Tourism and UAE go hand in hand. And so it is not surprising that tourists entering the country with their children can once again avail of free visit visas for their kids who are  below the age of 18 (“Exemptions granted to tourists’ children,” June 20, Gulf Today).

Coincidently, a close friend of mine who is to visit the UAE with his family next month was thrilled when I informed him of the offer. The government initiative, no doubt, is to encourage people to visit the UAE during the summer as the scheme is scheduled to run from July 15 to September 15. But more than that it is an excellent draw for families to travel together.

A few days back Dubai also announced that tourists who are 18 and above will receive the free ‘tourist SIM pack’ at the immigration counter. The SIM card will provide the tourist three-minute talk time and 20MB mobile data for free and the card will last for 30 days or duration of the tourist’s stay. Isn’t that something?

Omar Abdullah
By email