Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced the introduction of a new service to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina with direct flights from Abu Dhabi starting on July 12th, 2021. Abu Dhabi has evolved as a strong hub that connects passengers from the capital to other destinations by offering highly competitive prices, through the launch of Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between Air Arabia and Etihad Airways. The new service represents the 11 route for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi since the launch of the carrier’s service from Abu Dhabi International Airport in Q3 2020. Sarajevo’s booming tourism sector provides a wide range of cultural attractions, shops, restaurants and cafes that will welcome international visitors. The scenic landscape that surrounds the city ensures amazing adventure holiday experiences. Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Sarajevo by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre, or through travel agencies. Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free COVID-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers.

Etihad Guest has partnered with Air Arabia’s loyalty programme AirRewards, to allow members of both schemes to benefit from reciprocal points and miles transfers. These could be spent on flights with Etihad and Air Arabia, holidays, shopping and more. Kim Hardaker, Head of Loyalty & Partnerships, Etihad Airways, said, “This partnership will provide both Etihad Guest and AirRewards with the opportunity to significantly broaden the travel reach, rewards and programme benefits for our respective members. The collaboration is designed to both engage with new customers, while further improving the benefits for our existing loyalty members.” When transferring miles, Etihad Guest members will now receive 1 AirReward Point for every 2 Etihad Guest Miles. AirRewards can be transferred to Etihad Guest Miles at the conversion rate of 2 AirRewards Points for every 1 Etihad Guest Mile. In response to the pandemic, both airline’s loyalty programmes have implemented initiatives to protect member benefits and further engage with their loyal communities. Etihad Guest ensured that no member had their status downgraded by gifting monthly bonus Tier Miles, offering double Tier Miles promotions, reinstating expired miles and removing the GuestSeat change fee.

Emirates will resume flights from Dubai to Nice from 2 July and Lyon from 9 July, initially offering 4 flights a week to each city. The move is in line with France easing its entry requirements for visitors, starting tomorrow, 9 June. The lifting of entry restrictions will enable travellers based in the UAE to visit France without the need for quarantine. Emirates customers in the UAE are eligible for quarantine-free entry into France if they have completed the two week period after taking both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine. In addition, fully vaccinated customers must also hold a negative COVID-19 PCR-RT valid for 72 hours prior to departure, or a Rapid Antigen test result no more than 48 hours old. For more details on entry requirements to France, customers can check the travel requirements page on emirates.com. Emirates will serve both Nice and Lyon with its modern and comfortable widebody Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates flight EK077 will depart Dubai to Nice on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays, at 0845hrs, arriving at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport at 1340hrs. The return flight, EK078, will depart Nice at 1555hrs arriving in Dubai at 0010hrs the next day. Emirates flight EK081 will depart Dubai to Lyon on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays, at 1435hrs, arriving at Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport at 1930hrs. The return flight, EK082, will depart Lyon at 2145hrs arriving in Dubai at 0605hrs the next day. Emirates currently operates 14 weekly flights to/from Paris, flying its customer favourite and flagship A380, fitted with its latest premium economy product and refreshed products across every cabin. As more international destinations begin easing their entry restrictions, Emirates will expand its services to …

Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is set to return for its 24th edition. Taking place from July 1 to September 4 , this year’s DSS is an action-packed extravaganza of shopping and so much more that will thrill residents and visitors every day for 10 weeks of summer fun. Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the 2021 edition of DSS will showcase shopping, hotel, dining and entertainment options at incredible summer rates offering great value. The city will be illuminated with colourful decorations and lighting to help residents and visitors get into the spirit of DSS and spread an atmosphere of fun and happiness around Dubai during the event. This year’s DSS will get underway with spectacular opening day fireworks, projections and fountain shows at Burj Khalifa, The Palm Fountain at The Pointe and the Imagine show at Dubai Festival City Mall on 1 July. Fans will relish the return of exciting promotions such as DSS Share Millionaire, Daily Surprises and many more. New additions to this year’s line-up include foodie events Summer Restaurant Week, the Big Eid Eat and Dine & Win, while families will enjoy the Movie Magic and the Summer Art Project. As usual, DSS will give residents and visitors plenty of chances to win amazing prizes with raffles and gifts up for grabs as well as super offers in time for Eid Al Adha and the annual Back to School season. This year will also see the return of much-loved entertainers who will delight shoppers with special shows at the city’s malls and landmarks, while some of Dubai’s best hotels, attractions plus fitness and outdoor adventure destinations will also offer great deals throughout DSS. In …

