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Leisure & Hospitality

Leisure and hospitality news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

The Qatar stopover discount scheme allows tourists to book hotel rooms from as little as $14

Qatar stopover initiative draws thousands more visitors

An initiative encouraging passengers passing through Qatar to stay a night in the country has already sold more than 100,000 room nights this year. Launched in August 2021, the Discover Qatar Stopover Programme allows travellers with Qatar Airways and its codeshare partners to book overnight stays from anywhere between one and four nights at lower […]

Marrakesh Menara airport. Morocco expects airport passenger traffic to reach 60 million by 2030

Morocco aims to double airport capacity by 2030

Morocco expects airport traffic to reach 60 million passengers by 2030 and 90 million by 2035, according to a government official. The growth from 32 million passengers in 2024 is expected as a result of the 2030 Fifa World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal, Morocco World News reported, quoting transport and […]

The Mogamma was opened in 1951 on the site of former British barracks on Tahrir Square in the centre of Cairo

Marriott to convert Cairo’s Mogamma building into hotel

Marriott International has agreed with the Sovereign Fund of Egypt to convert Al Mogamma Al Tahrir – a Cairo landmark and former government office – into a hotel as Egypt sells off state assets to raise funds. The 500-room hotel development is led by a group that includes Chicago-based property manager Oxford Capital Group, US […]

cash withdrawals people shopping Saudi Arabia

Cash withdrawals in Saudi Arabia rise for first time in 5 years

Cash withdrawals in Saudi Arabia in 2024 increased for the first time in five years, helping to underpin a rise in consumer spending, the local advisory company Jadwa Investment has reported. Consumer spending in the largest Arab economy rose by nearly 7.5 percent for the year and the value of point of sale (POS) transactions […]

Egypt Kuwait hotel Hassan El-Khatib, Egypt’s minister of investment and foreign trade, met Jawad Bukhamseen, chairman of the family-owned conglomerate Bukhamseen Holding

Talks start with Kuwait hotel group on $125m Egypt project

Kuwait’s Bukhamseen Holding is considering investing in a $125 million new hotel project in Egypt. Hassan El-Khatib, Egypt’s minister of investment and foreign trade, met Jawad Bukhamseen, chairman of the family-owned conglomerate, to discuss current and future projects in hospitality, finance and restaurant management. In a statement, the ministry of investment said Bukhamseen Holding was […]

Men queue for tickets at a lottery stand in Turkey. The UAE Lottery has a weekly jackpot of AED100m

UAE Lottery operator in talks to sell tickets in shops

The UAE Lottery’s operator is in talks to sell tickets in shops across the country. The weekly draw and spin-off games were launched in December, for online play only. Bishop Woosley, director of lottery operations at The Game, which manages the draw, said discussions had been held with retailers to allow ticket sales as early […]

Colombian player Jhon Duran, aged 21, is moving from UK Premier League club Aston Villa to Saudi club Al Nassr

Saudi football spending takes youthful turn as big names depart

It says much for the evolution of football in Saudi Arabia that the main talking points of the winter transfer-window were of individuals leaving the league rather than multi-million dollar signings. The majority of headlines in the last week of January were devoted to the departures of Brazilian forward Neymar, effectively having his contract ripped […]

AEG provided design and installation of temporary infrastructure at the Paris Olympics

Abu Dhabi’s Modon plans to buy UK events company

Modon Holding has announced plans to acquire a global events company. Modon, an investment company that is backed by state-owned Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), announced on Monday that it plans to complete the acquisition of Theta Bidco, a limited company registered in London that owns 100 percent of Arena Events Group (AEG).  The […]

Jazeera Airways chairman Marwan Boodai said the airline will continue with its digital transformation in 2025

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways cuts losses as revenues rise

Low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways, which trades on the Kuwaiti stock exchange, narrowed its fourth-quarter 2024 loss on rising revenue and operational efficiency. Net loss narrowed by 42 percent year on year to KD4.2 million ($13.6 million) in the final quarter, as operating revenue climbed 15 percent year on year to KD45.1 million. Passenger numbers grew 9 […]

Egyptian archaeologists at work on the Nile's west bank in Luxor. Tourism is estimated to account for 8 percent of Egypt's GDP

Egypt’s tourism revenue tops $15bn in 2024

Egypt’s tourism revenues more than doubled to $15.3 billion in 2024 compared to $7.2 billion in 2014 amid a major overhaul of the industry. Inbound tourist numbers rose by 60 percent to 15.8 million last year from 9.9 million in 2014, local media outlets reported citing a report released by the cabinet’s media office. The […]

