Category Archives: Tourism

Wrong footing?

This happens, we all get our footing wrong, even I. As such I had my ‘ideas’ about Ahmed Mawlana, nothing bad. But whilst we see ‘Has the UAE’s meteoric rise reached its limit?’ Which is given to us by the Middle East Eye (at https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/has-uaes-meteoric-rise-reached-its-limit), so Ahmed Mawlana is a researcher specialising in International Relations and Security Affairs. He holds an MA in international relations from Sabahattin Zaim University in Istanbul, so as I see it, he is no grocery wannabe. And I am fine with that. So as we see “In less than two decades, Abu Dhabi has transformed itself from a relatively low-profile Gulf state into one of the region’s most assertive powers. How did a country of around one million citizens acquire such an outsized regional role? The UAE’s rise is linked to its ability to capitalise on successive regional crises, beginning with the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, accelerating with the Arab Spring, and gaining strength amid Washington’s declining engagement in the Middle East.” He ends the article with “Ultimately, the principal constraint on the Emirati model is structural. The UAE possesses immense financial resources and an extensive network of international partnerships, but it remains a small state with a limited citizen population and little strategic depth – making it difficult to sustain prolonged regional crises, or to confront larger powers directly.

I get what he write and there is logic in this, but I also see what the UAE has achieved and whilst I was never there, YouTube has been very vocal (it’s YouTube creators) to show us all what the UAE has achieved. In support of my way of thinking is the Reuters article that gives us ‘UAE non-oil growth hits four-month high in July, PMI shows’ (at https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-non-oil-growth-hits-four-month-high-july-pmi-shows-2026-08-05/) where we see: “The United Arab Emirates’ non-oil private sector grew at its fastest pace in four months in July as new orders climbed to a ‌five-month high and export business rose, a business survey showed on Wednesday.” As I see it, the non-oil part is essential here. We see the growing tourism and service settings. We see additional maritime growth and that is merely the beginning. The UAE has a lot to gain in all this, which is why I have ‘issues’ with the setting of Ahmed Mawlana. He might be correct, but the term “meteoric rise reached its limit” can be explained in a few ways. One of them is that the stellar growth might be gone. I don’t think so, especially as tourism can still grow a lot more, but that is possible. Still as we see Real Estate and tourism grow, there is still the difference between strong growth and meteoric rise, so whilst the second has reached its peak the first one is still within the grasp of the UAE. Personally I think it is becoming time to make Iran extinct. A shameful thought to have, nut they did that to themselves and I created 4-5 military IP’s to make something according to that need happen (I am more of a surgical instrument) why kill when you can destroy their abilities and commodities so they destroy themselves. I am at times that simple.

So whilst we get the setting that Reuters gives (just a few) 

Which is also slightly debatable. For instance we see “Business confidence weakened for a third straight month to its lowest since March”, which I accept as one of the given facts, but at this point I wonder how that confidence level is when compared to the US economy setting of the United States? This question is formed as Al Jazeera gives us ‘Why did the US economy slow down?’ (at https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/8/4/why-did-the-us-economy-slow-down) where we see “The US economy slowed more than expected, but it’s not because Americans stopped spending. So what really happened? The answer lies in how economic growth is measured, and America’s massive investment in artificial intelligence”, yet the other (not given fact) is that players like Deloitte give us “While broad corporate spending is skyrocketing, tangible financial returns often take two to four years to materialize instead of the usual 7 to 12 months for standard tech” and I have a problem with that. Some sources give us “Studies indicate that up to 95% of early generative AI pilots struggle to show a clear positive financial return because tools are deployed without changing underlying workflow” and I see the class actions forming and that is messing with the RoI (Return on Investment) as well. All this is making the US Economy not a volleyball but a paintball at best and anyone who gets hit by its paint is heading for stormy weathers (not the girl), although the effect are the same, but not as pleasurable. In all this, there is optionally a cause for not seeing meteoric rise but strong growth is still on the table, no matter how muddy the United States administration makes some ‘facts’ look. And in all this, I till see plenty of options for the UAE, I merely think that they need to go of the AI horse. The AI is lousy and all AI is Fake AI (as I personally see it), so why bury yourself in 3-8 years of turnaround (I definitely disagree with the Deloitte numbers. I reckon that the UAE has a better setting throwing themselves on actual programming and creating stuff that has the turnaround time of 7-12 months. Let big tech break their teeth on tech that is over a decade away. They might survive, others will not and I do not trust the settings that the United States are throwing out there. Too much of it is not validated and as I perceive it not verified in any way. The UAE has actual issues to face (that terrorist state Iran) and holding their coffers in a 3 to 8 years wait state is no solution. 

Perhaps I am seeing this wrong, these fake AI have real options, ML and DL are great tools (I use the term DML as they are combining the two) and I have seen great solutions, but that setting in a 3-7 years setting is not a real solution. Consider the issues that some are reconsidering idea that are out there ‘How Commonwealth Bank and Microsoft are reimagining the future of customer service’, which I see as nothing more that the setting that NICE and CX One already have. So whilst that is happening. I wrote ‘Two paths to similar stages’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2022/03/30/two-paths-to-similar-stages/) in March 3022, so it is not a last minute idea. There was more, and in light of the Tourism settings in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the idea started to form to have a Muslim solution (I meant Arabic) that industry is exploding to a larger degree whilst they are all pushing American solutions which are not 100% covering Islamic rules and ideas. That should stop and I saw an opening for the UAE and Saudi Arabia to get one solution in the field that would fuel both nations, optionally Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan and a few other places. So whilst Microsoft had this inflated idea with “CBA will work with Microsoft to drive greater customer benefits through wider adoption of generative AI (Gen AI) and ongoing cyber security initiatives” I saw this idea 4 years earlier whilst not using AI, because it would be decades before we are there. 