Aloft Dubai Creek by Marriott signed a partnership agreement with Evolvin’ Women, a social enterprise dedicated to the advancement of women in developing areas through providing skill development opportunities in the hospitality sector. The two year partnership entails Aloft Dubai Creek facilitating work experience and skill development training for the women under the Evolvin’ Women Program. For Evolvin’ Women, this is the first collaboration with a Marriot property and will advance the organization’s goal of empowering unemployed women from Africa by connecting them to quality education and job opportunities in the private sector in the UAE which will help them find suitable jobs in the hospitality field and become financially independent. As a starting point, Alloft Dubai Creek is interviewing women from Zambia who are under the Evolvin’ Women programmeand the selected candidates will be offered work placements. The women will receive training and mentoring from female professionals in managerial roles and work in the hotel departments best suited to their interests and capabilities. Gurnoor Bindra, Hotel Manager who commented, “I don’t believe in hiring people based on their gender but as a female leader myself, I do believe in giving enough opportunities to women who don’t get them easily due to the places they come from, societal constraints, biased treatment, and financial barriers. Evolvin’ Women has given us the opportunity to connect to with women who have or still are undergoing these challenges and need the first opportunity to start their journey of self-confidence, fair treatment, skill development and financial independence.” “We are proud to be the 1st Marriott Hotel to collaborate with Evolvin’ Women and through this partnership we will advance our mission of diversifying our team while improving the …

Radisson Hotel Group announced the debut of its second brand and third hotel in Morocco with the signing of Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle in partnership with Al Hoceinia Hospitality. With construction already underway, the hotel is scheduled to open in 2023 and will consist of 133 guestrooms and suites. Located in the heart of Casablanca’s vibrant and exclusive Gauthier district, one of the prominent corporate, financial and entertainment districts, Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle is just 2.5 km from the glistening La Corniche, the charming Old Medina, and Hassan II Mosque, the second largest mosque in the world. The hotel will offer a unique view over the Arab League Park and will also form part of La Citadelle, a new, premium mixed-use development which will comprise of residences, offices and retail outlets. Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Africa & Turkey, Radisson Hotel Group, said, “Morocco is a strategic bridge between Europe and the rest of Africa, and a key focus market in our African development strategy. We aim to grow our Moroccan portfolio to over 15 hotels within the next three to five years, and Casablanca is a key city where we are looking to expand our footprint to more than five hotels. Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle is the Moroccan debut of our fastest-growing brand in Africa, and marks our third hotel in the country, joining our other two successful properties, Radisson Blu Hotel, Casablanca City Center and Radisson Blu Hotel, Marrakech Carré Eden. We expect to introduce each of our remaining three brands but also cover all segments, from business hotels to resort properties, as well as serviced apartments. I would like to take …

flydubai has announced the start of flights to Budapest and Ljubljana. The carrier will operate three weekly flights to Ljubljana from 24 September and four weekly flights to Budapest from 30 September. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “As demand for travel continues to increase, Budapest and Ljubljana are welcome additions to our growing network. With more countries lifting restrictions on international travel, we look forward to providing passengers with more options for travel this year following the launch of our wide range of summer destinations.” Budapest is known to be a popular leisure destination offering visitors a combination of impressive architecture with numerous museums, galleries, and its famous thermal baths. Situated on both banks of the Danube river, the Hungarian capital can be explored by boat, bus, bike or by foot. Ljubljana is a young, vibrant city and is known as one of the greenest capitals in Europe. The banks of the Ljubljanica River flow along the city centre where cafes set up terrace seating, inviting pedestrians for a break during their city walks. Ljubljana also has many museums and cultural attractions to explore along with great dining options. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai said, “We are pleased to see our network in Europe grow further with the start of operations to Budapest and Ljubljana. These destinations have much to offer and give travellers the chance to explore new places that will help stimulate flows of travel and tourism, particularly after a time when our customers haven’t been able to travel as much as they would have liked. Passengers travelling from these destinations will also have the opportunity to explore …

