Analysis Tourism Mena has high hopes for post-pandemic tourism Visitors are returning to key tourism destinations around the Middle East and North Africa, but not everywhere is faring so well The surge in passenger numbers at the Gulf’s biggest airports in the opening months of this year tells a clear story of recovery in the region’s travel and tourism sector. Doha’s Hamad International handled […] June 3, 2022
Tourism Egypt dominates African hotel investment market Egypt is very much the dominant player in Africa’s hotel sector, as the Arab world’s largest country looks to rejuvenate its tourism sector following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 80,300 rooms in 447 hotels, across 42 African countries, are currently in the pipeline for development, according to a study by hospitality […] June 2, 2022
Retail Beware the NFT bandwagon, crypto lawyer warns shoppers As Gulf retail brands venture into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), customers need to be careful not to fall for fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) syndrome, and jump on the digital bandwagon without fully understanding what they’re buying into, a leading cryptocurrency and blockchain lawyer has said. Her warning comes as Dubai-based retail giant Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) and blockchain […] June 2, 2022
Tourism Saudi’s Abdul Latif Jameel to invest $220m in Indian electric vehicle maker Saudi Arabian family conglomerate Abdul Latif Jameel is to invest $220 million in India’s Greaves Electric Mobility, as it looks to benefit from the country’s growing electric vehicle (EV) market. India is currently the world’s fourth-largest automotive market and Greaves Electric Mobility, a subsidiary of Indian engineering firm Greaves Cotton Ltd, produces two and three […] June 2, 2022
Banking and Finance UAE’s Al-Futtaim Group to invest up to $1bn in Egypt Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group said it is eyeing investments in Egypt worth $700 million to $1 billion over the next three years, an Egyptian cabinet statement said on Thursday. Gulf Arab states are channelling up to $22 billion to Egypt to help it overcome a currency crisis, the third such rescue in a decade, as analysts […] June 2, 2022
Business of Sport PGA Tour renews threat of ‘disciplinary action’ The PGA Tour on Wednesday reiterated a warning to members who choose to compete on the LIV Golf Invitational Series and said those who do feature on the Saudi-funded breakaway circuit would be “subject to disciplinary action”. The field for the inaugural LIV Golf event — to be held June 9-11 at Centurion Club outside […] June 2, 2022
Business of Sport Canadian bank terminates sponsor deals over Saudi-backed rival golf tour Royal Bank of Canada said on Wednesday it decided to terminate sponsor agreements with Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell after the former major champions decided to play in the opening event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series next week. World number 13 Johnson was both the highest-ranked and most surprising golfer named to the […] June 2, 2022
Business of Sport Formula One appoints Shaila-Ann Rao as new interim head Shaila-Ann Rao, who was previously a special advisor to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, took over as interim head of Formula One at the governing FIA on Wednesday in place of departed Peter Bayer. The Paris-based FIA, which voted in Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem as president last December to succeed departing Frenchman Jean Todt, thanked […] June 2, 2022
Retail Dubai’s Aramex in $265m deal to buy US e-commerce firm Dubai-listed courier firm Aramex has bought US-based e-commerce company Access USA Shipping, in a deal valued at around $265 million, it was reported on Wednesday. Access USA Shipping, operating as MyUS, is described as a technology-driven, cross-border e-commerce platform, and serves customers in the US, UK and China. “We see significant benefits to be derived […] June 1, 2022
Retail Amazon.com says it is being unfairly targeted by US Congress bill By David Shepardson and Diane Bartz Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday lambasted a bill in Congress barring tech giants from giving preference to their own businesses on their websites, saying it unfairly singles the retailer out while not subjecting rivals to similar regulations. The Senate could vote on the bill as early as this month, media […] June 1, 2022