Just thinking out loud. Have a great day today

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, IT, Media, Politics, Science, Tourism

Saved by the news bell

That is the setting. You see I was about to go nuts regarding fake AI (in this case the screw ups of WordPress) but before I got really angry CBC saved me. You see (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/britannia-beach-surf-park-9.7293328) we are given ‘A surf park is coming to B.C. — and it’s making waves with the locals’ which is (beside the lovely wordplay) a setting I never saw coming. You see, surfing seems to be closely linked to Hawaii and California. I never went surfing (cannot keep my balance on a skateboard), and I wasn’t about to try this on a surfboard. I am happy with the balance I can keep on a pair of CCM EFLEX 6 Ice Hockey Goalkeeper Skates Senior. I don’t mind the word ‘senior’ at this point as I am 60+ but the setting of surfing is one I like and admire, but you are not likely to see me on such a board. That ice there is too fluidic, that is more a Summer McIntosh setting, I am of the mind that Brooke McIntosh has, although she is a figure skater and I really have no figure, I am all about the puck (as a goalie I prefer it to go towards the other goalie). 

So back to the story, as we are given that in 2029 British Columbia will have its first surf pool. So as the setting s in the United States are deteriorating, Canada has another safe space for tourists. And now the surfers have a new outlook on pretty sites (nature) and healthy settings toward surfing. As it is the first one in Canada, it might get swamped straight of the bat with Canadians too. As such tourists will get a first handle on Poutine, Tourtière and of course the local delicacy ice wine (which I have never tried). So as we see these things come into play, there is another reason to come to British Columbia and it is less than an hour north of Vancouver, as such there are a multitude of reasons, beside the setting that it is smack in the middle of the road between Vancouver and Whistler, as such there are a multitude of reasons to spend the summer of 2029 in British Columbia and as I see it, you could stay in either of the three places whilst going from one to the other. As there is a bias service between Vancouver and Whistler, there is every chance that they will now in addition stop at South Britannia surf and the bus ticket from Vancouver to Whistler is a mere $33, as such it will be cheaper to get to South Britannia surf and if you are not sure where to stay, you could hedge your bet and stay in South Britannia surf whilst either place is a mere hour away and visit the other two places. As I see it, British Columbia is becoming increasingly interesting for international tourists. So whilst we relish the Beach boys sound, this might be the time for the Beach boys to make yet another jab at additional fame by creating a new Surf rock song for British Columbia. To be honest I think that this might be the greatest setting we see, because for decades surfing was synonymous with Hawaii and California and now that the Us economy is taking a massive dip, Canada will be there to relieve the people of the dangers of going to America. I reckon that this setting could be placed in either Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Sharjah all places that could replace the touristy need of going to the United States. 

So when you are considering where to learn to surf, consider British Columbia in 2029, just be aware that bears in Canada are not heavy set Bikers, they are real furry 800 pound rascals that are not of the vegetarian kind. So take any local warning serious.

Beyond that, British Columbia is breathtakingly beautiful, so there are numerous reasons to go there in place of California. And all that is even before we compare the amazingly healthy water in BC compared to the water quality of polluted sport in California. I cannot vouch for the California water quality, but the water in British Columbia is considered one of the healthiest in North America and that is saying something. 

So whilst you consider and fantasize about becoming a surf king or queen in British Columbia, I will return to the waned anger I am facing considering WordPress and will I consider Typecho or go towards Google blogger? Well, I wish you all a fine day, have a good one.

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, Media, sport, Tourism

Valid questions

After the surge I felt when I was ‘valued’ at $150,000,000 I got all happy and dreamy on the subject (that would be me) and delusional thoughts of Sergey Brin offering me $50,000,000 but he needed one small favour of me. You guessed it, he wanted Gemini to get exclusive access to my articles and he had set the premise of moving me to Google Blogger to get that done (not the worst idea) but it was not merely delusions. My brain in the background was working out other things and the dopamine that the scenario was giving me seemed to push that carrot along (there were more dreamy thoughts and the carrot in that setting makes sense). So, as I was considering an additional life in Toronto, with a long weekend trip to Quebec and the Galeries de la Capitale, my mind went on a surge. Things in the aftermath of it all doesn’t make much sense but at that moment It did. I stopped at M. Souvlaki for a pita Gyro and it all started to make sense to me when I saw the visitors card (online at the website of Galeries de la Capitale). Where we learn that “Out-of-town and international visitors are entitled to our visitor’s card which provides access to exclusive discounts at select retailers. *Visitor’s address must be 40km from Quebec City. An ID with proof of residence is required validation to obtain the visitor’s card. Some restrictions may apply.” You see, I have never ever been to Quebec, but consider the setting international (and Toronto Eaton Centre), this visitor pass could be the ticket to drive commerce in specific places and tourists are the ones who really like discount offers. Sydney (Westfield), London (Covent Garden), Netherlands (Bijenkorf) and many other places could adopt that idea of a visitors pass. It is marketing that earns itself back almost instantly. 

You see, I have no idea how I knew about the visitors pass, but there must have been a notice I saw out of the corner of my eyes. It is the only thing that makes sense. So, 8 hours ago the Economist gave us ‘What will Kevin Warsh do if America’s economy breaks?’ Because as I have seen this for a few months, it is about to break and as I see it, the Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States will openly have to defend the stupidity of this American administration and I think he won’t be able to, as such he will be dealt the ace of spades quite quickly and it will not include a serenade by Motorhead. So, as I see it, I saw opportunity in my view, but it quickly translates to a generic economic opportunity. I reckon that malls in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are contemplating similar settings. I don’t think that places like Harrods (London) and the Dubai Mall need them, but there are all kinds of malls all around these two places that might consider getting these few steps of visibility.

