Tourism Airbus in talks with Qatar Airways ahead of $1bn legal battle Airbus is in discussions with Qatar Airways to try to resolve a bitter legal and safety dispute over the A350 passenger jet, the planemaker’s chief executive said on Sunday. “There’s progress in the sense that we are communicating; we are working with each other,” Guillaume Faury told Reuters on the sidelines of an airlines meeting […] June 20, 2022
Retail Danone trims product range as shoppers balk at high prices French food giant Danone is cutting the variety of products it sells to retailers to cut costs, a top executive told Reuters, meaning yoghurt fans may in future miss out on the exact flavour or pot-size they’re used to. Supermarkets and the makers of packaged food are struggling to combat rising costs, with products ranging […] June 20, 2022
Tourism Air New Zealand ramps up capacity as demand recovers Air New Zealand Ltd expects to reach 75 percent of its pre-COVID-19 international capacity and more than 100 percent of pre-pandemic domestic capacity by the end of 2022, as travel demand recovers, its Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said on Monday. The New Zealand national carrier is operating at 50 percent of international and nearly […] June 20, 2022
Tourism Turkish Airlines mulls IPOs, joint ventures for cargo business Turkish Airlines is considering joint ventures and initial public offerings for its cargo business and regional carrier as it weighs up options to grow both internally and through deals, the chairman of Turkey’s national airline said. The airline also plans to participate in international bond markets, including issuing Eurobonds, to finance future investments and growth, […] June 20, 2022
Analysis What the metaverse actually means for your business Should you believe the hype or is this yet another marketing buzzword? Not a day goes by without a brand or celebrity broadcasting their foray into the “metaverse”. While some naysayers may dismiss this nascent Web3 sector as unfounded hype, swathes of metaverse advocates envision trillions of dollars worth of opportunities in this new digital […] June 18, 2022
Retail Dior show in Spain glitters with flamenco notes A live show by Christian Dior in the Spanish city of Seville on Thursday included a colourful celebration of flamenco. The event is one of several that mark the return of luxury labels to the catwalk after a period of dormancy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event in the city’s historic Plaza de Espana showcased […] June 17, 2022
Entrepreneurs How I got to the top: Erika Blazeviciute Doyle, Drink Dry What does your company do? Drink Dry is the UAE’s first and only non-alcoholic drinks marketplace. We aspire to open the world to new and better ways of drinking. We sell and distribute premium non-alcoholic drinks in the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. What inspired you to develop your idea? The business idea […] June 17, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways posts first annual profit since 2017 Qatar Airways today posted its first annual profit since 2017 following years of losses blamed on a regional political dispute and the pandemic. The airline, which only operates international flights, said it made a profit of 5.6 billion riyal ($1.5 billion) in the year to March 31, compared to a year ago loss of 14.8 […] June 16, 2022
Aviation 58 million travellers expected at Dubai airport in 2022 Dubai International Airport (DXB) is set to serve over 58 million passengers this year, more than double the amount in 2021, as the UAE’s aviation sector continues to rebound from the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic. The figure was revealed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman […] June 16, 2022
Analysis Economy UK targets Gulf for growth post-Brexit and Covid Rocked by the double whammy of Brexit and the global pandemic, UK businesses have endured a tumultuous two years. As European trade battles sharp retrenchment – UK-EU exports dropped by 12 percent last year, a loss of £20 billion – British companies are pursuing new growth avenues and the Gulf is proving to be a […] June 16, 2022
Tourism Business travel lagging behind tourism as Gulf goes virtual An estimated 115 million more passengers in the Middle East and Africa will fly during 2022 compared to last year if flight booking trends continue at their current pace, according to new research. However, business travel in the region is returning at a much slower pace with medium/long-haul and domestic bookings remaining well below 2019 […] June 15, 2022
Tourism Qatar to pitch up 1,000 ‘Bedouin tents’ for World Cup fans Qatar plans to pitch 1,000 “Bedouin style” tents in the desert for World Cup soccer fans, organisers said on Tuesday, as the state hopes to attract 1.2 million visitors, nearly half of its population, for the 28-day tournament in November and December. Tents will spring up on the stark desert landscapes surrounding Doha, to offer […] June 15, 2022
Tourism EU regulator dismisses Qatar Airways Airbus paint safety claims Europe’s top aviation safety regulator said on Tuesday he had seen no evidence that paint or surface erosion on A350 jets, which are at the centre of a legal dispute between Airbus and Qatar Airways, represented a safety issue. The two companies are at loggerheads over the airworthiness of Europe’s newest long-haul jet after damage […] June 15, 2022
Tourism Malaysia’s AirAsia X to add new routes, including Dubai, Istanbul Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia X Bhd will add new long-haul routes from Kuala Lumpur to London, Dubai and Istanbul this year, the airline said on Wednesday, aiming to take advantage of growing demand as travel curbs are lifted. The airline, which is operating six Airbus A330 jets, hopes to have 15 planes in service by […] June 15, 2022
Tourism EU official concerned about Russia flying Western-made planes European’s top aviation safety regulator said on Tuesday that he is “very worried” about the safety of Western-made aircraft continuing to fly in Russia without access to spare parts and proper maintenance. The European Union and the United States have moved to restrict Russia’s access to spare parts following its invasion of Ukraine. “This is […] June 15, 2022
Exclusive Tourism A casino in the UAE? ‘We’ve got 4 years to figure that out’ Ras Al Khaimah's tourism boss Raki Phillips talks to AGBI about Vegas developer Wynn and its plan for the emirate, plus Covid and hotels June 14, 2022
Retail UAE shoppers less price-conscious than Europeans but not for long UAE shoppers are much less price-conscious when buying goods and services, compared to their European counterparts, but the record rising cost of living may see this becoming more of a priority for some over the next 12 months, according to a new retail report. In a survey in April of 5,250 consumers in seven countries […] June 14, 2022
Tourism Thailand has high hopes for tourism with legal marijuana Thailand legalised the growing of marijuana and its consumption in food and drinks last week, with the aim of boosting tourism and agriculture. The government plans to give away 1 million plants to encourage farmers to take up its cultivation as a cash crop It is the first Asian country to take this step, although […] June 14, 2022
Retail Retail festival to test Covid-hit Chinese shoppers’ urge to splurge China will get a picture of how its zero-Covid policy and slowing economy are affecting shoppers’ urge to splurge this weekend, as e-commerce platforms gear up to report takings from the mid-year 618 shopping festival. The retail event, held in the run-up to June 18, is China’s second-largest by sales after Singles Day on November […] June 14, 2022
Tourism Cathay Pacific forecasts ‘substantial’ loss in first half Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd expects a lower first-half loss than last year, driven by strong cargo performance and cost-cutting, the airline said on Tuesday, while warning that this year’s loss would still be “substantial”. Last year’s first-half loss at the major Asian carrier was HK$7.57 billion ($964.34 million), though it managed a surprise […] June 14, 2022
Food & Drink Saudi region awarded global gastronomy title The Aseer region in southwest Saudi Arabia is to be given a global showcase after being awarded the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2024 by the Barcelona-based International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). The move is part of a wider $13 billion plan to redevelop the tourism potential of the little-known […] June 13, 2022
Exclusive Tourism Dubai ranked No1 in the world for event hosting Dubai has been ranked as the number one destination globally for meetings in 2021, having been one of the first cities to resume holding in-person business events after the global Covid-19 shutdown. A report published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) lists the emirate as the place to be both in terms of […] June 13, 2022