Tourism DP World-owned P&O Ferries loses UK government contract Britain says it has cancelled a contract with P&O Ferries “with immediate effect” in its latest action against the DP World-owned company following its decision to axe hundreds of staff earlier this year. The Home Office (interior ministry) said it was ending its agreement with the firm to provide contingency travel services to “juxtaposed ports” […] June 1, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways ready to see $1bn Airbus dispute through to trial Qatar Airways is ready to see its legal dispute with Airbus over flaws with the protective skin of A350 wide-body jets through to trial, the Gulf carrier said on Tuesday. Qatar Airways is suing the European planemaker in a UK court for $1 billion in damages after grounding about two dozen of its A350s experiencing […] June 1, 2022
Business of Sport Dustin Johnson to headline this month’s Saudi-backed golf tour in London Garcia and Westwood also included in the 48-man field Mickelson could still make it as six spots still open PGA Tour’s Canadian Open ‘disappointed’ with Johnson’s decision Former world number one Dustin Johnson and past major champion Sergio Garcia were listed among competitors for the opening LIV Golf Invitational Series event in a field released […] June 1, 2022
Business of Sport FIFA: ‘We have not lied about Qatar emissions’ FIFA has rejected a report that claims Qatar 2022 will rely on “flimsy” offsets to meet its pledge to host the first carbon-neutral World Cup. The report, compiled by climate advocacy group Carbon Market Watch, alleges that Qatar, the world’s largest producer of natural gas, is omitting some greenhouse gas emissions from its calculations and […] May 31, 2022
Tourism Archaeologists uncover ancient mummies and statues at Saqqara Archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of ancient Egyptian coffins and bronze statues of deities at a burial site in Saqqara. Statues of the gods Anubis, Amun, Min, Osiris, Isis, Nefertum, Bastet and Hathor were among the objects found at the newly discovered cemetery – along with a headless statue of Imhotep, the architect who built the […] May 31, 2022
Analysis Food & Drink Saudis want the world to wake up and smell their coffee Did Arabica coffee originate in Arabia? Many say it hails from Ethiopia and then spread to Yemen and the rest of the Middle East. As coffee experts and aficionados continue to debate its history, Saudi Arabia is working to put a new stamp on the industry. Saudi Arabia has named 2022 the year of Saudi […] May 31, 2022
Business of Sport Roman era ends as Abramovich completes sale of Chelsea FC Roman Abramovich has completed the sale of Chelsea FC to an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the Premier League club said on Monday. The consortium, which won the bid to acquire the London side earlier this month, received approval from the Premier League and the British government last week. A final […] May 30, 2022
Analysis Tourism UK will see a resurgence in Gulf travellers this summer The UK has historically been a favoured tourism spot for Gulf Arabs but the global pandemic brought international travel to a grinding halt. As the world reopens its shutters, however, GCC tourists’ appetite for Britain is experiencing a strong renaissance, according to industry experts. On March 18 all remaining Covid-19 international travel restrictions were lifted for passengers arriving […] May 27, 2022
Business of Sport Bahrain’s Investcorp ends talks for AC Milan buyout Investcorp and US fund Elliott have ended talks over the buyout of Italian soccer champions AC Milan, a top executive of the Bahrain-domiciled asset manager said. Reuters last week reported that Investcorp had put on hold its plans to purchase the club, which is owned by Elliott, clearing the way for US investment firm RedBird […] May 27, 2022
Lifestyle Supermodel Tyra Banks to launch ice cream brand in Abu Dhabi Californian supermodel Tyra Banks has picked Abu Dhabi as the first international market outside the US to launch her global ice cream brand, Smize Cream, as part of a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). The 48-year-old entrepreneur made the announcement at the Access Granted talk series on Thursday, adding that she was […] May 27, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways and Airbus set for $1bn court battle in London Airbus and Qatar Airways are heading towards a three-month summer trial next year after a UK judge granted the airline a relatively quick timetable while dismissing its procedural claims in a bitter safety and contractual dispute. The judge told a division of London’s High Court there was “public interest” in the outcome of the dispute, […] May 27, 2022
Food & Drink Alcohol is not on the menu in Saudi, says tourism official Saudi Arabia has no plans to legalise the sale of alcohol in the kingdom, a senior tourism official confirmed this week at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. “The short answer is that we’re going to continue with our current laws,” assistant minister of tourism Princess Haifa bint Mohammed said during a session yesterday. […] May 26, 2022