And as the Telegraph (UK) gives us ‘US and Japan take action to prop up yen’ I wonder why the United States wants to do this. Is it merely to score brownie points, or are they worried that the Yen and the US dollar can now no longer counter any serious act to own the dollar? The connected news from 24/7 Wall Street is ‘The $1.2 Trillion Reason Scott Bessent Just Bought Japanese Yen’ I get the connection, but not the reason. You see president Trump is all about MAGA and America First, which is a scuttled wreck to say the least and I will be the first to look at alternative reasons, but being a non-economist I have no real chance of finding it, but anyone who wants to really know that, I would advice them to call Prime Minister Mark Carney (at +1 613-992-4793), because he would likely know. 

So whilst we are given ‘As Trump cites progress on deal to end war, Iran and Israel remain on alert’ (source: Washington Post) we are also given ‘Iran war live: Tehran says Hormuz negotiations with Oman in ‘final stages’’ (source: Al Jazeera) which leads me to the conviction that there is no deal to end the war coming and Tehran is setting the stage of more disruptions. As such the only act that makes sense is that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (with optional help of the United States) put the pressure on the Houthi terrorists and make sure that the Bab-al-Mandab Strait remains open for business, because that will also impact Egypt and the Suez Canal. The complication is seen in Iraq as we are given ‘Yemen’s Houthis are attacking Saudi Arabia from Iraq, sources say’ (source: Reuter) and as I have given voice to better strategy from March 1st onwards (even creating new weapon systems to do so) I am left with a dangerous question. Is president Trump fueling destabilisation on the Arabian peninsula? That setting is getting more and more traction on a global level. As I have predicted (several times) the economy of the United States is done for, so the only option left is to minimize their losses and make sure others have a lot more to worry about. Is it a valid question to ask whether the United States is working from the premise “It is not enough that I succeed, all others must fail” a setting we have attributed to Genghis Khan (ca 1200) and Larry Ellison (1988) who was the head honcho at Oracle. So does my setting make sense? You only have to see the clusterfuck the Iranian war seemingly is and the effects of of spending 39 billion on trying to achieve on what I could have done with merely 1 billion and of course the ‘expedited’ dismantling of 10 refineries, closing harbours and stopping their railways. A simple setting I gave months ago and been now we see some kind of scenario, all whilst Iran is doubling down on gaining the ‘trust’ of Oman?

How weird is all that, so I fear for those who are in some kind of ‘entrusted’ setting with the American administration, because that will bite the trusted allies really quick and quite soon. As we see the BBC give us a few days ago ‘US economic growth sees surprise slowdown in second quarter’ makes me wonder as this was clearly in the cards, Is the BBC catering to another premise and need? Is that a valid question?

I leave it to you to see the numbers, the effects and the questions voiced, whilst the valid questions are not answered, not anywhere as far as I can tell (or at least not in sources that are supposed to be valid) but it might merely be me, which could be all kinds of valid, but I have been asking similar questions for months, so  don’t think its me and I handed my IP to sources that seemingly needed them, so I feel verified and sanctified (a weird setting) because it as not done out of greed, but out of the facts I see and Iran had to be stopped. And if I can clearly see that, why can’t the Pentagon see that? Unless they are facing a different war at present. I will leve that up to my readers to consider that setting.

Have a great day today.

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, Law, Media, Military, Politics, Tourism

What a surprise

So, before I get you to the article, I want to reiterate my position. I did this a few times and here it matters. You see, on May 31st 2025 I wrote ‘All Dressed Up’ where I gave you ““The United States could experience a loss of $21 billion in tourism-related revenue this year if current trends continue, according to estimates by the U.S. Travel Association. According to the trade group, every 1% reduction in international tourist spending represents an annual loss of $1.8 billion for the U.S. economy. Furthermore, experts indicated that a strong U.S. dollar could be driving away international visitors.” Even though only Canada is ‘sifted’ out” I had some issues, because the numbers were seemingly giving added ‘benefits’ to the economic settings of this administration. And now we see CBC giving us (at https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cross-border-travel-down-dramatically-research-9.7198652) ‘Travel to the U.S. is down even more dramatically than we thought, data shows’ where we are seeing “While official Statistics Canada figures show a roughly 25 per cent decline in Canadian residents returning from the U.S. last year, cellphone data compiled by researchers at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities found that the year-over-year drop in cross-border trips was closer to 42 per cent.” Which is a nice sidestep and the University of Toronto has proven themselves more than once, so I am excepting this setting. This means that the numbers were off by over 15%, which gives my settings (and decently speculative) a new wave of reliability. So whilst we ‘accept’ the numbers we are also given “They found the decline was even more dramatic in some warm weather locales that have historically been hot spots for Canadians fleeing winter weather. In Myrtle Beach, S.C., the number of trips by Canadians was down 65 per cent year-over-year, according to the cellphone data, giving it the dubious title of the metro area with the steepest drop. In the Florida cities of Panama City, Orlando, Cape Coral, Miami and Naples, the number of Canadian visitors fell by 50 per cent or more. But cratering demand wasn’t recorded only in those sunny destinations. Trips to San Francisco, New York, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, Mich., Boston and other business centres have also fallen by more than half, according to the data. In fact, of the 267 U.S. metro areas analyzed by researchers, only three — Cleveland, Portland, Ore., and Gainesville, Fla. — showed an increase in visits by Canadians last year.” What a lovely way to powder a message. Canadians kept up their promise that they were sick and tired of the 51st state setting of the United States by showing a massive decline to well over 250 U.S. metro areas? That should suck to the economy of the United States and I reckon that some people in this administration long before the Tuesday, November 3 moment has come to the calendars of all American voters and as ‘they’ say, every citizen is a voter at that point. So as the USA Today gave us yesterday (at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/07/13/trump-federal-control-midterm-elections/90840111007/) ‘Trump moves to tighten federal control of elections ahead of midterms’ there is a setting that the drop in tourism will have every citizen of the United States livid. So whilst we are given “The president says he’s trying to prevent cheating, but Democrats argue he’s actually putting his thumb on the scale for the GOP by trying to block Democrats from voting.” Which is likely to be a repeat from 2016 when ‘O’Reilly’s Proof That Voter Fraud Exists Was Debunked On His Own Show Four Years Ago’, it is all kids of mean that I figure on using the words of a dedicated Republican to whistle back the BS from a republican administration. And we were given “Fox News host Bill O’Reilly argued that Mitt Romney’s failure to receive any votes in the 2012 presidential election in 59 divisions in Philadelphia was evidence that widespread voter fraud exists presidential elections. This claim was investigated and proved false on O’Reilly’s show one week after the 2012 election. O’Reilly invited lawyers Kimberly Guilfoyle and Stacy Schneider to discuss the prevalence of voter fraud in presidential elections. While both Guilfoyle and Schneider agreed that voter fraud is extremely rare, O’Reilly pointed to “reports in Philadelphia that nobody voted for Romney” as proof that voter fraud exists and asked if these reports have been investigated. From the August 16 edition of The O’Reilly Factor: O’Reilly himself investigated and debunked these allegations in 2012. Following the election, O’Reilly hosted Fox’s Megyn Kelly to investigate the “shenanigans” and why Romney got zero votes in a number of Philadelphia divisions. Kelly explained that “the same thing happened to John McCain” in 2008 because “the divisions with the unanimous Obama votes have large black, inner-city populations.”” 

