Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority announced plans to organise the 12th Sharjah Light Festival from 8 to 19 February 2023. The festival covers locations all around the Emirate of Sharjah over the course of 12 days, offering a busy agenda packed with light shows, art displays, and entertainment activities that cater to all visitors, individuals and families of all ages from the UAE and abroad. The Authority revealed details of this year’s edition of the Sharjah Light Festival in a press conference held last night at the Light Village, opposite University City Hall in Sharjah, in the presence of His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, along with officials and representatives of various government entities, and reporters from local and international media in the UAE. Speaking at the conference, H.E. Al Midfa asserted: “Over the years, the Emirate of Sharjah has established itself as an exceptional family destination with an enormous and diverse range of tourist attractions and activities that cater to varying tastes and anticipate the aspirations of visitors to Sharjah from around the world. Guided by the forward-looking vision and directives of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the tourism sector in the emirate is moving steadily towards a bright future and sustainable economic growth.” “By constantly renewing and reinventing itself, the Sharjah Light Festival has become a leading destination of its own and a staple event on the emirate’s annual agenda,” H.E. Al Midfa added. “Every …

With February being the peak time for travel planning, world leading travel site Skyscanner responds to heightened travel demand* and increasingly cost-conscious travelers**, with guidance on how to make their money go further. Comparing two key – and often shared – travel hacks: when to book & when to travel, Skyscanner is able to reveal how booking and travelling at the right time can save UAE travelers on average 349 AED for optimum booking timing and 311 AED for travelling on the cheapest day per person. Currently, the overall best time to book flights from the UAE is on average 21 weeks before departure and the cheapest day of the week to travel from the UAE is a Friday. However, the global travel site has data crunched millions of flight bookings over the last year across its most popular destinations and the results reveal this doesn’t in fact tell the whole story. Not only do these hacks change depending on the destination but also, travelers will find differing results for the same destination but a different month i.e.: From Dubai, the cheapest day of the week to travel to Doha in December is a Tuesday vs Sharjah which is a Wednesday The best time to book a flight from Dubai to London in July is 27 weeks ahead vs Abu Dhabi to London which is 23 weeks The cheapest day of the week to travel to Malé from Dubai in December is a Wednesday but in April it is a Thursday   Flight pricing algorithms have long been the source of much fascination, but this new data reveals that post-pandemic, the science behind pricing is more complex than ever. Travelers …

Etihad Airways is showing it means business by increasing services to Frankfurt, Germany. From 1 May, the airline will add an extra four services a week to its current daily frequency, bringing the total number of flights to Frankfurt up to 11 weekly. The additional flights will be operated by one of Etihad’s ultra-modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, designed with customer comfort in mind, boasting 28 seats in Business and 262 in Economy. The jump in flights underlines Etihad’s commitment to the important German market and comes days after it announced the start of flights to Düsseldorf from 1 October.  Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “We are pleased to offer our guests more flights to Frankfurt, one of Europe’s most important airports. The increase in frequency also means greater connectivity to our growing network and the opportunity to welcome more visitors to Abu Dhabi where they can enjoy our world-renowned hospitality, culture, leisure activities and cuisine.” Although famed for its financial activities, Frankfurt has a rich cultural history too and the old town with its half-timbered houses, the cathedral, the museum embankment and the Goethe House are popular with the thousands of tourists the city welcomes each year. Customers flying to or from Frankfurt with Etihad can use the airline’s Rail & Fly service to travel by train from any station on the Deutsche Bahn or SNCF network. Tickets are currently on sale on Etihad.com and the airline’s mobile app.

With an aim to maintain strong visibility in India, Saudi has announced an exciting lineup of trade engagements, including roadshows in major Indian cities and participation in prominent trade events. The strategy follows Saudi Tourism Authority’s (STA) ongoing efforts to increase awareness about Saudi as a unique, diverse, authentic tourism destination and ultimately, drive visits, as one of the key priority source markets for the country. Saudi is gearing up to take part in One World Travel Market (OTM) from 2nd -4th February 2023 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. This will be followed by two roadshows in Mumbai and Ahmedabad on 6th and 7th February, respectively. Saudi will also mark its presence at the 30th edition of South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE), which will be held from 9th -11th February 2023 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR. “India is a key source market for Saudi and over the past 18 months, we have both established and deepened relationships with key trade partners, to inspire them about the breadth and depth of the country’s offering and to reinforce our commitment to helping them grow their businesses,” said Alhasan Aldabbagh, President – APAC, Saudi Tourism Authority. “The Saudi destination offering is unparalleled. Authentic Arabian culture, rich heritage, unique landscapes and a rapidly expanding entertainment and lifestyle scene is at the heart of what Saudi offers the Indian traveler and our role is to support our partners, to showcase the new, undiscovered experiences and unlock the wealth of opportunity the destination presents.” “These engagements are critical in helping us achieve our ambitious goals, to drive volume and growth. The roadshow and trade events will provide a platform …

