Tourism Spain’s Barceló expands reach in Middle East and Turkey Spain’s Barceló Hotel Group is intensifying its focus on the Middle East, Africa and Turkey this year with plans to invest more than $400 million as part of its global expansion strategy. The move includes opening hotels in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Turkey. The company will expand its portfolio in the Middle East by […] May 13, 2024
Tourism Saudia allocates 1.2m seats for Hajj pilgrims Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has allocated more than 1.2 million seats for the 2024 Hajj Season across its fleet of over 150 aircraft. The operational period for the carrier during this year’s Hajj will span 74 days, starting from May 9, encompassing both inbound and outbound stages. Saudia Group, one of […] May 10, 2024
Giga-projects Neom announces superyacht resort on Gulf of Aqaba Plans to build a high-end resort town on the Gulf of Aqaba aimed at the luxury yacht community have been announced by Neom, despite rising doubts about Saudi Arabia’s ability to maintain funding lines for the country’s giga-projects. The new project, Jaumur, was described by Neom as an “exclusive residential community set around an inspiring […] May 9, 2024
Opinion Business of Sport Qatar faces tough rivals in fight for sporting dominance Qatar must build on its football World Cup success and has rugby and the Olympics in its sights May 9, 2024
Tourism Tourism chiefs call for GCC-wide events calendar Gulf Cooperation Council nations should co-ordinate their event schedules to avoid overlaps and entice tourists to make multiple stops in the region, officials have said at the Arabian Travel Market conference. The six GCC governments – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – are exploring ways to co-operate on tourism, including a […] May 9, 2024
Analysis Aviation Qatar dazzles as Middle East aviation picks up pace The Middle East’s aviation sector is growing at twice the global rate and is expected to offer 257 million passenger seats this year, according to a new report. Not so long ago major airlines viewed the Middle East as a place to get cheap fuel on their way from Europe to South East Asia. Now […] May 8, 2024
Tourism Illegal Hajj pilgrims risk fines and deportation Fines for Saudi nationals and deportation for foreign residents taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage without a permit have been announced by the country’s interior ministry. Those who help illegal pilgrims also face jail as the kingdom tries to impose stricter controls over the annual rites. A fine of SAR10,000 ($2,700) will be issued against […] May 8, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Emaar Hotels reveals wide expansion plans Emaar Hospitality Group is talking to investors in Europe, the Middle East and China to expand its footprint regionally and internationally. The Dubai-based company is behind iconic names such as The Address Hotels & Resorts, Vida Hotels, Palace Hotels & Resorts and Armani Hotels & Resorts. Mark Kirby, head of hospitality at Emaar Hospitality, told […] May 8, 2024
Aviation Riyadh Air expands with fleet of narrowbody jets The new Saudi airline Riyadh Air will announce a fleet of narrowbody jets later this year for a first-phase expansion that will eventually include a new terminal to meet Saudi tourism ambitions. Although its widebody aircraft come from the troubled manufacturer Boeing, Riyadh Air declined to say if the latest narrowbody orders would be from […] May 8, 2024
Tourism Tourists keep flocking to Egypt as conflict rumbles on Egypt’s visitor numbers rose 27 percent in the first four months of 2024, according to its vice minister of tourism and antiquities. The tourism ministry aims to increase inbound visitors by 25-30 percent this year, as it chases a target of 30 million visitors a year by 2030. Tourists from Arab countries accounted for the […] May 8, 2024
Food & Drink Americana profit tumbles as Gaza boycotts hit sales Americana Restaurants International’s revenue and profit fell again in the first quarter of this year as Mena diners continue to shun western brands in protest at the conflict in Gaza. Americana, which runs 2,456 fast-food outlets across the region, reported a 16.3 percent reduction in revenues year on year, to $493.5 million. Net profit fell […] May 7, 2024