So will this be a repeat of what we saw in 2016, and with the population of 250 U.S. metro areas extremely likely to be livid, what chance does this administration have? So whilst we return to the story and visit “In an interview with CBC News, Karen Chapple, the lead researcher and director of the School of Cities, said the drop in tourism to popular destinations like Orlando, as well as border communities like Buffalo, N.Y., has been well-documented. What her cellphone data makes clear is that the Canadian boycott is affecting cities both big and small across the States — and it’s not just leisure travel that has dried up. The self-imposed travel ban has extended to high-tech, financial and industrial centres, signaling that cross-border business and trade patterns have fundamentally shifted over the last year. “I have been using the word ‘sea change,'” Chapple said of the data she and her team uncovered. “And the places most impacted by the tariffs are also the ones most affected by the loss of travel,” she said, pointing to some Michigan cities like Flint that have trade ties to Ontario’s auto sector. “These declines are really tied to the composition of the local economies.”” A setting which my (decently speculative numbers also looked at) you see, there is a lot more to the spending of an international traveling person. They often fro not know certain things, or they might see it as impolite to use certain settings and this would have impacted local businesses a lot more. Like the local B&B places (to name merely one) and none of those earlier numbers would have seen that and now we see that there is a 15% gap between what was and seemingly what is. 

It is at this point where the CBC setting matters. As we are given “The U.S. Travel Association last year said a 10 per cent drop in Canadian tourism would cost the American economy about $2.1 billion US. If Chapple’s data is an accurate reflection of what’s going on, that means Canadians holding back on U.S. travel may have cost the economy about $8.4 billion US and counting. Speaking at a progressive political conference last weekend, Prime Minister Mark Carney applauded Canadians’ efforts to stand up to the Americans as the trade dispute with Trump drags on.” And now I get to gloat (just a little) and my story given on August 30th 2025 called ‘Vindication of a sort’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2025/08/30/vindication-of-a-sort/) where I stated 

So my speculation was hitting reality on nearly all thrusters and whilst bankruptcies are on a high in Florida (44,496), which dwarves the previous year (which had 32,933) and these numbers are set to May 26th 2026, as such these numbers are most likely to rise and taken that the CBC gives us alternative numbers, that jump might be a lot and I speculated it over a year ago, that is before we look at California where we see ‘California personal bankruptcies up 15% in a year’ (source: East Bay Times). The story they have comes with graphics, which are (especially for Canadians, fun to behold at https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2026/06/02/california-personal-bankruptcies-up-15-in-a-year/) It gives me that Texas with its 20% is still a states to consider and considering all these families renting out part of their house on a B&B setting are likely to be all personal bankruptcies. When you add all this up, you might start seeing the settings I say in 2025 because this all was set to Canadian impact, whilst I was looking at the larger international community that had enough of Trumpisms and I also considered that the Commonwealth nations might stand with Canada and select Canada as the destination for the next few years. That speculation is seemingly holding water as well, as such the United States has a real problem until deep into 2029 and with the Middle East exploring their tourism settings (especially the UAE) that hardship is nowhere near done. 

So some might see this as ego boasting, but there is no ego in place. I merely saw the numbers behind the numbers and I saw a trend evolving and I have been doing this since 1992, so I have a few markers that have been seeing the test of time. My ego does giggle at the simple fact that I was more on the nose with these numbers than all the fake AI in the land. So that part is gloating boasting and all kinds of nearly negative settings. I don’t have to give space to fake AI, it is that kind of a day today (at it is Wednesday 01:10 here), it sometimes suck to be a Fake AI, doesn’t it?

The article has one source “Barbara Barrett, executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association, a trade group representing the mostly family-owned stores that dot the Canadian side of the border, said the steeper drop-off figures are more believable than the StatsCan data, based on how badly sales have plummeted at some of her members’ outlets.” Yes, I never considered that, but Canadians tend to buy the Canadian articles they know, as such that group is also facing dwindling numbers. For them I do feel sorry, but it is part of the whole.

So as I go to bed with a gloat, I wish you all a great day, my Wednesday ‘officially’ starts in less than 300 minutes.

