Analysis Tourism Demand for luxury keeps Dubai hotel openings upscale Dubai’s traditional love of luxury hotels shows no signs of slowing. Five-star hotel openings dominated the sector in 2024, although industry experts insist mid-range and budget segments remain vital to the emirate’s long-term hospitality growth. Last year, nearly two-thirds of new hotel rooms added in 2024 were in the luxury and upper upscale segments, according […] March 27, 2025
Tourism Abu Dhabi’s Adia buys stake in European Camping Group The UAE’s sovereign fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) has agreed to buy a significant minority stake in European Camping Group (ECG), a key player in the European outdoor hospitality sector, from private equity company PAI Partners. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of this year, is subject to regulatory approvals, ECG […] March 25, 2025
Tourism People in UAE to take longer Eid al-Fitr breaks this year UAE residents are increasing the duration of their holiday break over Eid al-Fitr this year as celebrations ending Muslims’ Ramadan month of fasting coincide with the spring break for schools. The length of a typical Eid holiday this year may increase by half, up from an average eight days to 12, according to data supplied […] March 21, 2025
Leisure & Hospitality Kuwait’s Action Real Estate enters US hospitality sector Kuwait’s Action Real Estate Company and Malta-based Corinthia Group have acquired two boutique hotels in a prime location in the US with a 100 rooms, the companies said in a statement. The acquisition of Maison 140 and the nearby Mosaic Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, by the Action-Corinthia joint venture is part of a broader […] March 20, 2025
Aviation India-UAE airfares could drop if capacity expands Airfares between India and the UAE are expected to become cheaper if air travel capacity doubles over the next five years. A 20 percent drop in ticket prices could save Indian consumers $1 billion, CNBC-TV18, an Indian financial news channel, reported, citing UAE ambassador to India Abdulnasser Alshaali. He said the UAE has proposed a […] March 18, 2025
Economy Turks turn to credit cards for foreign purchases Turks are increasingly using credit cards to buy goods and services abroad, as inflation and taxes eat away at their buying power at home. Turkish people used their credit cards more than 380 million times for overseas purchases last year, spending $11.5 billion, according to a new report by the central bank’s Bankalarası Kart Merkezi […] March 14, 2025
Tourism UAE to fund new luxury hotel near Egypt’s Giza pyramids The UAE will back the development of a five-star hotel near the pyramids in Giza outside the capital Cairo to support Egypt’s tourism, state-run Wam news agency reported. State-backed Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), which specialises in development financing at below market rates, will provide AED440 million ($120 million) to build a 302-key Sofitel […] March 14, 2025
Tourism New $350m city planned in southern Oman to attract tourists Oman is planning to build 12,000 villas and apartments in the southern coastal town of Salalah as part of a drive to attract tourists. The $350 million development, which will be able to house 60,000 people, will cover 7.3 sq km and also include parks, a marina and retail and hospitality space. Construction of the […] March 11, 2025
Economy Jordan’s economy on growth track as tourism recovers Jordan’s economy is forecast to grow by 2.7 percent in 2025 as tourism recovers and trade with Syria and Iraq starts to rise gradually, S&P Global said. Tourism contributes an estimated 15 percent to Jordan’s GDP, with about three-quarters of it sourced from Arab visitors, including Jordanians living abroad. “We expect the number of Arab […] March 10, 2025
Tourism Egypt bets on $1bn Grand Museum to boost tourism Egypt’s tourism sector will get a major boost with the opening of a $1 billion antiquities museum following decades of development. The Grand Egyptian Museum, which is located nearly 2km from the Giza Pyramids, will open on July 3, Bloomberg reported, quoting prime minister Mostafa Madbouly. The museum, construction of which started in 2005, is expected […] February 26, 2025
Analysis Tourism Omani tourism struggles against fierce Gulf competition Oman’s tourism industry is struggling, at least in comparison with its Gulf neighbours. Last year visitor numbers fell by almost 3 percent to 3.9 million, according to Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information. That compares with 9 percent increases for Dubai and Saudi Arabia, and a 25 percent rise for Qatar. Bahrain and Kuwait […] February 26, 2025
