Tag Archives: Dubai

October 31, 2026 · 01:47

What was that word?

There is a word that is usually ‘connected’ to shortcomings. Or perhaps more ‘clinical’ is the explanation “the amount by which something is less than what is required, expected, or earned” and it can take many forms. In humor (the kind that Jimmy Carr uses), “I aided my partner in assisted suicide. I threw her in a wood chipper, she was too scared to do that herself”, and depending on that nations laws, assisted suicide is accepted. Then we get less than was expected “That pinky thingy is nothing like the  nine inches you promised me”, which can have all kinds of reasons and there is less then earned which we get from Money.CA (at https://money.ca/news/economy/us-tourism-deficit-canada-travel-bill) where we see ‘First U.S. tourism deficit since 1999 hits nearly US$14B — and Trump’s trade representative now backs a bill to entice Canadians back’,  US bill to entice Canadians back? This I have to see. Even the Baron Munchausen couldn’t weave a story that enticing and that man has experience weaving stories. So as we are given “The U.S. travel sector ran a trade deficit of nearly US$14 billion last year as millions of Canadian travelers took their vacations elsewhere. It was the sector’s first deficit since data collection began in 1999, according to a report from Democrats on Congress’s Joint Economic Committee cited by Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.” You see over a year ago in ‘Honey and ladders’ (https://lawlordtobe.com/2025/07/05/honey-and-ladders/) I gave the world (the world that reads why blog) ““Amid the president’s immigration crackdown, travel bans and sweeping global tariffs, the U.S. is expected to be the only one out of 184 countries to see foreign visitor spending fall in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.” With the addition of “The study suggests that the U.S. economy is on track to lose $12.5 billion in international spending this year alone – but the actual shortfall might be much greater.”” So I gave that over a year ago and now we see that the first tourism deficit hits nearly $14B, I think I called that rather neat over a year ago and I reckon that until deep into 2035 that is not change, the deficits will come and come and come. So now we get “Now, Washington D.C. is trying to lure those travelers back. Last July, U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer told a Senate committee he’d fully support a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting travel with Canada and Mexico. He agreed the decline in tourism is problematic and would support the proposal “100%,” according to the Las Vegas Sun.” Apart from the fact that I personally see Jamieson Greer to be part of the problem and not of any solution, but that might be my shortsighted part in this. So whilst we get that “A travel trade deficit means Americans spent more on trips abroad than international visitors spent in the U.S. The U.S. ran a travel surplus in 2024, but in 2025 it flipped to a multibillion-dollar deficit. Canadians were a major part of that decline. In 2025, Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. fell 25.4%, according to Statistics Canada (StatCan). That capped an 11-month streak of year-over-year declines the agency calls the deepest and most sustained on record outside the pandemic. Leisure visits to the U.S. dropped 21.5%, or 3.2 million visits, and Canadians’ spending on U.S. trips fell by CA$3.3 billion to CA$18.8 billion.” I think that the main reasons comes much closer to home. That person labelled the Clown of the United States (no idea who they are talking about) comes with 51st state mentions, calling Canadian exploiters, all whilst the trouble is south of the Canadian borders and Mexicans agree, in summer, Canada is a friendly place (in winter too, but they find solid water weird and hinkey. To each their own I say and I get that Mexico do not appreciate clothing they can only wear on vacation. Luckily for me I never have to because even as a hockey fan our water tends to be fluidic at best (more a Summer Mcintosh than a Brooke Mcintosh element) but that is the limitation we work with and to be honest even as a non-swimmer I could (hopefully) best Brooke Mcintosh in water with her skates on. And lastly we see “There are practical hurdles too: Canadians who stay in the U.S. longer than 30 days must now register with the U.S. government.” I wonder if it is just Canadians or all visitors, because in the age of data centers the bulk of the people in the Commonwealth, EU and for that matter Asian and the gulf states as well, are not to fond of handing their data to the United States, especially if they are merely on vacation. Then there is the Bond issue Consular officers determine the required bond amount—$10,000, $15,000, or $20,000—at the time of the visa interview and we can do so much with that money, like buy a complete Mac Pro in the UAE (as it is a zero tax country) for that matter and their visas are around $75 for 30 days. And as tourism is becoming a killer aspect, any trip to the United States should score ultra low on anyones agenda, especially as the quality of fun of a trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai could outdo whatever the United States hands you. In the entire article, I merely have one setting that I do not agree with “Canadians continue to have a strong appetite for travel, but they’re being thoughtful about where they go and how they spend their money,” she said. “The United States remains an important destination for winter getaways, cruises and visits with family and friends.” The element visit family and friends remain, the rest is doubtful. Europe has plenty of winter getaways and some say (I have never been on any winter vacation) that the French Alps are to be experienced to be believed. Which is fine, but two years ago, most of those fields were a little absent of snow. There are those who think that Canada is the exquisite experience but there I must be cautious, because he queues around mount Whistler (somewhere north of Vancouver) are a little bit of a downer and then there is China who has its snow fields, it has several and I merely mention one of them “Chongli (Hebei Province), The co-host zone for the winter games near Beijing, featuring major infrastructure at resorts like Wanlong Ski Resort, Genting, and Thaiwoo” (source: skiresort.info) as said, I have never been on a winter vacation although I have been sort of Skiing in Switzerland and Sweden (but I keep to ‘sort of’) because my knowledge on these contraptions could be measured with a thimble.