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, IT, Media, Politics, Tourism

Reasons to see the Middle East

I was told in the Khaleej Times (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/gulf/saudi-arabia-tourist-package-visa-service-pilot-phase) that Saudi Arabia is adding a few options. With ‘Saudi Arabia launches new tourist visa service package for 7 countries’ we are given “Saudi Arabia has launched a new tourist visa package which will allow visitors to obtain a visa as part of a extensive travel bundle, reducing the hassle of planning and booking an entire trip. The service allows tourists to book packages that combine various elements of their trip, including airfare, accommodation at licensed tourist housing, and electronic visa processing, with the option to add experiences, activities, and events.” As I personally see it, the vacation to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, optionally with addition to Qatar could now include an additional long weekend in Riyadh (or Dammam/Jeddah) with options towards the Kingdom Tower, Riyadh City Boulevard and the Grand Mosque, there are plenty of places and they now come as an optional addition. Whilst some go to other places through the worry that Riyadh might not have the options for a long time. We see that Riyadh has plenty to do as an addition. As such that tourist visa package could be the suitor for Saudi Arabia to get tourist traction and it could use that in the big picture of tourism. So as we also see “It is issued electronically within a maximum of 48 hours after the travel package purchase is completed, eliminating the need to visit a Saudi embassy or submit a standalone visa application. By including visa arrangement services within the package, service providers will be offering clients a smoother experience and design more integrated and attractive tourism packages, encouraging visitors to extend their trips.” Beside that we are given “The pilot phase of the program will be subject to specific operational requirements. These include the readiness of digital platforms and the provision of 24/7 technical support and visitor communication services. The ‘Tourist package visa’ service reflects a broader transformation in the sector, which is based on facilitating travel, strengthening partnerships with the private sector, offering more integrated tourism experiences, and opening wider horizons for the world to discover the Kingdom and its diverse destinations. The new service is part of a series of programs and services launched by the country in recent years to facilitate tourist access and enhance their experience, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030.” I reckon that this pilot will start this summer and when it shows the benefits to the tourist traction, it should be implemented in a much wider way. As I see it, Saudi Arabia could use the tourism boost and as tourists are avoiding the United States, these people need to go somewhere. In addition 1 in 5 people are Muslim making Saudi Arabia an optional point of interest and not all are likely to see Saudi Arabia as a vacation Destination, they will see Saudi Arabia as an optional additional location to other places and the most likely location was the UAE, so as I see it, this new visa might be the solution for Saudi Arabia, especially for people who need an additional or alternative location. The fact that this visa could be done in 48 hours after application implies that some of these people can apply whilst they are on vacation. Personally I only see upsides to this setting. Especially for the tourism in Saudi Arabia. Considering that Canada and the UK already have almost 6 million muslims, add to that the 26 million muslims in Europe, there could be a decent uptake of this solution in 2027. I don’t think it is only for Muslims, especially Riyadh. But I think that this category of tourists would have a first interest in seeing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Coming to think of it (me being humorous) you could go to Dammam and see Iran on the other side of the Sea of Dammam (Iranians call it the Persian Gulf) and throw stones across the water to Iran. One can only hope that the Saudi population shares my sense of humour. Still as I see it, the addition to the visa package could be the start of a much larger intake of tourists for Saudi Arabia.

As I see it, the Arabian peninsula could be the hottest tourist ticket for 2027/2028, but what do I know. I am not a tourist operator. So you all have a great day, time for me to start making my pasta meal.

Leave a comment

Filed under Media, Tourism

Pure Speculation

That needs to be said right from the start. It is  massively speculative, but the mind of greed driven American is essentially easy, their actions can be predicted, no predictive model required. The American corporation LinkedIn had seemingly driven itself in a hard sell. You see, they need data and with this administration they are considering that the bully tactics are seemingly working. You see every Thursday there is a roundup of your data and they have given that allegedly a twist. Apparently all data was lost, wiped or whatever they tend to call it. I reckon that some person there is giving the people the “our faulty AI had a glitch”, but I know that AI does not exist, it is all Deeper Machine Learning with additional LLM combined into predictive modeling.

My speculative version is that they will come with some “We fixed it in out premium setting. You know the first month is free, no cost to you”, but there is a glitch, you need to enter credit card details and that is what they are allegedly after. Data is power and Credit card details give them a lot of verifiable data, non refutable data and Yanks are hungry for data, especially as Europe and the Commonwealth are closing data taps. As I see it, these American corporations are seeing the end of their lifecycle and their existence is the balance, as such they need more verifiable data.

So could I be wrong?
Definitely, but the wiping of your result data can (as I personally see it) only defined by two options and optionally both options. The first one is that LinkedIn has enabled ghosting for some corporations that are ready to pay a premium plus subscription. They look at a person and then they wipe that data of their visit, optionally wiping a little too much, because one entry is hard to hide, but wiping the entire batch of data one account had at least 6 visits in the last week, but the recall only shows one visit and when you look at “Top companies your searchers work at” you get zero results, so that is an option. With 1156 all appearances in the last 7 days (-76%) and 1 search appearance (0%) in the last 7 days , so its own systems are already breaking each other alibi in the process.

I am more for the second setting, They are hungry for financial data and whilst the service is free in the first month, the moment they have these details they can combine and match that data to supermarket data, to retail data and a footprint is created. A predictive model of where the people are headed to. That is financial power, enabling the have’s to the have not people. This is a term from Dutch Journalist Luc Sala who gave us that in the 90s. And now we see that enablement in a much larger proportion. 

So in all I could be wrong and you can decide for yourself. Consider if you re a LinkedIn user if your data was ‘accidentally’ wiped and you left it to the side because you have more important things to worry about. In the end, I have my suspicions but let it be known just of the bat. I have no evidence, merely indicators and it is all pure speculation. But in the trend of freedom of speech I can put it here. I also believe in accountability, so I am giving the clear speculation vibe, because anything else needs evidence and whilst I have some evidence, sit might not be enough to cut the mustard and that needs to be known as well.

So have a great day today and consider that your autumn (November – April) could be spend in WaterWorld (Abu Dhabi) they just got another Guinness World book record in their name, they now have 55 slides and 15 other stages in their park (like the Al Raha River and the Bandit Bomber roller coaster) to name but two. You could make your neighbours jealous by coming back towards Christmas with a nice tan, did I mention that the UAE is a zero tax nation, the best place for getting the gifts at a massive discount.

Until next time.

