day with the family, and it’s suitable for all ages. The Dubai Kartdrome has become a hub for kids’ parties and teen activities, and there’s no need to worry since safety always comes first: all packages include helmets, overalls, gloves, marshals, mechanics, safety crews, medical support, timing, and a coordinator. Whether it’s a birthday, group event, or just a fun day out, you and your family won’t forget the experience in a hurry.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

Advertisement
1 Comment

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Travel/Tourism

Digital Integration in the 2026 Global Travel Sector

Published

on

Global Travel Sector

The manner in which international travel and digital entertainment intersect has experienced a massive transformation in the current year. As the volume of international travel continues to rise to unprecedented levels, the technological potential to access a 1xbet giriş from any point in the world has become the benchmark by which the efficacy of a given system or network should be judged. In 2026, more than 65% of international travel hubs have completely integrated standalone 5G connectivity, providing the environment that is required to enable high-stakes sports viewing. This means that regardless of the position that the sports aficionado finds themselves in, at the top of a mountain or at the coast, the nature of the information that flows will remain the same. The modern-day traveler expects nothing but the best, and that includes the manner in which they will be able to engage with the digital hobbies that they have been able to cultivate during the course of the year.

The way in which the experience is felt has also been improved through the efficiency of the software that is used to power the mobile experience. If the user has opted to install the 1xbet apk file on the 2026 flagship device, the user is able to experience the new “Travel-Adaptive” coding that reduces the background data usage by 30% when traveling internationally. This is an important aspect of the experience because the user may find themselves in transit for an extended period of time without the ability to plug in and charge the device. As the statistics show for the first half of the year, the user of the mobile The application is able to experience a 25% reduction in data usage when traveling compared to the user who makes use of the mobile web browser in order to experience the sports entertainment the user has grown accustomed to. It is a more relaxed experience where the main aspect is the thrill of the game.

The Role of Mobile Betting in Modern Tourism

It should be noted that the modern betting process concerning sports is considered to be one of the most effective ways to get entertained during a long flight or when staying at the airport. Mobile betting is considered to be a unique opportunity for a tourist not just to view a sporting event, but also to become an active participant of that sporting event that is taking place on the other side of the world. Thanks to the speed of modern applications, it is possible for a tourist to react immediately to the changes in the score and adjust the predictions accordingly during an excursion or when staying by the pool. Such an event is considered to be an adventure in bright colors.

Apart from the entertainment that such modern platforms offer, they also present a great number of analytical data that allows the tourist to get engaged in the process. One of the main purposes of such tourism is to get satisfaction from the accuracy of one’s prediction, as well as competition. Such platforms pay great attention to the safety issues, reminding the tourist that “betting should be an additional positive experience of your trip.”

Network Benchmarks for the Connected Traveler

The sports enthusiast who is always on the go would find that the line which separates an enjoyable experience from an unenjoyable experience of sports betting is measured in mere milliseconds. In fact, the world average of mobile latency for tourist destinations has been reduced to mere 16ms in 2026, which is an important consideration for sports enthusiasts who enjoy sports betting for games such as tennis and basketball.

The table below shows the current standards for mobile network performance for the most prominent tourist destinations around the world:

Network Metric Global Average 2026 Satisfaction Rate Primary Use Case
Download Speed 195.6 Mbps 88 percent High-definition streaming
Signal Latency (5G) 16 ms 92 percent Real-time Live updates
Roaming Cost 1.15 USD / GB 74 percent Continuous background sync
App Load Time 1.8 seconds 85 percent Rapid market entry
Connection Stability 99.8 percent 91 percent Uninterrupted viewing

As per the latest research findings on the subject by the research company named Statista, it has been identified that the need for high-speed mobile data for the tourists is rising by an increase of 40%. This is mainly because the tourist would like to experience a form of ‘multi-layered’ entertainment. The definition of ‘multi-layered’ implies that the sports enthusiast would like to view a live streaming event, access his or her social media account, and place a friendly bet on the event simultaneously. Therefore, as long as this infrastructure is in place, this would thrive.

The Evolution of Mobile Betting as Travel Leisure

In the year 2026, mobile betting for sports would be considered a fun way of spicing up the entire travel experience. This is because it would be able to provide a new dimension to a sporting event that an individual is witnessing while traveling in a pub or a train. It would be able to provide individuals with a way of having a personal stake in a world event. Thus, the hours that an individual spends in a train or an airport would be able to pass quickly with a fun way of gamification of sports viewing.