Here is one in case you are unaware what that is.

Well, so whilst we see (some with humour) that the United States is going in deficit more and more, as such it will teach them to call my Canadian brethren part of the 51st state and a few less appealing things. And as a premium effort, let me introduce Canadians to the options of the UAE, in particular Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which could both be seen as they are a mere hour away from one another. I would advice to stay in Abu Dhabi with all its parks and entertainment and take the train 2-3 times because Dubai is a place to see for yourself. Feel free to doubt me, but there are loads of videos on both places on YouTube, so see for yourself. Never believe any source without looking at the evidence and a vacation wherever you go is still capturing your fee time, as such you should see what you are in for. And for Canadians there is a bonus. It is Visa-Free Entry for Canadians. You receive a 90-day visa on arrival free of charge, which can be used within a 180-day period (either continuously or across multiple visits), that beats US travels on an expensive bond any day of the week and that is how the United States priced themselves out of a tourism race. Its like watching a Chevrolet Chevette Diesel going up against that dinkey toy that Lewis Hamilton drives (I think it is a Ferrari Rocher) but I think my point comes across nicely. I thought the American version was too Crass (entering a gunfight with a blackjack) So you have a great day all and in good taste like all Commonwealthians say “Lets add to the deficit of the United States” they earned it.

Have a great day today, as it is Halloween.

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October 16, 2026 · 21:05

The preamble to psychosis

There has been a way of thinking induced. It started when I was focusing on two scripts. It wasn’t that I ‘needed’ to write both, more that the setting of a stage was required. This happens. I let my mind wander and waver until something clicks. Then at some point I was considering the reasons for psychosis. I am (apparently) unaware of its settings. Then my mind started to play with combinations psycho sociopath versus a sociopathic psycho. And I went from there. But then an idea came to me. Not for the two scrips, but it might be an idea for one of them, an episode out of these thoughts. Still, the ideas came calling.

In this idea the character was moving and the first thing he encounters is that his computer is stolen, but he sees the thief and from there he goes on a killing spree. His killing game show so to speak. So he goes on a murder bender, killing the thief in a rage and removing the evidence, although the rage seemed real, it was his way to show the world that he was out of control, but it only seemed that way. His methods are too calculating and too precise, which is why the police isn’t focussing on him. Then he sees what was connected and he goes deeper and deeper into that maze. And whilst we see that ‘maze’ we see the elements of jealousy and envy so whilst he is confronted with the want of something that belongs to him and their fear of losing something that already was the main character. In this he continues his killing spree, a spree that frightens the people behind the thief, their envy becomes apparent but their fear is checked by their greed and that drives the point along. And in my mind, the idea is that their fear of death will push them to betray the people that least deserved to be betrayed and that might give a link to (I won’t call them) organized crime (unless they wield a PDA or a Filofax) but this setting is one that drives several options to the surface and hills, I like where this is heading, it is merely one episode in that tale and in the other setting I am not of a clear mind, but the other one needs to go in a different direction, because the ‘American’ way of ‘adjusting’ the same idea in several paths is not the real deal of any storyteller. Perhaps those with the mere focus of making money, but that is where the ‘Hollywood’ strain comes in.

