Opinion Tourism Dubai hospitality: poolside luxe versus Gen Z entertainments The future of Dubai tourism could evolve towards more carefree, young travellers who crave new experiences on holiday September 27, 2022
Analysis Tourism From Bulgari to Versace: Dubai’s rich splash out on branded homes The UAE is expected to attract the largest net inflow of high net worth individuals globally in 2022 – and with that comes a growing demand for luxury housing. Catering to this income bracket, the branded residences sector has grown by 230 percent across the world over the past decade. Savills, the real estate services […] September 25, 2022
Tourism Kuwait issues runway tender as part of airport expansion drive Kuwait’s civil aviation authority has issued a tender for building works at the country’s main airport as part of a multibillion-dollar refurbishment and expansion programme. Kuwait International Airport will add a new passenger terminal and a third runway, which the government hopes will bolster the domestic aviation industry and help attract more transit passengers flying […] September 23, 2022
Tourism Marriott to add 20 hotels across Middle East, including conversions Marriott International will add more than 20 hotels and 5,000 rooms in the Middle East over the next 15 months. Announcing its expansion plans at the Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai this week, the hospitality group said its growth is fuelled by ongoing demand for its portfolio of hotel brands across Saudi Arabia, Qatar and […] September 22, 2022
Aviation Qatar Airways says not increasing flight prices due to World Cup Qatar Airways is not taking advantage of the FIFA World Cup 2022 to increase flight ticket prices and has capped the price of shuttle flights from GCC states, Reuters reported, citing group chief executive Akbar Al Baker. However, ticket prices will remain high due to lack of capacity as airline manufacturers face challenges delivering aircraft […] September 22, 2022
Tourism IATA warns demand may weaken if China stays shut next year The strength of the overall recovery in global airline passenger demand will be impacted if China continues to enforce tight border restrictions next year, the head of airline body IATA said on Wednesday. International Air Transport Association Director General Willie Walsh told a conference in Doha that China’s zero-COVID policy had “devastated” Hong Kong, and […] September 22, 2022
Tourism Qatar to suspend visit visas during World Cup 2022 Qatar will suspend entry of all visitors from November 1, 2022, allowing only Hayya cardholders during the World Cup, the state-owned Qatar News agency reported, citing a Ministry of Interior official. Visit visas will resume from December 23, 2022, said the ministry’s director of public relations Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah. The FIFA World Cup Qatar […] September 22, 2022
Tourism Abu Dhabi hotel group to build $272m resort in Ras Al Khaimah Abu Dhabi National Hotels is to build an AED1 billion ($272 million) luxury resort on a prime plot in Ras Al Khaimah, it said on Tuesday. The 1,000-room property will be on Al Marjan Island, where several international operators have opened hotels in recent years. Marjan is master developer for Ras Al Khaimah, one of […] September 20, 2022
Exclusive Aviation Private jets face backlog during World Cup Qatar authorities are putting restrictions in place to manage the expected surge in demand for landing slots from private jets flying to Doha for the World Cup. Operators have warned that wealthy football fans will need to be flexible with their plans, especially around the later stages of the tournament which takes place from November […] September 19, 2022
Tourism Israel’s El Al will begin Tel Aviv to Tokyo flights in March El Al Israel Airlines will start direct flights from Tel Aviv to Tokyo next March, it said on Monday – two years after the launch was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Israel’s flag carrier has been looking to expand eastbound flights since its second-quarter results showed a rebound from the slump in travel during […] September 19, 2022
Tourism Texas entertainment brand set to expand to the Middle East Dave & Buster’s, an entertainment and hospitality brand based in Dallas, is expanding to the Middle East. Following the signing of a 10-year franchise agreement with Saudi firm Abdul Mohsen Al Hokair Holding Group, the aim is to open the first of eleven venues next year. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Coppell, Texas, the […] September 19, 2022