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, IT, Media, Science, Tourism

Catching laurels

That is what I am seeing. The news (at https://blooloop.com/news/yas-waterworld-guinness-world-record) is giving us ‘Abu Dhabi’s Yas Waterworld sets Guinness World Record with 55 waterslides’ as I see it, that is quite the record. The waterpark in The Hague (specifically: Wassenaar) only had 4 slides and we had a ball for hours. Here in WaterWorld you could spend a day trying waterslides and never having to do the same slide twice. Ad there is still more to do there. So we see “During a celebratory ceremony held at the attraction, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, group CEO of Miral, and Rayan Al Haddar, general manager of Yas Waterworld, received the Guinness World Records certificate from Hanane Spiers, official Guinness World Records adjudicator for the MENA region and Türkiye.” As such I say well done Miral and well done WaterWorld. As long as the Al Raha river still exists when I get there (date unknown) so I can float in the sun in Hufflepuff shorts and a Hufflepuff bucket hat I will be happy. To protect myself from the sun I will most likely be wearing a Hufflepuff t-shirt with long arms, so the sun does not get me  for the longest of times and I reckon that sunnies are also needed and a GoPro so that I can record just how awesome I think I look. Yet this is not the first record they set. In past events they also set:

As well as:

As such WaterWorld proves itself yet again that Abu Dhabi is the place to be on your next vacation and it is only one of 4 parks to see (SeaWorld, Warner Brothers World and Ferrari world) then there is the Yas Mall with a few events and the Marina. Yes your package could be extended beyond what you expected, so whilst we wait for Harry Potter and Disney world to arrive, your vacation becomes a speed train of excitement. Talking about trains, the press to Dubai takes a little under an hour, so there is so much more to do, but as I see it, every other day cooling off in  WaterWorld is not a bad way to get through your vacation time. That being said, the Warner Brother Hotel includes a voucher every day you are there, with that voucher you can select one of these parks to enter for free. Not a bad deal, is it?

So as we return to WaterWorld, we see “Yas Waterworld’s record comes after the launch of its recent expansion, which introduced 11 new rides, slides and attractions to the park, and brought Yas Waterworld’s total number of attractions to more than 70.” And you could be there all day long enjoying the events and tomorrow (today for me) that park will give you all the fun you can handle from 11:00 in the morning until 22:00 hours in the evening (that is 10PM), 11 hours of soaking, sliding and other activities. What a vacation setting that is. 

So, to the people of Miral I extent my congratulations. It is an honour well deserved and it gives additional appeal to visit Abu Dhabi. A happy day to all here in my blog today. Time to catch the snore mill and get ready for some serious DML today.

Leave a comment

Filed under Media, Tourism

The way fences crumble

That was the setting that I saw, the Wall Street Journal gave an article (that I didn’t read because it was behind a paywall) where we are given ‘A Dispute Over Opening Hormuz Drives a Wedge Into U.S.-Saudi Relations’ where we are given “Trump threatened kingdom’s supply of drone and missile interceptors when it refused access to bases and airspace for Project Freedom.” That is all I have, but I do not need more. You see, one of the oldest expressions I know if is about mending ones fences and the entire setting that Saudi Arabia gets bullied because of their inability to adhere to (what some call) an illegal war is beyond stupid. You see, Saudi Arabia could ask the Ukraine to deliver 50-150 drones, that request could also be made from China, as such Saudi Arabia has options, but at present the United States is left with less and less options. As Saudi Arabia pulls out whatever they have economically in the United States, amounts up to an estimated $490 billion, with an expanded, long-term commitment expected to scale toward $1 trillion, the united States could now lose that and be left to dry. The bully approach from President Trump is costing the United States more and more. In addition, whatever rare earth mining options Saudi Arabia has could now be awarded to Australia and the EU, costing the United States billions more. So what does a person this stupid do in the Administration of the United States? I am willing to believe that his advisers put this forward, but I reckon that this might be a lose cannon setting, as I personally see it, a stage for the current President. In addition to all this, Saudi Arabia now has an option to demand the extraction of United States troops and Saudi Arabia asking China if they are willing to replace the United States as a preferred option. This enables Iran to vacate Saudi Arabia as a target, because they are unwilling to hurt China, it would be the last mistake they ever made. 

So whilst we mull over the setting that Saudi Arabia is facing with China as the up and coming preferred partner for defence, mining, construction and tourism, the chances of the United States making it with an intact budget to 2028 is getting rather small. And should President Trump now threaten Disney, Warner Brothers and Universal for whatever tourism gap comes, I have a few ideas that could spell a lot of bad news. In addition I am certain that China has its own version of entertainment in the works. Everyone is forgetting that Saudi Arabia has something that the United States desperately wants. So as we were given: 

And whilst it came with:

As such I will take this rare setting where I (with a lack of economic education) teach that administration a few things: 

Starting that attack on Iran was badly considered. I gave Saudi Arabia and the UAE defensive settings in March and I also gave a few tactical settings that could have hobbled Iranian tactics and in light of that their refineries are still pumping oil. Before I was, the art of war was and they told generals (2500 years ago) how you scuttle an enemy resources. This pentagon clearly never learned from that. This pentagon also never learned from the French resistance (aka clambake 1939-1944) and that also gave me some ideas in March. As such I became the March Hare (I just saw Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland) everyone seemingly ignored. What matters is that Saudi Arabia has a few more options at their disposal, it does not require the United States as much as the United States requires the coffers of Saudi Arabia. And Saudi Arabia can sell to China and the EU, so it has options. I reckon that should Saudi Arabia play less nice, Iran will run for the hills. And as I personally see it, Saudi Arabia has the intent and motivation to make sure that Iran sees the light for their stupidity. 

