Retail $1,088 iPhone 14 available on pre-order in UAE and KSA from Friday Pre-orders for the newly-launched iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro will start tomorrow (Friday, September 9) in the UAE, according to the Apple website. The standard and Pro versions will be available in the local market from September 19, while the delivery of the Plus variant will start from October 7. According […] September 8, 2022
Exclusive Business of Sport Samba in the sand: Arab investors set sights on Brazilian football A 51 percent stake in Atletico Mineiro could fetch $200m Liverpool legend John Barnes says European-sized deals unlikely Libra league expects broadcasting revenues to rise 56% to $1bn A new law allowing Brazil’s soccer clubs to seek foreign investment is already attracting investors from the Middle East. But experts say Brazilian teams are unlikely to […] September 8, 2022
Tourism Dubai Expo 2020 and Saudi Vision 2030 fuel hotel growth The success of Expo 2020 in Dubai and interest in Saudi Arabia and its Vision 2030 programme are boosting investment and fuelling the hotel pipeline in the Middle East, experts said on Wednesday. Analysts say that while the pandemic cast uncertainty upon the regional hospitality landscape with hotel investment impacted, market sentiment has significantly improved […] September 7, 2022
Retail Apple and Samsung herald latest UAE launches as rivalry cools The global rollout of the Samsung retail store revamp will arrive in the UAE with much fanfare this week, within days of the next global Apple launch. But the battle for smartphone dominion is not as heated as it once was, according to Gulf retailers. Apple’s annual fall event – dubbed “Far Out” this year […] September 7, 2022
Retail Dubai Duty Free rehires 2,000 staff Dubai Duty Free has recalled nearly 2,000 staff who were laid off during the global pandemic as the recovery in the regional aviation industry gathers pace. After announcing that sales have more than doubled in the first eight months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, the airport retailer said it has recovered […] September 6, 2022
Tourism Israel’s El Al to resume Hong Kong flights after curbs eased El Al Israel Airlines said on Monday it would resume non-stop flights to Hong Kong in February after halting them at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Israel’s flag carrier said that in the wake of authorities in Hong Kong easing restrictions and allowing the entry of tourists, it would operate three weekly […] September 6, 2022
Business of Sport Saudi Arabia signs MotoGP deal as sporting push accelerates Saudi Motorsport Company and MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports have signed a memorandum of understanding for a race in the kingdom September 6, 2022
Business of Sport Qatar to allow beer at World Cup three hours before kick-off Qatar will permit ticketed fans to buy alcoholic beer at World Cup soccer matches starting three hours before kickoff and for one hour after the final whistle, but not during the match, a source with knowledge of plans for the tournament said. Budweiser, a major World Cup sponsor with exclusive rights to sell beer at […] September 4, 2022
Business of Sport LIV Golf players ineligible for PGA Tour membership renewal The PGA Tour players, who have been indefinitely suspended by the US-based circuit for joining LIV Golf, were informed this week that they are not eligible to renew their membership for the season 2022-23, Reuters confirmed on Friday. As first reported by Sports Illustrated, a letter sent on Thursday to 22 players who had not […] September 4, 2022
Tourism Saudi Arabia to offer e-visas for GCC residents to promote tourism Saudi Arabia has issued new regulations that enable GCC residents to apply for an e-visa and allows residents of the UK, US, and European Union (EU) to apply for a visa on arrival, the tourism ministry said in a statement. Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the decision will make it quicker, easier and more […] September 2, 2022
Tourism Dubai’s Emirates to resume Lagos flights after Nigeria releases funds Emirates will resume some flights to Nigeria this month after the Central Bank of Nigeria released a portion funds the Dubai airline had earned in the country but had not been able to repatriate. An airline spokesperson said flights to Lagos will resume from September 11, though it is not possible to resume flights to […] September 1, 2022
Tourism Abu Dhabi-listed company to build hotel on Al Marjan Island Abu Dhabi National Hotels will acquire a land plot in Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Marjan Island to develop a hotel, the company said in a statement to Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. The announcement comes as Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) aims to add 4,617 new hotel rooms over the next five years, a […] September 1, 2022
Business of Sport Abu Dhabi punches its way into global boxing reckoning Having won the battle to become the international home of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), Abu Dhabi is now looking to rival Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia as a destination to host the world’s top boxing matches. UFC, the multi-billion dollar mixed martial arts organisation, signed a deal with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and […] September 1, 2022
Business of Sport Smith defects to Saudi-backed LIV in major blow to PGA Tour Australian golf fans may be split over Cameron Smith’s defection to the LIV series but the Saudi-backed circuit could ultimately find fallow ground in a country left to wither by the increasingly dominant US and European tours. World number two Smith, who claimed his first major at the British Open in July, confirmed he had […] September 1, 2022
Business of Sport US firm joins Yankees owners to complete AC Milan takeover US investment firm RedBird Capital has joined forces with the owners of the New York Yankees to complete the 1.2 billion euro ($1.2 billion) acquisition of Italian soccer champions AC Milan, it said in a statement on Wednesday. Yankee Global Enterprises (YGE), owner of the New York baseball team, will take a minority equity stake […] September 1, 2022
Retail Russia’s Ozon opens Turkish office to help cross-border orders Russian e-commerce firm Ozon said on Tuesday it would open a local office in Turkey and make it easier for consumers to make cross-border orders, helping Russian shoppers to buy goods directly from Turkish sellers on its platform. As Western sanctions have rained down on Russia over its actions in Ukraine, commercial ties between Moscow […] August 31, 2022
Tourism UAE announces multiple-entry visa for Qatar World Cup fans The United Arab Emirates will grant multiple-entry visa for ‘Hayya’ cardholders attending the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, WAM, the state news agency, reported. All ‘Hayya’ cardholders can enter and stay in the UAE for 90 days from the visa issuance date, which can be extended for an additional 90 days. The one-time visa fee […] August 31, 2022
Tourism Emirates and United Airlines set to announce codeshare pact United Airlines and Dubai’s Emirates are set to announce a codeshare agreement in the coming weeks, sources told Reuters. United on Tuesday sent an invitation to reporters to a “special event” on September 14 titled “Come fly with us” with Chief Executive Scott Kirby and Emirates President Tim Clark in Washington. The Air Current reported […] August 31, 2022
Business of Sport Qatar sends on Beckham amid questions over World Cup legacy Qatar Tourism has launched a marketing campaign starring David Beckham as it counts down to the start of the FIFA World Cup in November. The former England captain – who is reportedly being paid £150 million ($174 million) over 10 years to promote Qatar – is advertising holidays in the country as tourism chiefs seek […] August 31, 2022
Tourism Dubai hotel rates surge by up to 75% during World Cup Dubai Marathon has been forced to move its upcoming race in December 2022 to February 2023, as organisers said the massive demand by football fans to base themselves in the emirate has resulted in a lack of hotel rooms, with average daily rates during the tournament rising by as much as 75 percent. “Thousands of […] August 30, 2022
Retail UAE diamond trade up 24.7% to $19.8bn in H1 2022 Around $19.8 billion worth of diamonds have been traded through the United Arab Emirates in the first half of 2022, the head of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) said on Monday, a 24.7 percent increase year-on-year. Dubai has grown its diamond industry by leveraging its proximity to Africa and Russia, where many diamonds are […] August 30, 2022
Analysis Retail Back-to-school is big business after home learning era The 2022 back-to-school season is forecast to be the best in history – and it’s typically the second biggest spending event for parents globally, behind holiday expenditures. Parents are forecast to spend a record amount this year, in a bid to treat their children, after two years of coronavirus pandemic uncertainty brought normal school life […] August 30, 2022