Tourism Jordan’s tourism revenue jumps 162% to $3.6bn Jordan’s tourism revenue rose 161.6 percent year-on-year to $3.645 billion in the first eight months of 2022, Petra, the state-owned Jordan News Agency reported. The increase was driven by a rise in the number of tourists to 3.175 million between January and August. In August, tourism revenue posted an 82.4 percent increase year-on-year to $822.4 […] September 15, 2022
Tourism PIF eyes $400m investment in Saudi travel giant Almosafer Riyadh's Public Investment Fund could acquire a 30 percent stake in the tourism group, which has reported record growth in the second quarter September 13, 2022
Tourism Streaming to survive: Thailand’s out-of-work elephants in crisis In the northeastern village of Ban Ta Klang in Thailand, Siriporn Sapmak starts her day by doing a livestream of her two elephants on social media to raise money to survive. The 23-year old, who has been taking care of elephants since she was in school, points her phone to the animals as she feeds them […] September 9, 2022
Tourism UAE firm signs contract with Taliban to run Afghan airports The Taliban administration announced on Thursday they would sign the third and final major contract for running Afghanistan’s airports with the United Arab Emirates’ GAAC Holding. The contract would run for 10 years, Ghulam Jelani Popal, deputy head of Afghanistan’s ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, told reporters at a press conference in Kabul. He […] September 9, 2022
Tourism Airbus confirms cancellation of remaining Qatar A350 orders Airbus on Thursday confirmed it had revoked all remaining A350 orders from Qatar Airways, raising the stakes in a safety and contractual dispute with the Gulf carrier. “Airbus confirms that it has removed 19 Qatar Airways A350s from the backlog,” a spokesperson said. Qatar Airways had no immediate comment. The rare order cancellation, confirming a […] September 9, 2022
Tourism Qatar’s green own goal as World Cup fans set to jet in from Dubai The Middle East’s first ever soccer World Cup promises boom time for Dubai hotels this November, with thousands of fans expected to descend on the Gulf city due to limited accommodation in neighbouring host nation Qatar. But the environmental costs of transporting those visitors nearly 400 kilometre (249 miles) for match days, overwhelmingly by plane, […] September 8, 2022
Tourism Dubai Expo 2020 and Saudi Vision 2030 fuel hotel growth The success of Expo 2020 in Dubai and interest in Saudi Arabia and its Vision 2030 programme are boosting investment and fuelling the hotel pipeline in the Middle East, experts said on Wednesday. Analysts say that while the pandemic cast uncertainty upon the regional hospitality landscape with hotel investment impacted, market sentiment has significantly improved […] September 7, 2022
Tourism Israel’s El Al to resume Hong Kong flights after curbs eased El Al Israel Airlines said on Monday it would resume non-stop flights to Hong Kong in February after halting them at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Israel’s flag carrier said that in the wake of authorities in Hong Kong easing restrictions and allowing the entry of tourists, it would operate three weekly […] September 6, 2022
Tourism Saudi Arabia to offer e-visas for GCC residents to promote tourism Saudi Arabia has issued new regulations that enable GCC residents to apply for an e-visa and allows residents of the UK, US, and European Union (EU) to apply for a visa on arrival, the tourism ministry said in a statement. Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the decision will make it quicker, easier and more […] September 2, 2022
Tourism Dubai’s Emirates to resume Lagos flights after Nigeria releases funds Emirates will resume some flights to Nigeria this month after the Central Bank of Nigeria released a portion funds the Dubai airline had earned in the country but had not been able to repatriate. An airline spokesperson said flights to Lagos will resume from September 11, though it is not possible to resume flights to […] September 1, 2022
Tourism Abu Dhabi-listed company to build hotel on Al Marjan Island Abu Dhabi National Hotels will acquire a land plot in Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Marjan Island to develop a hotel, the company said in a statement to Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. The announcement comes as Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) aims to add 4,617 new hotel rooms over the next five years, a […] September 1, 2022