Seychelles islands will be more accessible for travellers from the Saudi Arabia as FlyNAS announced direct flights from Jeddah to Mahé starting July 1. FlyNAS will commence its nonstop flights operating three times a week from Jeddah, with fast connections to or from Riyadh and Dammam. Operating on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, the 5 hr40 minute flight will be operated on and brand new A320 Neo aircraft with a capacity of 174 seats. The new flights, which will make travelling to Seychelles easier for residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was initiated in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, alongside the Seychelles Tourism Board and the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority.  Accessible as never before, and with no visas required from any nationality, Seychelles, land of diversity and discovery is a great place to spend quality time and to reconnect with nature. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest outbound market in the Middle East and with many in the Kingdom looking to go overseas after the opening of borders, the Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Mr Sylvestre Radegonde said, “The destination has recorded approximately some 300 Saudi Arabian since January 2021. With the arrival of FlyNAS to our shores, the Ministry of Tourism is looking forward to see an increase in the number of visitors from the Saudi Arabian Region. The three weekly flights to Seychelles from Jeddah represent another great opportunity for our destination, as not only will Seychelles be accessible directly to Saudi Arabian nationals but also the expatriates living in the Kingdom. Speaking about the upcoming arrival of FlyNAS to its shores, Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Sherin Francis, …

flydubai has announced the resumption of its operations to Naples in Italy. The three weekly flights to Naples International Airport (NAP) will commence on 01 July and offer passengers from the UAE more options for travel this summer. From 02 June, a quarantine-free travel corridor has been established between Italy and the UAE enabling passengers to travel between the two countries with less restrictions. A negative COVID-19 test result will be required 48 hours before departure from the UAE. On arrival in Italy, all passengers over the age of two years will be required to take a rapid antigen test. The safe travel corridor with Italy is the latest in a series of agreements signed by the UAE including those with Bahrain, Greece and Serbia. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said, “we are pleased to see more countries opening up for safe tourism and is a step in the right direction to speed up recovery and boost travel this summer. This is a good sign that confidence in travel is returning and the efforts taken by stakeholders in the tourism industry to safeguard every step of the journey will benefit our passengers. We look forward to restarting our flights to Naples, a much-anticipated destination on the flydubainetwork.” Commenting on the announcement, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai said, “we are excited to offer our passengers convenient travel options to some of the most popular holiday spots in Europe including Mykonos and Santorini. Naples is another popular destination for the summer and a great starting point to discover the beauty of the Amalfi coast. flydubai has made these European destinations more accessible for passengers …

VFS Global has announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Jazan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to provide end-to-end visa and passport concierge services. Moving forward, the Chamber’s members will benefit from the availability of these services on its premises, providing ease, convenience and ensuring they do not have to visit a Visa Application Centre. Ahmad M. Abo Hadi, Chairman of Jazan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohammed Shahid Alam, Consul General of India in Jeddah inaugurated the office on 8 June 2021 in the presence of Mr Sumanth Kapoor, Regional Head – KSA, Bahrain and Oman, VFS Global. During the inauguration ceremony, Ahmad M. Abo Hadi, Chairman of Jazan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “We are happy that we can rely on VFS Global to ensure our members receive safe and secure passport and visa services they need all within the premises.” “The opening of VFS Global concierge at Jazan Chamber of Commerce is a momentous step and would go a long way in delivering fast and efficient consular services at the doorsteps of our India nationals especially during the period of pandemic. “said Mohammed Shahid Alam, Consul General of India. “This announcement represents our latest contribution towards the Kingdom’s sustainability agenda, and the presence of VFS Global’s concierge service in the Jazan Chamber will enable its members to further concentrate their efforts towards economic and social development contributions. We are delighted to be working alongside the Chambers and look forward to assisting its members with the services we provide,” added Sumanth Kapoor, Regional Head – KSA & Bahrain, VFS Global.