Retail Chiara Ferragni reveals investor interest in fashion brand Chiara Ferragni has received various expressions of interest from potential investors in her brand, the Italian Instagram star said in an interview with Milano Finanza. Ferragni, 35, is Italy’s top fashion influencer with 27 million followers on Instagram. In January she mandated BNP Paribas to find an investor to help expand her fashion brand internationally. […] May 12, 2022
Tourism Eco-friendly, luxury ‘nest’ hospitality project opening in the desert Dubai’s Nara Desert Escapes, the team behind the luxury dining brand Sonara Camp, has launched a new eco-friendly desert hospitality offering known as ‘The Nest’ by Sonara. The company is already looking at expansion overseas ahead of its opening later this year. Designed by Italian architect and designer Gianni Ranaulo, the high-end project consists of […] May 11, 2022
Business of Sport Qatar looks to Iran for World Cup support Qatar’s emir is planning to use his visit to Tehran tomorrow to discuss ways Iran can help with the staging of the FIFA World Cup, including increasing flights between the two countries. “Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will travel to Iran tomorrow to follow up on recent agreements and expand bilateral ties, notably cooperation […] May 11, 2022
Indian media giant signs Dubai blockchain deal Eros Investments, run by India’s Lulla family, plans to develop Web 3.0 and blockchain businesses out of Dubai as part of a partnership deal to operate under Dubai’s new virtual assets regulator, the company said on Tuesday. The deal is part of a push by the United Arab Emirates to become a global hub for […] May 11, 2022
Tourism Dubai sees international visitors surge 214% Dubai hosted 3.97 million overnight international visitors in the first quarter of 2022, up 214 percent from the same period last year, the emirate’s government said on Tuesday. The Expo 2020 Dubai world fair, which ran from October to March and which Dubai looked to as a to boost its economy, saw 24 million visits […] May 11, 2022
Business of Sport PGA Tour bans golfers from taking part in Saudi-backed event The PGA Tour on Tuesday rejected requests from players for authorisation to play the first Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series event in London next month. The new series, which offers the promise of super-sized prize money, is set to begin June 9 and would conflict with the RBC Canadian Open, a PGA Tour official told […] May 11, 2022
Tourism Saudi reveals post-Covid entry policy in tourism push Government white paper proposes simplifying health-related entry protocols for travellers to the kingdom Saudi Arabia is working to introduce a shared framework by which countries can share information on local and global health crises to prevent disruption in air travel to and from the kingdom. The proposed policy, called Harmonising Air Travel and set out […] May 11, 2022
Analysis Tourism Hotels swallow rising costs so guests can sleep at night Despite costs rising to a three-year high, hoteliers in the United Arab Emirates told AGBI they are not planning to increase room rates, instead opting to squeeze their existing profits as they search for ways to increase operational efficiencies. The latest S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), released on Monday, found that costs are […] May 11, 2022
Business of Sport Abu Dhabi nets its first NBA games The Atlanta Hawks and 2021 NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks will play preseason games at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in October May 10, 2022
Exclusive Tourism Will Abu Dhabi’s new tourism vision drive international influx? Saadiyat Island, the cultural centrepiece of Abu Dhabi’s tourism offering, has unveiled a new vision which seeks to attract 19 million visitors and contribute AED 4.2 billion ($1.1 billion) in direct revenue by 2025. The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and developer Miral unveiled the new strategy to support […] May 10, 2022
Aviation Air travellers ‘still risk Covid infection,’ study warns Passengers are still at risk of coronavirus infection while travelling on aeroplanes and in airports, researchers have warned. A study in the Journal of Travel Medicine reported that two Covid-positive passengers infected 15 other people during a 10-hour flight from Dubai to Australia in July 2020 – despite mandatory face masks for passengers, the use […] May 10, 2022
Tourism Russian visitors ‘strong’ despite Ukraine invasion “For us Russia, Ukraine, CIS, are very important,” Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, told delegates at the Arabian Travel Market. May 10, 2022
Tourism Belgian music festival launches adults-only desert glamping Belgian music festival organiser Tomorrowland has teamed up with local partners to open an adults-only desert resort, which will include luxury glamping accommodation, it was announced yesterday at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The desert resort, to be named Terra Solis, will be located in Dubailand, Al Yufra, 25 minutes’ drive from Downtown Dubai […] May 10, 2022
Tech Make it happen: How to digitally transform your business Here is the first of our monthly guides to harnessing global trends with a razor-sharp regional focus May 10, 2022
Employment Food drivers stage walk-out over pay inspired by Deliveroo Foreign food delivery workers in the United Arab Emirates staged a mass walk-out yesterday, calling for better pay and working conditions in a rare instance of industrial action in the country. The strike follows similar action this month in which foreign workers forced another company to suspend plans to cut pay. In the latest episode, […] May 10, 2022
Tourism 70 million tourists to visit Saudi Arabia this year Saudi Arabia aims to exceed 70 million tourist visits this year, up eight million on the year before. The kingdom has in recent years started to promote leisure travel as part of a strategy aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Visits were up 130 percent in […] May 10, 2022
Tourism Could alcohol be allowed at Saudi’s NEOM? The issue of legalising the sale of alcohol in Saudi Arabia is “not off the table”, according to a senior executive from one of the kingdom’s most high profile giga projects. “On alcohol, Saudi has a view NEOM will be its own authority, that’s not off the table,” Andrew McEvoy, managing director tourism at NEOM, […] May 10, 2022
Tourism Air travel makes quick recovery from Covid-19 The head of the world’s biggest airline trade body said today passenger traffic was recovering faster than expected and that, on average, the industry could now see those figures return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, a year earlier than expected. The easing of coronavirus related restrictions around the world has released demand pent up over […] May 9, 2022
Tourism New Dubai tourism plans for world famous QE2 Hospitality giant Accor on Monday announced it has added the world-renowned cruise ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), to its portfolio as it looks to boost its luxury offerings in the UAE. The cruise ship will undergo further upgrades and renovations prior to joining the MGallery Hotel Collection. No date has yet been confirmed for […] May 9, 2022
Retail Mashreq puts $10m into Cashew, buy now, pay later start-up United Arab Emirates buy now, pay later platform Cashew announced on Monday it had secured up to $10 million in debt and equity financing from local lender Mashreqbank PSC which would now help it expand faster. The deal is the latest investment in the Gulf’s growing buy now, pay later sector that has drawn interest […] May 9, 2022
Exclusive Media & Advertising Starzplay Arabia: the rise and rise of a streaming giant With new shareholders on board, Starzplay Arabia’s Danny Bates is looking to the future with renewed confidence May 9, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Tech Abu Dhabi is harvesting technology to drive a farming revolution The Gulf region has historically imported around 90 percent of its food requirements, constrained by arid soils, scarce water resources and searing temperatures. But concerns about the impact of climate change on food production, coupled with the recent coronavirus-induced global supply chain crisis, are forcing governments to rethink food security. Technology solutions Abu Dhabi has […] May 9, 2022