As there are other options Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE (both Dubai and Abu Dhabi) are the settings for the next generation of storytellers and as storyteller we have to look where the markets are. And even if I struck out with my first script (me looking somewhat sad), I still have arrows in the quiver, or is that a script in my quill? Although my quill has a keyboard and a screen I can till call it whatever I like, it is mine to name it.

But as we name our tools, we tend to limit its potential. Don’t ask me why, it merely is that way. So from parchment with quill we went to ballpoint and paper then a typewriter and paper and from there we went to computers, laptops, tablets and so on, but at every step we lost something along the way as writing went faster, we forced our brains to go faster and I don’t think it always held up to what the writer wanted it to be. As we gained time to ‘write’ faster, we lost time to think and that is where it all happens in these gray cells, that is where our stories started, not on paper or on screen, in our minds. And whilst we consider what we gain in speed, we lost creativity against time and that is the conundrum and even I see this, no matter how fast the idea evolve in my brain. I realise that the time gained is lost into a second or even a third thinking over the idea I had.

And there we see the preamble, an introduction of events that comes before the formally formed writing or even the written action to explain its purpose and optional background. The is the setting and I let set this to a more direct setting. The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem containing 15,693 lines divided into 24 books. But how long did it take to write it? I cannot find anything stating that, merely that it was written around 762 BC. The is as good as it gets and compare this to the 28 verified deals across the year (with some industry tallies tracking roughly 19 to 23 core summer/seasonal milestones), but how many scripts were offered? Some say 20000-25000, I honestly have no idea. But in this stage where we see so many scripts making the rounds. How many are honestly originals? I can’t tell if mine is original. I personally think so, but the idea that someone had a similar idea is not out of the realm of possibilities. As such I put parts of my scripts online, it gives a timeline of originality (or so I believe it does). And as I am contemplating more settings (which beats the stories on politics of today) and in some aspects the warmongering I have, because that at least comes with the grounds of originality. And we all admire originality in ourselves and in others. It is the beginning of innovation. And whilst we see the need for innovation, some are merely in it for the money (those numbers with a preceding $) and whilst we can accept that, I have a lessened need for that, this is why I gave the ideas I had on dealing with Iran to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, they can see if it works for them and as such I will have done my duty as a person.

Perhaps I will gain some out of it, but it is not my goal (still it is nice to get some) and whilst it is not the main setting, the idea is to make it part of my story is still an added part of it. Why matters is that more people are looking into their options to stop players like Iran in ways I never considered. I optionally took out the railway systems, the harbours and a few other settings (like refineries). They are merely optional settings but someone else who could have had chemical degrees (My chemistry knowledge is massively below par) could have found a way to poison the oil. My limited setting is merely set to add yellowcake (no idea how to put my hands on that, or if it would even work) to the oil, irradiating it all and making that mix useless for generations (as well as spending billions in separating the two). There are likely a lot more options (I reckon the members of the Pentagon never earned their stripes), and that is merely a thought coming to mind and optionally the start of another setting for an episode. And I do like to surprise my self, just this day I surprised myself wth a slice of Tiramisu, best surprise ever (they ran out of Black Forest cake).

So time to think of a few other settings and hopefully Final Draft works out their copy/paste problem, so I can set at least a few more options to ‘actual script’ Have a great day.

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September 29, 2026 · 10:02

Old IP

This happens at times. I go over old IP I created and see what I might have missed, or something that could be added. So as I went over the ‘turmoil’ the real estate find itself in I Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I decided to look what more could be done. As such in the old days I created this IP and considering that at that time that the Real Estate was great, the impact I could deliver (at a mere 1% addition) is that this would bring an additional Dh680 million to the table and if this is at a mere 1%, the fruits are dangling for all to see. So what was the station?

A repeater gets placed in the house for sale, this repeater has space for a mere USB-C and it could be housing a Lightbox ad (via Google ads). It is a mere container holding pictures, pdf and a map segment, but that is all that is required and from there the house is put up for sale. They can still do the old stuff (newspapers and sorts), this is merely the additional setting and the materials should already be made. So, when the repeater is activated, Google Maps will show this location for sale. 

