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Tourism

Travel and hospitality news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Cannabis

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Events returned to Dubai sooner than most countries due to the effectiveness of its Covid-19 response

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 […]

Saudi operator of Domino’s and Dunkin’ plans IPO

Alamar Foods, the Saudi-based operator of fast food giants Domino’s and Dunkin’, has announced plans for an initial public offering (IPO), further boosting the kingdom’s recent surge of share sales. Alamar said it will be listing its ordinary shares on the Saudi Exchange’s Main Market, following approval by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) for the […]

Finnair looks to Asia, Middle East, after impact of Ukraine war

Finland’s national carrier Finnair, hit hard by the closure of Russian airspace, plans to shift its focus away from Asia travel and reduce the size of its operations, the chief executive told Bloomberg News, the agency reported on Friday. Finnair’s pre-pandemic profitability centred on offering short connection times between Asia and Europe via its Helsinki […]

World Cup, Russians and business travel help airlines rebound

Middle Eastern airlines reported a 265 percent year-on-year increase in demand in April, according to the latest monthly data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Industry analysts also reported that while demand in the region is still operating at around two-thirds what it was pre-pandemic, the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Russian tourists […]

Saudi to invest $100m in tourism training

Saudi Arabia is planning to invest $100 million training around 100,000 young Saudis to work in the tourism sector, as the kingdom looks to attract over 70 million visitors per year. The Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday launched the Tourism Pioneers programme, which the Saudi Press Agency claimed was the “largest global programme” of its […]

US to seize luxury planes owned by Roman Abramovich

A US court on Monday issued warrants for the seizure of two luxury planes owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich under US measures imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, court records showed. But the US government’s likelihood of gaining control of the aircraft worth nearly $400 million was uncertain. A Department of Justice official said […]

UK should have done better on Covid-19: IATA director general

A top airline industry official on Tuesday said the UK should have responded “a hell of a lot better” to Covid-19 and argued aviation should have been more forceful in challenging government-mandated border closures during the pandemic. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), also defended airlines’ handling of a rebound […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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” […]

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 […]

Newly discovered figurines from Saqqara

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 […]