Analysis Tourism Pilgrims remain bedrock of Saudi tourism plans Saudi tourism is to undergo a massive expansion with religious travellers remaining its bedrock – but some hotel operators are wary of an overheated market. The kingdom is aiming to bring in 150 million visitors per year by 2030, with tourism accounting for 10 percent of non-oil GDP, playing a key role in its economic […] May 7, 2024
Analysis Food & Drink Lebanon’s diners defy both slowdown and spectre of war It is a cliché in Lebanon that people will always find the money for restaurants, even with war and conflict once again threatening its southern borders. “No matter what, Lebanese people want to go out,” says Christian Ghosn, CEO of Ghia Holding, which operates 25 restaurants in Lebanon, the Middle East, and Europe. When Ghosn’s […] May 7, 2024
Giga-projects Largest water park in Middle East to open in Qiddiya next year The largest water theme park in the Middle East is on target to open in the city of Qiddiya next year, its developer has announced. Aquarabia, the first water park in Saudi Arabia, will have four record holders among its 22 rides, including the world’s tallest “water coaster” and tallest water slide. It will also […] May 7, 2024
Real Estate New $1bn Ras Al Khaimah project to have 140-foot arch A new AED4 billion ($1.1 billion) residential development on Ras Al Khaimah’s man-made archipelago will house a 140-foot-high arch, its developer has said. Sora Beach Residences on Al Marjan Island is slated to have one the “grandest atriums ever seen in the region”, Dubai-based Aark Developers said in a statement. The 18-floor high project will span […] May 6, 2024
Analysis Tourism Why ‘over-tourism’ offers an opportunity for the GCC The GCC region and its North African neighbour Egypt can reap the rewards of over-tourism across the globe, according to industry experts, with affordability playing a key role in fuelling the sector’s growth. The number of hotel rooms in the six countries of the GCC – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE […] May 6, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Ajman sees 7% rise in hotel revenues amid tourism surge The number of tourist arrivals in Ajman rose 9 percent year on year during the first quarter of 2024, leading to a 3 percent increase in hotel occupancy levels, according to the Ajman Department of Tourism Development. Revenue rose 7 percent year on year in the first quarter, as the average length of stay increased 5 percent, […] May 5, 2024
Tourism Bahrain port operator hopes to double cruise passenger arrivals The operator of Bahrain’s biggest port has held discussions with international tour operators to try to double the number of cruise passengers visiting the kingdom next season. Khalifa Bin Salman Port is operated by APM Terminals Bahrain. It welcomed more than 116,000 cruise passengers in the last six-month season, which ran from October to March, […] May 3, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Tourism Bahrain reveals plans to reach 2026 visitor target Mumtalakat, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, has been announced as a partner in the development of a new luxury island resort which will open later this year and include a water park and a Bear Grylls Survival Academy. The opening is part of Bahrain’s wider push to expand its tourism offering – with new hotels, beaches […] May 2, 2024
Retail Spinneys increases UAE retail offering after high demand Supermarket operator Spinneys has increased the size of its UAE retail offering by 40 percent on the Dubai Financial Market following high investor demand. The retail allocation has been increased from 45 million to 63 million shares, now comprising seven percent of the total shares offered, compared to five percent earlier. However, the total size […] April 30, 2024
Food & Drink Turkey’s Getir exits Europe and US to focus on home market Turkish grocery delivery startup Getir has announced that it is leaving the European and US markets to focus on Turkey. Getir had already exited the French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese markets in 2023, and will now cease operations in the UK, the US, Germany and the Netherlands. These account for 7 percent of its revenue. […] April 29, 2024
Retail Spinneys Egypt expands with 10 new stores Supermarket operator Spinneys will open 10 new stores in Egypt as part of its expansion drive in the North African country. Four new stores will be opened before June 2024, while six more will be opened in fiscal year 2024/2025, which starts in July, Daily News Egypt reported. Spinneys Egypt operates 27 stores across the […] April 29, 2024