In Google Maps, the people can look at houses for sale and that house now shows up for sale. What is more, if the person is within 2 km of the place, the icon will allow for the materials to be downloaded. An option for instant sales settings and the pipeline for that place is filled. Now, not all people who download the stuff are buyers, some are mere browsers, but every location comes with a firm that someone could fill out and that could also be automated. As such all the sales talk are optionally obsolete and from meeting to sales might now be mere hours and the repeater works 24/7, so the evenings are autofilled by people who were looking to get into a place easy enough. It shortens the sales trajectory (as people will look when they have time) and from there you get a much quicker route and optionally there is still some things to do, but the is real estate for you. A simple setting that newspapers and websites don’t cover. People went to be in the place they might want to live and that is the setting a newspaper usually cannot deliver. And that is the additional benefit from a place like Google Maps could offer. And when the property is sold, you pick up that repeater to a new location with a new USB-C card and you go on with another portfolio.

And the money is excellent, if a 1% addition comes down to Dh680 million, what do you think 10% will get you? And this is not merely Dubai and/or Abu Dhabi. Consider that these settings are transferable to London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Riyadh, Cairo and a whole range of places where international travelers are looking. In the setting I have no idea how this goes over in New Delhi, Calcutta, Beijing, Tokyo and a few other places. But that is the setting I initially saw on January 26th 2025 when I wrote ‘Saturation’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2025/01/26/saturation/) and I revisited the idea on April 12th this year when I was watching these Bitcoin bitches panic (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2026/04/12/are-estates-real/) on “the dream is over” and more of this ridiculous stances all whilst they feel empowered in their opinions by adding an image of a line chart (with an arrow on the left) and an image of HRH Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. But there is more to being clever with Adobe’s photoshop. The story needs to make sense and it never did. But not to worry I can always hand the UAE additional revenue and this is one setting none of them thought of and if they can get Google on board by addressing the not to be trivialized Sundar Pichai. That story goes a lot further and by adding London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Riyadh, Cairo, New Delhi, Calcutta, Beijing, Tokyo, Monte Carlo it gets a refined international vibe and I should add The Hague and Amsterdam as well, as there is nothing more international than adding Herrings, unions and a helping of cheese to that picture. 

And I reckon that played like Damac always wake up it there are additional percentages to be made, especially if they had not considered these before. And Damac is but one player wen you see the cities you’ll see that real estate could be a massive handle on the entire setting. So, did you consider why I wrote about it in 2025 and in almost 2 years no-one saw this revenue floating around? Just asking.

Have a great day.

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August 16, 2026 · 18:06

The idea that came

So, there I was day dreaming, when a thought just occurred to me. It happened when I was watching a Dubai Festival City Mall YouTube video and I saw saw the Tim Hortons stand. I asked for a cappuccino (in my mind) and I mentioned that I was peckish (a term I never use in real life, but I might from now on) I asked them for fried beaver tail (jokingly) and they did not have them, they did have a Double Sausage & Egg with Cheese Muffin which I ordered and devoured (scrupulously) but it set a few cogs in motion, which this is about. I noticed a fresh meat sandwich and that hot me going. There was a show of the Carrefour earlier in that video and this got me to give Carrefour a boost. You see, Dubai is rather warm (so is Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Riyadh, Dammam, Medina, Jeddah and Mecca) and as I have never seen this option in any Carrefour, I thought it was time to shine a light on this option. 

First we get the refrigerated bags (they have those, but the idea is not the bags, but what goes in).On the Inside we see:

A patch with three slots, these slots will fit cooling elements precisely. Now we get two settings, either they buy these cooling elements or they exchange them, The exchange might cost them 3-5 dirham per cooling element, they sell for whatever the norm is. Consider that these people might take an hour to get to the mall, they have a coffee and by the time they get to grocery shopping, these cooling elements are no longer able to cool. I reckon that they need to come in a satchel, and consider that they might come in Carrefour colours with the name ‘Carrefour’ on the pack. Now consider that this service will drive all kind of customers to the shop, especially tourists and out of town people. The idea that you can exchange (conditionally) of the woolpacks might drive a lot more people. Consider the lemonade and refrigerated items that you can sell when you offer a service like that. 