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism (MT), Ministry of Interior (MOI), the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MOHU), Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), SAUDIA and flynas, has announced the launch of a new Stopover Visa.  The free-of-charge Stopover Visa is open to a wider number of countries than the historic tourism eVisa and is Saudi’s latest move to make the destination more accessible. In Q1 this year airline capacity into Saudi Arabia is expected to grow by over 65% compared to the same period in 2022 when four of the Top Ten busiest international routes were to or from Saudi. The Stopover Visa will allow passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours, enabling more visitors than ever to explore Saudi’s incomparable historical, cultural, and spiritual sites. Travelers will also be able to use the Stopover Visa to perform the spiritual Umrah ritual. Spiritual travelers can book flights through SAUDIA and flynas, but must also register for Umrah through the Nusuk platform. Even more exciting for visitors, Stopover Visa holders will be eligible for a complimentary one-night hotel stay during the stopover when booking through SAUDIA. To help visitors make the most of their stopover, custom 24, 48, 72 and 96-hour itineraries have been developed to inspire visitors to stroll through Jeddah’s Al-Balad, or visit the Al-Turaif district in Diriyah, one of Saudi’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visitors can also use the Stopover Visa to break up long-haul flights or book a bonus trip to experience Saudi’s burgeoning entertainment and seasonal events calendar or even extend a business trip on the way to their final destination. The Stopover Visa application will …

flynas, the Saudi air carrier and the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East celebrated the opening of its office in Doha on January 30, 2023, after operating daily flights between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to be the first low-cost operator linking the two brotherly countries. flynas held a press conference and a dinner party in Doha, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Qatar, HH Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Farhan Al-Saud, and the officials of the Qatar Tourism, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Qatar. flynas is the first low-cost carrier linking the Kingdom and Qatar with daily flights to Doha from Riyadh and Jeddah, within the expansion strategy it launched early last year under the slogan “We Connect the World to the Kingdom”, and in line with the objectives of the Saudi civil aviation strategy to reach 330 million passengers and increase the international destinations connected with the Kingdom to more than 250 destinations by 2030. The Saudi carrier started last November operating up to 6 daily flights from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to Doha, providing its guests with multiple options with the launch of the FIFA World Cup 2022 hosted by Qatar. It is noteworthy that Flynas has reported double annual growth in operation and performance in 2022, with increasing passengers by 91% to 8.7 million, flights by 45% to 66,000, and seat capacity by 46%, in addition to launching 16 destinations and 30 routes as fleet upscaled to 43 aircraft. The success of flynas was recognised with many international awards, including Skytrax International Award as the …