And the was merely the first part. You see, Saudi Arabia is deep into construction for what they need for Vision 2030 and they cannot do it alone, so these contracts are now considering the EU and China as contributors. So what is this bully tactic costing the United States? I warned them for this in ‘When it rains, it pours’ on December 2nd 2024 (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2024/12/02/when-it-rains-it-pours-2/), I feel decently certain that there is some MoU between China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia floating around in the Ministry of Defense (the one on the King Abdul Aziz Road) as such the entire bully setting against Saudi Arabia was short sighted and ill conceived. As the image (implying) that this threat was directed at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud might not have been a stellar idea, but I reckon that President Trump is likely a ‘thanks you’ notice from the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. Personally I am hoping that I still get the 0.25% commission for enhancing the chances of China selling the 20 Chengdu J-20, which comes at a total of $2,200,000,000 ($110M each), which leaves me with a shabby $5.5 million making me happy beyond believe. So I have an illusional vested interest in all this, and who doesn’t want to retire with $5,500,000?
So the United States can cry me a river, but they elected the current president, as such they dug their own grave as I see it. So you all have a great day and consider what you will lose out on in the long run. I am likely not getting that commission, but that is the cross I have to bare, or is that bear? Gee, I made another funny, must be the Tim Burton effect of Alice in Wonderland.

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, Media, Military, Politics, Science, Tourism

Just an idea

It was an idea I had last night. The setting of Paramount taking over WB (at least parts of it) opened an idea that could give the UAE, in particular Abu Dhabi a lot more tourism. You see, the Star Trek Universe has somewhere between 100 and 300 million fans and no one has seen a complete theme event on Star Trek? I am hesitant to call that place a ‘park’ but it comes close to it. A place where you can see and optionally walk on the bridges of the original Enterprise (TOS), the Galaxy class version (TNG), Voyager, and the Titan class (Picard) then there is the stage of the sets of the Defiant, parts of Deep Space 9 (Terok Nor) perhaps a section to show part of a Borg ship, millions if fans would love to see that and as I see it, the United States are done for, for at least a decade and likely there won’t be a United States after that, so Paramount needs to bet its hedges and look beyond that space. The UAE has a theme park riddled Abu Dhabi, so it makes sense to have it there. There is also the correlation (indicated but unproven) that those who love Star Trek also love Harry Potter, as such there is a pressure to consider them. I don’t think that they should be in the same location, because of the dangers of congestion at that point, also I am in doubt whether Yas Island would be the bet place, but Abu Dhabi is so much larger and has plenty of options. I think that this is a stage where Miral should have serious talks with Paramount on this setting. Perhaps a combination with a wax museum showing all the characters of Star Trek and its connected series. All things that are currently not existing. The Deep Space 9 setting with shops and a Quarcks (under new Ferengi management) could be considered. I wonder how many millions will sip at least a glass of of Canard and optionally take a bottle home as a keepsake. This setting might bring billions into the coffers of Miral. I wonder if anyone considered combining all the ships and show the bridges in one place. And display technology has evolved over the last few years alone, so seeing a part of the Borg ship with a large gap into space is now easily arranged with the display technology out there. A wax museum showing the casts of the two enterprises, Voyager, Deep Space 9 and optionally the Star Trek Movies too, could stir the hearts of millions of Star Trek Fans and as an addition to the already large theme park settings might be the one boost they get to do this (and soak up the sun and the UAE beaches) as I said, it is merely an idea, but as the UAE already has several settings and with Disney coming to Abu Dhabi as well, the UAE could become the preferred location for millions of additional tourists. That setting optionally enhanced with all the selfie moments, but perhaps even a place to have a film camp, a setting every Sci fi lover dreams of at some point. To make your own Sci-fi film, all ideas that feed the blender of creation. What remains can bear the scrutiny of many accountants at Miral (I a guessing that they have a fleet of them looking at all the venues and results). The setting that is out in the open, it always was, but the merger between WB and Paramount is driving this to the surface. The question becomes, does Miral think it is worth considering? 

As I said, it was just an idea and anything to take my eyes of the BS that is called USA-Iran negotiations. I like the headline from the Times the best at present ‘Trump, Iran and the Denial of Defeat’ it kinda sums up the entire fiasco, so whilst some are trying to spin this into some form of victory, the reality is that soon Iran will have to be dealt with, I have no idea who or how, but I do not believe that the United States will be the one doing it. They wasted (according to there own numbers) “The U.S.-Iran war cost the Pentagon an estimated $29 billion to $40 billion in direct operational expenses, but total economic and long-term costs could range between $600 billion and $1 trillion” I have not been sitting with an abacus, so I do not know, but consider the wasted money and the lack of results. It would have been something if all the refineries were hit as well as a few other tactical places, but that was not the case, so Iran can still buy hardware from whomever is willing to sell to them. As such I believe it to be important that the UAE gets whatever mens they can to increase their economic foothold on the Middle East, they have don’t quite well and they still have a few more options to that effect, but I merely gave the tourist idea, because it is something I would like to see and the idea that I get a two week vacation in Abu Dhabi where every day is filled with fun and adventure (yes, a visit to the Yas Mall could be both fun and adventure) would be an excellent idea. I believe that millions have that same feeling, because at present the United States is not that inviting, add to this the YouTube videos on their Epic Universe with several rides allegedly breaking down does not instill any thoughts that Orlando will be the place to go. With the economic foothold that is diminishing in Florida, we see one side saying it is good, but we also see “The U.S. travel sector is projected to lose between $12.5 billion and $29 billion in international visitor spending.”, with the added “Foreign arrivals have dropped by roughly 5%, with major month-over-month contractions from Asia (down 7.5%) and Europe (down 5.2%)” as well as “Canada, historically the largest source of inbound U.S. tourism, has driven a massive portion of this decline, with Canadian travel to the U.S. dropping by roughly 22%” the numbers do not add up, with this decline we still see “Florida boasts the fourth-largest economy in the United States, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of roughly $1.76 trillion. If it were an independent nation, the state would rank as the 15th largest economy globally.” In addition to this, the negative YouTube videos keep on swarming around Epic Universe. I cannot say if they are real or if they are Epic Universe haters, that option remains a reality, but as I see it, the numbers do not add up and I reckon that the next president when they make their numbers openly known, we will see what an alleged curse President Trump has become to the United States. As such places like paramount needs to find new ventures to survive and it is my personal opinion that the UAE is such a space. And in light of what WB already has set up, the numbers might give satisfaction to the board members of Paramount. So, the question becomes is Miral ending that solution a good option to consider. 