So whilst I am decently certain that the service does not exist. I wonder why no one thought of that. These packs need to be clean and when they are in their own satchel that is extremely likely to be the case. And I reckon that Carrefour has space for a small freezer at the cashiers holding up to 400 cooling packs and optionally a lot more in the back of the store. I see it as an essential service that places like this in the UAE (Saudi Arabia too) could offer. And as the revenue increases, it might become a free service of exchanging cooling packs (with certain demands) but here I am wondering why no one thought of it. I watched several Carrefour YouTube in Dubai (I did not see one of the Yas Mall) and the option was not given. I wonder why not, perhaps there is a good reason, but I cannot see it. 

So I sign of of this Sunday to become a lumberjack until Monday (snoring the night away), it is only 18:00 so I might kill some orcs and goblins to get sleepy. One Orc (hack), Two Orcs (hack), Three Orcs (hack), you get the process, its like counting sheep.

Have a great day. I will write more in about 15 hours. 

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July 20, 2026 · 12:14

A breath of fresh air 

This is what happens, at times we get refreshed from some issues that add settled in different ways and the Khaleej Times gave me two of those instances. I was happily refreshed. The first one (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-investigation-publication-false-report-dubai-explosions) gives us ‘UAE authorities summon news agency officials over false Dubai explosion report’ it comes with the interesting byline “The Attorney-General said that the agency’s decision to withdraw the report and publish an apology does not preclude the continuation of the investigation” I still have to see where this goes, but this setting is refreshing. We get too much populist and digital driven headlines all over the planet and I see too many of them. So seeing this is refreshing to say the least. So as we see “The Attorney-General stated the investigation will determine the respective roles of each individual involved in the different stages of the report. It will also determine the extent to which they complied with legal and professional standards governing the verification of information before its publication” as well as “On Thursday, July 16, the Dubai Media Office confirmed that the Reuters report regarding “explosions” in Downtown Dubai is false. Reuters later issued a statement saying it “regrets” the report and that the story had been retracted the same evening. The agency also confirmed it issued a new report highlighting the Dubai Media Office’s denial. The news agency acknowledged that the report did not meet its standards. Reuters “could not immediately determine where the sounds were coming from or their significance, and did not offer that context,” the statement added.” I see a few issues with the part, but that is merely me and there could be an error in reporting there too. As such it is what it is, but the call by the Attorney-General feels like a breath of fresh air. 

After that we see (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/tech/elon-musks-xai-sues-grok-user-over-sexualized-deepfakes) that ‘Elon Musk’s xAI sues Grok user over sexualized ‘deepfakes’‘ and there is a larger setting there, because this could global and those people weaseling away with “the app made me do it” could quite literally lose their house and their equipment over all this. As such, that 34.2 seconds of fame will come at a massively high price. As such we are given ‘The case is one of the first brought by an AI company against one of its users for allegedly using an AI system to generate explicit material’ with the added “xAI alleged in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Texas on Tuesday, that Terry Harwood violated the company’s terms of service. The case is one of the first brought by an AI company against one of its users for allegedly using an AI system to generate explicit material. Contact information for Harwood, who was arrested in February, was not immediately available. Spokespeople for xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. The company’s lawsuit against Harwood follows intense global scrutiny of xAI over allegations that Grok has allowed users to generate non-consensual sexualized deepfakes, or realistic-looking videos fabricated by AI.” As such I reckon that there will be a sled full of lawyers going for the jugular of this Terry Harwood and if the news given by the Guardian is to be believed, this was done to images of adults and minors. I wonder how the lawyer of Terry Harwood would be spinning that. I reckon that we have to wait for the court case and the submitted evidence. I reckon that all these hormonal teenagers fabricating a slew of images from all kind of actors and actresses will soon face the music of their parents as these parents will likely see their houses going away to other shores. 

I reckon that this is what the victims of these people will go for, the first rule of torts is to go where the money is and that ends up being the real estate of the parents (in case of minors) but that is speculative thinking. What matters is that with the acts of Elon Musk and xAI is the first step of countering the tidal wave of sexualized deepfakes. 