In the year 2026, modern mobile betting has turned out to be a full-fledged way of socializing for travelers. This is because many individuals use the co-watching features of the application and group betting features of the application in order to compete with their friends back home or connect with other sports fans of the sport that they are watching while visiting pubs around the world. It is because it would be able to provide individuals with a new dimension of traveling. It is no longer just about traveling to a new destination; it is about becoming part of a new world community where talking about the probabilities of winning or forward performance of a team is considered to be the universal language of communication. It is no longer just about betting; it is about getting the rhythm of the world of sports wherever an individual is located—from the cozy European roads to the futuristic cities of Asia.

Popular Mobile Sports Activities for People on the Move

Individuals who travel in 2026 have managed to come up with their own ways of having fun through sports without missing out on their sightseeing targets. There has been a new trend of “micro-betting,” which refers to betting on a game that will happen in the near future.

The following is a list that points out the best mobile sports-related activities for traveling individuals for the current year:

  • Predicting the total points scored in one quarter of the basketball game while in short transit stops.
  • Tracking the sports player that is most likely to score the next goal in the football game while in a cafe.
  • Determining the total number of games in one set in the tennis game while in downtime at a resort.
  • Viewing the percentage of ball possession for a particular team through the use of graphical overlays.
  • Predicting the exact number of free throws scored in a game while in downtime at a hotel.

The activities will be perfect for the downtime in the traveling schedule as they will provide the individual with a dose of excitement without making the individual glued to his/her screens for hours. This way, the individual will be able to appreciate the digital world as well as the beauty of the world he/she is in.

Security and Responsible Habits Abroad

However, with the introduction of mobile transactions during travel, the factor of security has been regarded as a major factor. In fact, in the current scenario, 94% of the total mobile sports platforms provide multi-factor biometric authentication. This means that the security of your account is ensured even when you are accessing the internet through a public source of internet connectivity, such as Wi-Fi. Moreover, the majority of the platforms provide “Smart Limits” that are location and time zone-based. In this way, an individual can develop a habit when they are traveling. All of this has been done in a way that the overall experience remains a positive one. This is because betting is something that an individual chooses for his or her entertainment.

The innovations in the field of technology, such as the introduction of technology through eSIM, allow an individual to remain connected. This means that an individual does not face “bill shock” when they are using roaming.

Continue Reading

Travel/Tourism

FG Adopts Hybrid Access Gate Payment System at Airports

Published

on

faan-toll-gates

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The federal government has directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to adopt a hybrid payment system that accommodates both cash and card payments at all airport access gates with effect from Friday, March 13, 2026.

This system is to be used until the introduction of a fully automated or electronic system at all access gates at the airports in order to fully and eventually eliminate cash payments.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, disclosed that these decisions were reached after reviewing the initial implementation and the operational challenges observed.

FAAN had earlier commenced an electronic payment system last week, but it was suspended by President Bola Tinubu due to the traffic gridlock it created.

Yesterday, the Aviation Minister met with officials of FAAN and senior officials of the Ministry, and it was agreed to engage concessionaires for the introduction of a fully automated or electronic system.

Mr Keyamo, in the statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Mr Tunde Moshood, said motorists who already possess FAAN Go Cashless Cards may continue to use them until further notice.

It was also resolved that other electronic payment options, including POS terminals and other approved digital channels, will also remain available, while members of the public and road users were encouraged to obtain and use the FAAN Go Cashless Card as the organisation continues to enhance and fully optimise the cashless payment system.

Continue Reading

Travel/Tourism

Tinubu Suspends Cashless Airport Toll Gate Payment System

Published

on

airport toll gate

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The cashless airport toll gate payment system introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has been suspended by President Bola Tinubu.

At the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja, Mr Tinubu directed the agency to immediately return to the status quo, pending the development of a more efficient system.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, who announced the suspension after the FEC meeting today, said the action followed gridlock that trailed the new system, which caused passengers to miss their flights.

FAAN had commenced the cashless payment system for airport toll gates across the country in a bid to block revenue leakages and adopt an electronic payment system instead of cash.

But this policy caused traffic gridlock at several airports, especially those in Lagos and Abuja.

“Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing their flights, missing their flights.

“So, Mr President, out of empathy, directed today that we should suspend the present system because it creates a lot of gridlock, and Nigerians are suffering as a result of it,” Mr Keyamo informed newsmen.

“The major reason why Mr President took this decision is to eliminate the present gridlock that we are experiencing, especially at both the Lagos and Abuja toll gates leading to the airport.

“That’s the major reason, not that the President is happy with the cash system,” he added.

The Minister further said the President directed stakeholders to “go back and, if possible, even engage the private sector to ensure that we establish an electronic system by which we can collect these revenues for the federal government at the gates, to the extent that it will not create the gridlock that we are having right now.”

“We are going to do a hybrid system whereby we can collect cash temporarily and, of course, use the cards that they have collected temporarily for now,” Mr Keyamo added.

Continue Reading

Trending