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The Perseids peak 12 August under a new moon, one of the best windows in years
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| The Perseids, one of the strongest showers visible from this region at up to about 100 streaks an hour, are most visible on the night of Wednesday 12 August, and because a new moon falls the same night there is almost no light to wash them out. The Dubai Astronomy Group runs an observation night in the Al Khatim Desert in Abu Dhabi from 11pm on 12 August into the early hours of 13 August, peak around 1:30am, tickets from Dhs160. If you would rather go alone, Al Qudra desert is about an hour from Dubai and dark enough. It costs nothing to watch, and it is the rare night out you can hand straight to the kids. |
| 2August petrol is up 20 fils a litre across every grade | | The Fuel Price Committee's August rates went up AED 0.20 per litre on all grades for 1 to 31 August: E-Plus 91 at AED 3.41, Special 95 at AED 3.49, Super 98 at AED 3.60, and diesel at AED 3.80. In plain terms that is about Dh8 more to fill a 40-litre tank, and roughly Dh24 more on a 120-litre tank, versus July. The price is fixed until the end-of-August announcement, so if you drive long distances, this is the number to budget around for the month. |
| 3Saudi Arabia's new multiple-entry Umrah visa quietly rewrites the arithmetic of the whole year | | Saudi Arabia has introduced a multiple-entry Umrah visa: one approval, valid 365 days, multiple entries, up to 90 days of cumulative stay, open to Muslims of all nationalities including UAE residents. It isn't valid during Hajj season, and each visit still needs a fresh Umrah permit through the Nusuk app. Packages bundling visa, insurance, hotel and transport run about Dh2,000 to Dh2,684, with luxury options at Dh5,000 to Dh7,000. If anyone in your family makes the trip more than once a year, it's the first change in a while that lands on your side of the ledger. |
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WHAT TO DO
Book an approved Umrah package on the Nusuk platform (nusuk.sa) first, then apply for the multiple-entry visa in the same app. The standalone visa runs Dh300 to Dh600, and you will need a fresh Umrah permit through Nusuk before each arrival.
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