I feel relief, the first time in over a year that something makes sense to me and there is a larger setting for some publications as well. You see they cannot hide behind “given to use by an anonymous source”, when they publish that and the Grok case bears fruit, the victims can now go after these publications as well, because that is the implied trend with torts. Torts goes to where the money is and the value of people like Jeff Bezos, who has approximately $252,000 million and Rupert Murdoch and family who is allegedly the owner of $24,000 million. I wonder how many class cases they will face in this setting. Time will tell.

Have a great day and look towards the sun wearing sunnies. It is a bright day today.

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July 11, 2026 · 17:02

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.

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July 4, 2026 · 21:53

That what becomes tomorrow

We have these settings. They are what they are and as I have seen it the United States is in massive problems. They did this to themselves and whilst they are in denial, whilst they are (what I consider) cooking the books and whilst they are presenting pieces of pictures, we do know that what we see is not really what is in play. You merely have to lookup the Florida economy and the California economy to see that there are serious issues in play. But I am not an United States citizen, so I basically do not care. I am a Commonwealthian, so I consider helping my Canadian brethren (sisters too). I also feel for the Emirates, as such I stand by them. How, you might ask? Well, I think things through and as such I have a few ideas how to aid Canadian and Emirati tourism. Because we can point at the issues, but that merely caresses our ego’s. What we can do is prepare for tomorrow, or in this case the summers of 2027 and 2028. You see, whatever the united States making claim of what is. Some people see what is going on and that is where I now am. As I see it, we can help to bolster tourism or we can ignore that this setting exists. I chose the first option. And in all this I am using my Dutch knowledge to aid this endeavor. 

So this is all for both nations, and using other knowledge to create new knowledge is the first step in becoming innovative. The Dutch have a place called Archeon. It is an open air museum, reconstructing various eras from Dutch history. The Bronze Age, the Romans and the Middle Ages. The idea was amazing and I loved seeing it. 

So in the new setting, it could hand Canadian a setting where people would see a fort (as authentic as first would be in the 1700s with an additional camp of the Huron (who also were in Ontario) people would see how life was in those days, How the Huron lived and we might also add an English camp, perhaps even a replica of Fort Anne. The people would see how these people lived, it would also give people a view of life of the Huron in those days. If it is don’t right, the First Nations could benefit from selling First Nation goods and optionally books and other things, which would bolster their economic footprint as well. The trade posts also have similar settings in all this, as does the fort. A view of what was and how Canada grew from this. 

In the case of the Emirati, the views of buildings on how they were in Rumailah, Al Thuqeibah and Muweilah would give a first look. Add to that the view of Beit al Shaar (houses of hair), constructed by Bedouin tribes using woven goat or camel wool and you get a nice view of life in the distant past. All these places would also sell food, how they basically were made (in modern out of sight kitchens) but I remember the food I had in the Roman camp (drinks too) the food was some sort of stew and tasted delicious. I very much loved the food in the abbey (middle ages) I still dream of the waffles with hot cherry sauce and whipped cream, even after 30 years. If that feeling can be transposed to the places in Canada and the UAE, they both have a winner. For the UAE I was thinking around the Emirates Park Zoo and Resort and Deerfields mall, there seems to be space in between that place and putting more places between Abu Dhabi and Dubai would create a larger dream of people, without the economic pressures of the land value. As for Canada, there is plenty of space around Toronto and this idea could go far (as I personally see it).

The second idea comes from the Dutch Madurodam. It is a a miniature park in the Hague and has been a tourist attraction. The entire park is set up in a 1:25 scale. It has all the historical and famous buildings, even a massive view on Amsterdam international airport. In the Netherlands it attracts 600K-700K visitors every year. It will take some time, but these are two ideas that spreads the interest in both Canada and the UAE and the UAE has plenty of places it could show off, consider the biggest ferris wheel in the world, now visible on a 1:25 scale. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have a serious amount of buildings it could show off. and the Ferris wheel is merely a first. You see, you can hope that all what there is will satisfy the need of the tourist, or you can venture to more and in ways that is not dependent on the greed of the United States. Making this setting malleable give both nations more options (without spending the bank on that chance) and even if not everything is done in a quarter, this summer will show the world more clearly how deep the abyss is that the United States has placed itself in. I for one prefer to focus on what helps Canada (the UAE too) and these are merely two idea that could help either country. There is a third one, but that that is for later and more applicable to Canada than it is to the UAE. 

