Fujairah hotels fully booked for three holidays

Fujairah's six major hotels and beach motels say they are fully booked for the next seven days as people celebrate Eid Al Fitr, Christmas and New Year's Eve. Haider Azem, Front Office Attendant at the Fujairah Hilton, said the hotel's 92 rooms and suites are sold for all three occasions.

"Our guests are a mixture of European and American businessmen and tourists who usually arrive at this time of year to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve. In addition, there are a large number of nationals who prefer to enjoy their Eid Al Fitr in the serenity of the hotel's atmosphere," Azem said.

Fouad Melhem, General Manager of the Al Diar Siji Hotel, said the hotel's 71 rooms and 19 suites are sold out for Eid Al Fitr and New Year's Eve. "Most of our bookings were made by visiting nationals from Dubai and Abu Dhabi who prefer to enjoy their holidays away from the bustle of their cities," Melhem said.

At the Ritz Plaza Hotel "our 65 rooms are fully booked for the three occasions. We are expecting a large number of nationals, foreign family groups and tourists who will enjoy parties held in our three restaurants," General Manager Safeer Abidi said.

The Sandy Beach Motel, 45 kilometres north of Fujairah, is also fully booked for Eid, Christmas and New Year's Eve. "Our 40 residential rooms and 28 chalets have been booked for the three occasions. Forty per cent of our clients, who have booked for the next ten days, are German, Russian and Swiss," Manager Joseph Abu Deeb said.

The Fujairah Beach Motel and the Holiday Beach Motel are also sold out. Both motels usually attract Russians and other European tourists who prefer to go where they feel unrestricted by dress rules that are enforced at five-star hotels.

Meanwhile, Fujairah is gearing up to celebrate Eid Al Fitr. Several concerts and folklore performances are on offer and the Municipality, Traffic Department andCivil Defence are prepared for holiday problems.

A source at the Municipality told Gulf News that strings of coloured lights would adorn entrances to the city, roundabouts, government buildings and federal premises. Decorative arches have also been put up.

"A special celebratory programme has been arranged for the public during Eid Al Fitr," the source said. There will be a concert in which Arab singers, some of them local, will perform, and folk dancing and singing in Ain Madhab park. Bull fighting shows are included.

"Our health inspectors will continue to inspect food shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cafeterias to ensure that the food sold is hygienic." The Fujairah Civil Defence department has urged residents to shun fireworks.

"We have upped our readiness to 80 per cent to control any fires or mishaps that might occur during the holidays. We urge parents to watch their children and prevent them from buying fireworks. They should inform us of the shops selling fireworks so that they can be punished," said Lt. Col. Juma Saif Al Ghashemi, Director of Fujairah Civil Defence.

Major Ghanem Ahmed Ghanem, Director of the Fujairah Traffic and Licensing Department, said that more traffic patrols and traffic policemen would be deployed during Eid Al Fitr for traffic control and at places expected to be crowded with visitors and tourists.