Jubail Island has announced the launch of its fully-fledged, innovative mobile phone application – the latest addition to Jubail Island’s touch points. The mobile application will further elevate customers’ satisfaction by providing a simplified user experience and an optimised journey. The launch of the new application will bring more visibility to all type of users by providing them with seamless access to an extensive range of services and essential key features. It will allow users to explore a comprehensive portfolio of leisure activities and property services on Jubail Island through a user-friendly interface. Engineer Abdulla Saeed Al Shamsi, Operations Corporate Director for Jubail Island, said: “At Jubail Island, the goal is to continuously offer our community of visitors and residents a unique and fully integrated experience. The aim of launching this mobile application is to create a defined central platform, through which all related parties will gain clearer visibility and easy access to different features and offerings in the island. Bringing together the real estate and destination aspects under one umbrella, the platforms will serve as a one-stop-shop for an integrated experience at Jubail Island.” Users on mobile application and the website can create their own accounts, access community insights and latest updates on the island. Furthermore, the platforms will also enable users to book their preferred activities, track bookings and transactions history, and proceed with online payments in just a few clicks. The user-centric platforms also offer a wide range of services through which they can book appointments and request a call-back from sales relationship managers, and raise queries and concerns. In addition, property owners will be provided with convenient access to their property data,  documents, and process and …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the capital’s first low-cost carrier, has announced the launch of its new route from Abu Dhabi to Amman, Jordan. The new direct flights will connect Abu Dhabi International Airport to Queen Alia International Airport with a frequency of three flights weekly, starting from March 12, 2023. Schedule to Amman, effective March 12, 2023 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency 3L 032 Abu Dhabi 13:20 Amman 15:55 Airbus 320 Tuesday/Friday/Sunday 3L 033 Amman 16:45 Abu Dhabi 20:25 Airbus 320 Tuesday/Friday/Sunday   Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “We are very excited to announce the launch of our new route to the capital city, Amman as a gateway to explore the historic country of Jordan. We remain confident that the new route will provide access to a beautiful city which will best serve business and leisure travellers. We are constantly working on expanding our network from UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi to further meet our customers’ travel needs through offering reliable, affordable, and value-driven air travel”. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi continues to add more connectivity to and from the capital city. The new route to Amman is considered the 27th destination after Tashkent, Alexandria, Sohag, Cairo, Dhaka, Khartoum, Chittagong, Kathmandu, Muscat, Salalah, Trabzon, Tbilisi, Faisalabad, Multan, Cochin, Calicut, Trivandrum, Istanbul Sabiha, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bahrain, Beirut, Kuwait, Moscow, and Kazan. Air Arabia operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR aircraft, the most modern and best-selling single aisle aircraft in the world. The cabin configuration across Air Arabia’s fleet provides added comfort with one of the most generous seat-pitch of any economy cabin. The aircraft is also equipped with ‘SkyTime’, …

Registration is now open for the Future Hospitality Investment Summit Saudi Arabia, taking place at Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh from 7-9 May 2023. The Future Hospitality Investment Summit (FHIS) is an international platform by event organisers The Bench where some of the world’s most influential hospitality investment decision-makers connect, exchange knowledge, explore new partnerships and shape the future of the hospitality sector. This will be the sixth industry conference organised by The Bench for the Saudi market with the 2022 event drawing over 500 attendees from more than 20 countries, featuring 110 speakers and 46 sponsors and partners. The 2023 conference programme will include tracks from the Saudi Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC) and Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF), with a continued focus on sustainability, innovation, start-ups and human capital development, as well as the event’s signature culinary tours that offer a glimpse into exquisite restaurant concepts that are all the buzz in the Saudi market which start with a lunch hosted by LPM Riyadh on May 7th. This year’s conference theme, ‘Invest in Change’, highlights the importance of the positive change that can be brought forward through the investment in time, intellect and expertise in the hospitality industry to keep up with changing times and trends to better shape the future of the industry. The newly established Advisory Board for FHIS Saudi Arabia, featuring 37 senior industry leaders from across the Kingdom and wider region, came together in November to discuss the theme and help shape the agenda for this year’s conference. “Following our sold-out edition of FHIS in Riyadh last year, we are very excited to be back in the Kingdom this year with our host sponsors …

Grand Mercure Hotel Dubai, part of Accor – a world-leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,300 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues across 110 countries, has been awarded a five-star rating by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The hotel celebrated the achievement with an experiential event showcasing its brand-new facilities. Making the evening extra special was a unique atmosphere. Guests were treated to an exciting line up of live entertainment featuring soulful melodies of a saxophonist, a breathtaking acrobat show, and an enchanting performance by a violinist. “We are proud to welcome guests to experience Grand Mercure Hotel Dubai which is ‘locally exquisite and exquisitely local’, something that the brand is renowned for around the world,” said Tyrone Lodder, Cluster General Manager of Grand Mercure Hotel Dubai. “The hotel is centrally located only 10 minutes’ drive to Dubai’s key business hubs and leisure destinations such as Dubai Festival City, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and Dubai World Trade Centre. Elevating the guest experience is an array of exquisite facilities and beautifully redesigned spaces enriched by traditional UAE rituals, customs, and culture. “What sets Grand Mercure Hotel Dubai, apart from other upscale hotels is its holistic approach to design and hospitality which is infused with a deep cultural sensitivity of the rich heritage of the UAE,” added Tyrone. “From the moment guests enter the property, they are taken on a multi-sensory journey that immerses and awakens all five senses. From aesthetics to scents, every detail has been carefully crafted to provide an unparalleled 360-degree experience that is truly one-of-a-kind.” Grand Mercure Hotel Dubai, boasts 257 premium guest rooms designed with Emirati touches in the layout and décor. …