So, as I see it, opportunity is where you find it and there is enough materials on both the Archeon and Madurodam to give these two nations where they could take this setting to.

So, you all have a great day and consider contemplating whether you want to keep staring at the mistakes of others or do you want to find an upside for you in that stage?

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July 2, 2026 · 03:52

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:

Most water moved using a sponge in one minute: Achieved by George Massoud with 5,928.79 ml during a live event at the park.

As well as:

Most nationalities in a swimming pool: Set by 102 different nationalities gathering in the waterpark to celebrate the UAE’s Year of Tolerance.

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.

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June 8, 2026 · 18:20

Etihad to the ready

So here I was (as I am) and I got thrown an interesting article thrown my way from a source e named PYOK, which after some searching was an abbreviation called ‘paddle your own kanoo’ and weirdly enough, I giggled. I had never heard of this source and I do recall that expression from a very long time ago (I think I paddled a kanoo with a guy named David Crockett, a former member of the US Congress) but that was yesterday’s news. What matters is the article he placed. I cannot vouch for the accuracy, but it starts with the headline ‘Etihad Airways Plans to Expand Capacity Above Pre-Iran War Levels Despite Continuing Uncertainty in the Region’, its all signed with his name (Mateusz Maszczynski) and his site is filled with airline crew and airport articles, so I personally believe that this man is all on the up and up. 

The article makes sense, there is no goal in planning for long term uncertainty and planning for a larger presence makes perfect sense, especially as Iran is pissing of people faster than an army of cockroaches in an apartment building. So as we are given “Etihad Airways plans to increase capacity beyond its pre-Iran War levels within days and is finalizing a massive new order for wide-body aircraft, despite continuing uncertainty in the Middle East, its chief executive, Antonoaldo Neves, has confirmed. The Abu Dhabi-based airline is currently operating up to 78% of its pre-war schedule, but by June 15, Neves claims the carrier will have added around 8% more capacity than it was operating before February 28, when the U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran began. Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport escaped relatively unscathed during Iran’s massive bombardment of ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones fired towards the UAE throughout March and April, although one civilian tragically died when debris from a low-altitude drone interception fell on the outskirts of the airport.” I tend to agree with this setting, at some point the hostilities are gone and those who hesitated will get eaten by worms, so being on top of this seems the way to go. And we are also given “Following years of shrinking back to profitability, Neves was brought in to accelerate the airline’s growth plans, with his ‘Journey 2030’ transformation program marking a “pivotal turning point in Etihad’s journey.” Journey 2030 will see Etihad Airways expand its route network to 125 global destinations and double its fleet size to 160 aircraft. Last May, the airline placed an order for 28 additional wide-body Boeing aircraft, including 787 Dreamliners and the yet-to-be-certified Boeing 777X. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) annual general meeting in Brazil, Neves struck an optimistic tone despite the continuing security issues impacting travel demand through the Persian Gulf.” The entire setting makes sense, because there are a few other parts (not mentioned here, nor was it needed). You see, the United States paused of its allies to such an extent that the 70 million people they did have (due to Walt Disney World (featuring Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld) will get left outside looking for other places to go and here Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be the call for many. There is doubt that this will start in 2026 (because of Iran) but there is every indication that 2027 that it could receive the bulk of 20 million Canadians that are now shunning the United States. Then you get the Europeans, Asians and people form the Commonwealth, they have all had it with the United States, its bully tactics and considering major theme parks like Disney World and Universal, quick-service meals run $15-$25, and full-service dining can easily reach $50-$75+ per person. So, consider those expenses from a vendor that doesn’t seemingly even want you there, the choice is easy and the UAE is tactically sound, especially with Yas Island having most options right there, all in walking distance and the fast train will take you to Dubai and its world famous mall in 30 minutes. That is a steal at twice the price. As I see it the United States are done for as a tourist destination until deep into 2031. As I see it, Etihad is getting ready for some major tourist increases and so they should. Taking into account that Abu Dhabi already has most of the attractions in place (Disney is still building) there is little that Orlando can offer that the UAE isn’t, and for the car enthusiasts, Yas Island has a Ferrari world with the world’s fastest roller coaster—Formula Rossa—reaches a staggering top speed of 240 km/h (149.1 mph), this is something Orlando does not have. So if you were a gambling man, put your money on the UAE, if you are not, see what the UAE currently has to offer and see what you could be seeing at a much reduced rate and with the UAE being a zero tax place there might be more than one reason to look towards the UAE as a place of relaxation and as It seems (according to PYOK) Etihad is getting ready for the increased tourist pressure, that being said they have an airport that Zayed International Airport (AUH) has an ability to scale up to 80 million. The facility is built to handle up to 11,000 travelers per hour, which is a lot more than Orlando ever could and with their ‘diminished’ staff, nearly 1,600 Spirit employees in the Orlando area lost their jobs, marking one of the most significant aviation workforce contractions at the airport, as such they are not ready to see any increase of tourists in their area for some time to come. As such banking towards the UAE and Etihad is banking for gold and now PYOK has given me (and others) the confidence that the UAE is not taking chances and they are getting ready for a massive influx of tourists. I reckon that Yas Island will be getting a massive appeal for a lot of people, on a personal note I think ALBAIK needs to expand into the Yas Mall, there are plenty of good places already, but I so want to try their food in the Yas Mall when I get there. As I see it, their new slogan should become “Better than Macka’s, better than Burger kind and cheaper than both”, but that is merely me and I have been wrong on many things, but never about food and I have the (massive) size to match this statement up.