Tourism Turkish cruise industry expects a bumper 2025 Cruise port operator Global Ports Holding is expecting a successful year for passenger numbers in Turkey this year, driven by new winter cruises and disruptions to competing destinations in the eastern Mediterranean. Worth $3 billion in revenue to Turkish port operators in 2023, cruise ship traffic is a vital source of income to Global Ports, […] February 25, 2025
Food & Drink Bring back smoking, say Jordan restaurateurs Bring back smoking! That is how desperate restaurateurs and cafe owners feel in Jordan after a drop in tourism last year, linked primarily to the wars in the Middle East. Among other measures, restaurateurs want the return of the shisha, the waterpipe smoking device that is popular across the Arab world, and over which smokers can […] February 21, 2025
Tourism Qiddiya to open Mercedes F1 experience centre An experience centre dedicated to high-performance Mercedes sports and F1 cars is being planned for Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya sports and entertainment city, 20 miles west of Riyadh. The Mercedes-AMG World of Performance will cover 45,000 square metres across nine floors and include immersive attractions and exhibits focused on the car brand and its successful F1 […] February 20, 2025
Leisure & Hospitality Chinese tourists visiting Dubai up by a third The number of Chinese tourists visiting Dubai surged by nearly a third year on year in 2024, according to a news report. The emirate welcomed 824,000 Chinese tourists last year, an increase of 31 percent, the Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing data from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Dubai focused on […] February 18, 2025
Tourism Luxury travel is the engine of Saudi’s tourism market Saudi Arabia has focused on high-end tourism to create a name for itself, but will need to cater to the broader market in the longer term February 16, 2025
Tourism Tourists shun Turkish resort over earthquake fears Hotel bookings in the popular tourist resort of Bodrum on Turkey’s Aegean coast are down because of fears over earthquakes and tsunamis. The Greek island of Santorini has recently suffered a spate of quakes, which has prompted an exodus of tourists. The Bodrum Hoteliers Association said early season hotel reservations are down on this time […] February 14, 2025
Tourism Gulf’s first casino likely to spur hotel demand in RAK The Gulf’s first casino, being developed by Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts in the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), is likely to spur investment in the emirate’s hotel sector through to 2030 to plug an expected shortfall in supply, say developers. Home to the UAE’s sixth biggest town by population, RAK needs to add about 24 […] February 14, 2025
Analysis Tourism Moroccan tourism startups build momentum ahead of World Cup Startup innovation and entrepreneurship are helping to fuel growth in Morocco’s tourism industry. The sector’s importance to the economy is increasing as the country prepares to co-host the Fifa World Cup in 2030. Morocco welcomed 17.4 million international tourists in 2024, a 20 percent increase on 2023, the latest data from the UN World Tourism […] February 13, 2025
Analysis Tourism Gulf water park market risks saturation as numbers grow With the Grand Hyatt Dubai due to open a new onsite water park this year, the UAE and wider Gulf region will add to an already vast collection of slides, lazy rivers, splash parks and other water-based leisure facilities. There being so many is perhaps not surprising given near year-round sunshine and heat in the […] February 12, 2025
Retail Bahrain duty free operator’s 2024 earnings rise 17% Bahrain Duty Free Shop Complex, the operator of duty free shopping at the country’s international airport, said net profit increased 17 percent to BD5 million in 2024 compared to BD4.3 million a year ago. Total income increased to BD3.4 million, rising 44 percent year on year. Profits from investments reached BD6.1 million last year, up […] February 11, 2025
Aviation Airbus expects Middle East aircraft fleet to double by 2043 Aircraft manufacturer Airbus expects fleet size in the Middle East to more than double in the 18-year period to 2043, the world’s third-fastest rate after China and the Asia-Pacific region. In its latest Global Market and Services Forecast, Airbus said Middle East demand, led by airlines in the Gulf, is estimated at 3,740 new aircraft […] February 11, 2025