Riyadh Air is evaluating the Airbus 350-1000 and Boeing 777X models

Riyadh Air in talks to buy 50 more widebody aircraft

Saudi Arabian airline Riyadh Air, backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is in talks with US and European planemakers for 50 additional widebody aircraft, according to a news report. The airline is evaluating the Airbus 350-1000 and Boeing 777X models, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed informed sources. The carrier is eager to secure delivery slots, […]

DXB connects 272 destinations across 107 countries through 106 international airlines

DXB passenger traffic hit record high of 92m in 2024  

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest international airport, received 92.3 million passengers in 2024, the highest annual traffic to date. The 6 percent year on year rise was driven by sustained growth throughout the year, capped by an exceptionally busy last quarter, Dubai Media Office said in a statement. December emerged as the busiest […]

The Saudi facilities management market is expected to grow at a 10 percent compound annual growth rate, expanding to about $56 billion by 2032

AlMajal AlArabi considers listing on Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul

Saudi Arabia’s AlMajal AlArabi Group (MAG) is considering an initial public offering on the Tadawul main market and has appointed Riyad Capital as an adviser, people familiar with the plans told AGBI. The Riyadh-based facilities management and construction company is exploring a share sale as Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure and services sectors expands, driven by multi-billion-dollar […]

Kuwait's consumer spending data showed rapid adoption of ecommerce and electronic payments and a drop in the value of ATM withdrawals

Kuwait consumer spending reaches record high

Consumer spending in Kuwait hit record levels in 2024, underpinned by a growing preference for card payments and a thriving ecommerce industry.   Figures from the Central Bank of Kuwait for 2024 showed spending reached KD47.81 billion ($155.7 billion), a rise of 4.4 percent from the previous year.  The figures show an increase in card payments and […]

A shopping mall decorated in preparation for Chinese New Year. Approximately 400,000 Chinese citizens live in the UAE

Growing number of Chinese celebrating new year in UAE

The UAE has recorded an increase in the number of Chinese travellers making the journey for new year celebrations this year. Arrivals from China to the UAE have grown 9 percent year on year, a study by the travel insight specialist ForwardKeys has found. While exact details of the dates surveyed or total number of […]

Alpha Dhabi takes majority stake in ADX-listed hotel operator  

Alpha Dhabi Holding, which is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), has acquired a controlling 73.73 percent stake in the National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels (NCTH) via a swap deal. The stake was acquired after selling assets from Alpha Dhabi Hospitality Holding and Murban Energy to Abu Dhabi-listed NCTH in exchange for […]

The Middle East's coffee market is projected to reach $11.5 billion in 2025

Middle Eastern coffee market expected to hit $11bn

The price of your half-caff, soya milk, extra hot with a pump of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon is likely to go up this year, as the cost of coffee is set to increase by as much as one fifth. The Middle Eastern coffee market alone is projected to reach $11.5 billion in 2025, […]

The Ford Center at the Star includes a 12,000-seat venue, and Qiddiya's potential MMA venue is equally ambitious

Saudi Arabia in talks to host MMA facility at Qiddiya

Saudi Arabia has been identified as a potential host for a multi-use mixed martial arts facility akin to the Ford Center at The Star in the US, the head of MMA organisation the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has said. The Star is a partnership between the city of Frisco in Texas and the Dallas Cowboys […]

With the acquisition of the Oman business, Americana operates 450 Pizza Hut restaurants across the Mena region

Americana acquires Pizza Hut business in Oman

Americana Restaurants, the largest food service business in the Mena region, has acquired the Pizza Hut brand in Oman from the Khimji Ramdas Group.  The restaurant operator said the acquisition includes 46 Pizza Hut restaurants which had an annual revenue of approximately $11 million in 2024.  The additional outlets increase its Pizza Hut restaurants across […]

American professional basketball player LeBron James arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Peacock's 'Shooting Stars' held at the Regency Village Theatre on May 31, 2023 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency) Credit: Image Press Agency/Alamy Live News

NBA’s LeBron James joins PIF-backed electric raceboat series

Lebron James, the NBA basketball star, has signed up as team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship, the all-electric raceboat series. James was named as owner of Team AlUla, named after the ancient oasis city in Saudi Arabia, ahead of the start of the 2025 season on Saturday in Jeddah. The championship, now in […]

Pangaia Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group buys eco brand Pangaia

Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group has acquired a controlling stake in fashion brand Pangaia. No financial details of the transaction were revealed. Pangaia, which has its headquarters in London, designs eco-friendly clothing made from organic and recycled materials, sold primarily through its website. It uses next-generation materials for its clothing and accessories, including Mirum, a plant-based, plastic-free leather […]