Have a great day today.

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May 29, 2026 · 10:01

As ideas go

Just before I started writing yesterdays blog, I saw a walkthrough on Monaco. I watch them every now and then. Monaco, Toronto, Abu Dhabi, Dubai all the places I cannot afford to see myself, others make sure that this becomes an option. I reckon that the first Covid shutdown gave people ideas. Anyway, why I was watching the Monaco walkthrough, I suddenly realised around when the camera came to the Elle Style clothing store that something was missing. An adaptation of 5G and wearables. Consider the you pass a billboard, it gives a great style and you are a tourist there, so how to find this? Well, that is where this IP becomes a solution. You are on the Avenue de la Costa and you want to get to that store. So you need to find a map, a direction and if you are shabby in French you will face a few more issues. So here comes Lawrence (aka Garfield, aka Lawlordtobe, aka yours truly), and voila: 

So here we see the  the model, and that billboard at that point also gives the ‘willing recipient’ (the active instigator) the map tag, an optional Lightbox advertisement, the advertisement itself to be stored (if so set in your mobile) and in seconds you are ready to visit this place. A setting that the tourist, or local traveller can use to get to where they need to be. And it goes further, consider malls in Dubai, London, Toronto, they all get to have this added feature. Some will reject this, but most see the stage that this as added visibility  

So where we had nothing, we now have a solution that could be globally rolled out, I mention the famous places, but there is not a mall that cannot benefit from this and that is merely for starters. Government settings of advertising their events and event places become eager new customers, so consider that at any given year 16 million routine events are taking place, and now they get another channel to give visibility, millions of sport events and hundred of thousands of fair events. As I see it all optionally customers to the setting offered here and that is before you need to find the Apple Store in Monaco (hint: there isn’t one) but a new day is dawning (Google is here and me too) to make it all a little easier for the traveler and local stumped person trying to find out where Monaco is holding its Fête de la Mer (June 20th) or perhaps the Live Jazz at La Note Bleue in Lavrotto beach. All places that could benefit from visibility and that was merely one place. Now consider what shows Harrods is giving, a setting more tourists miss, so when these 300,000 daily shoppers get to see what is going on, I reckon that there will be loads more visibility and that is merely two location all whilst the USA has over 135,000 malls. So what are they doing? Well, optionally Google seemingly has your back and even outside the malls and places, there can be added visibility. That market is about to fuel itself to a much larger degree.

So whilst some will put this idea down (some always do) consider that as I see it, no one had this idea as no one moved in this direction and now there is an option for visibility that does not rely on taking notes. It is all downloaded to your mobile at the press of a button and streamed to your smartwatch so you can see where you have to walk to. And is there an exception? Yes, the Formula is making such a ruckus you can hear it in every part of Monaco, but that might be the only event in that monarchy that doesn’t need the advertisement. 

Have a great day all.

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