Have a great day, it is 5:30  now and only 7 degrees, I am freezing. So there is another appeal to be smitten by the 39 degree non-freezing weather that Abu Dhabi could offer my poor old shivering bones.

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, IT, Media, Politics, Tourism

Its not the news

That is a setting we often wonder about and I did when I saw ABC giving us ‘Australia downgrades travel warnings for Middle East but region remains volatile’ it gives us that “Australia has downgraded its Middle East travel advice for key Gulf hubs, easing warnings from “Do Not Travel” to “Reconsider your need to travel”.” It is true and it holds water (as the expression goes), but the absence of Iranian pushy and bully needs, together with the absolute setting of why the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were targeted in the first place is seemingly absent from this discussion. As I stated, it was not up to the news, but they are so “driven” to give us the whole shawarma (enchilada applies to Mexican travels) I wonder why this is absent. So I get that it impartial news to some effect, but the stage where no one seems to hold Iran applicable, all whilst they are seemingly driven to unfreeze billions in Iranian funds. I am merely of the setting that the UAE is due tens on billions in travel damages and a few millions in actual damage done to the UAE. So there is the stage where I also want to know what the trigger is for the “Do Not Travel” setting, as I do not know what the reason is that this was ‘still’ in place as the stage for flights to and from Abu Dhabi gradually resumed in early March after precautionary airspace closures. Etihad Airways launched a limited commercial schedule on March 6, and UAE airspace officially reopened for normal air navigation in May. And we are now in mid June, so what gives that delay? So whilst we get the need for “Reconsider your need to travel”, it also sets my schedule t this need as I haven’t had a vacation since 2005, so my need is optionally high and Abu Dhabi is still on my bucket list (as is Toronto), but that is another story. So whilst we are given “Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said in a joint statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had assessed the conditions in the specified countries and determined it appropriate to drop the level.” So, whilst I get that we are given “Australians are being told to closely monitor warnings, avoid crowds and prepare for emergency scenarios including military escalation. “If warned of an imminent attack, move to an enclosed hardened shelter,” Smartraveller advice states.” I can’t stop wondering whether this is done to siphon off some travel to the UAE towards the United States (a place much less appealing at present) So, I get that the average civil servant tends to be a pussy, the delays that are seemingly in place, do not make much sense. Unless there is a delay factor in place where others are seemingly really helped by the delays towards other destinations. So, I do get that people think of me as a ‘doom speaker’ or a ‘conspiracy individual’ but consider the setting we have seen on the last three months and consider what Iran has been pushing for, including bombing places that have nothing to do with the American-Iran Clambake (with special appearance of Israel). At what point was the UAE ever part of this and when is the media exposing that part of the essential finger pointing at Iran? So whilst we get that Google Gemini is now saying that “Abu Dhabi was officially back on the radar for Australian travelers on June 17, 2026. On this date, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officially downgraded its travel advice to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—including Abu Dhabi and Dubai—from a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” to a Level 3 “Reconsider your need to travel”” where my point of view is that this should have happened at least a month ago, as such we need to see what is in play at this setting and what are we not told? 

Yes, I do sound like a conspiracy theorist in all this, but consider what has taken place (like some president claiming 38 times that a truce is about to be signed) the fact that the global media is seemingly in the dark from the attacks on the UAE where we have been notified that from 9 April 2026, the UAE has intercepted and destroyed 537 ballistic missiles, 2,256 drone attacks and 26 cruise missiles fired from Iran and the only ‘setting’ that we are given that part of a plan Khamenei designed before his death, ordering that in the case of war with the United States and Israel, Iran will cause regional chaos across the Middle East, with the purpose of pushing their Gulf neighbors to pressure for a halt to the attacks, and as such there needs to be a clear warning towards Iran that this has to stop, I even gave the UAE and Saudi Arabia designed IP to scuttle whatever Iranian options there were to destroy its infrastructures, because that is what concerned citizens do to the enemies of what these citizens see as friends, we don’t bully or threaten, we just come to their aid with whatever we can and I gave them IP that would stop Iran, but that is neither here nor there. You see, it is about the media and the media has been playing a dangerous ‘hands off’ setting and now we see that the politicians were playing along, because as I personally see it, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite could have given that speech at least 2 to 3 weeks ago, so what was the delay? Was this the most they could delay that for? You might think I am a loon (actually, I am bat crazy), but consider the timelines. What attacks did Abu Dhabi airport endure? We know that at least three confirmed drone and missile attacks over the last decade. They were February 28th, 2026, January 17th, 2022 (by Iran backed Houthi terrorists) and July 26th, 2018 (also by Iran backed Houthi terrorists) so when you know of this, what was the lowering of travel advice not done sooner? I reckon that May 2026, when Etihad completely resumed its flight schedule would have been a good point lower the travel advisory, which was 5 weeks ago, but I get that (optional) pussies are bound to delay these settings. So we can say that the ABC news is a little overdue, but not due to their efforts. I think that several governments have to make amends to the UAE, but that might be merely me seeing this setting. 

So, you all have a great day and I (optionally affected by a little too much oxycodone) will do some dreaming of the Warner Brothers theme part whilst also floating on the Al Raha River a 300-meter peaceful lazy river located at Yas WaterWorld in Abu Dhabi. We dream what we can especially when we are in a winter setting in Sydney at 17 degrees, dreaming of 32 degrees sunny weather that is in Abu Dhabi. We do what we can.

Leave a comment

Filed under Finance, Law, Media, Military, Politics, Tourism