Dubai Harbour, the city’s extraordinary seafront district, has welcomed its first cruise ship – the AIDAcosma, officially starting its 2022/23 cruise season. Setting sail from Germany on its maiden voyage, AIDAcosma is a first-of-its-kind liquid natural gas (LNG) powered ship with a capacity of over 5,500 passengers. To mark the arrival, DHCT Management along with public and private sector stakeholders will exchange plaques with the Ship Captain, a maritime tradition, to commemorate its maiden call. Throughout the season, more than 300,000 passengers are expected to arrive at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, marking extraordinary growth for the cruise industry. Operated by AIDA Cruises, with 20 passenger decks and 2,600 staterooms, the AIDAcosma is one of the largest cruise ships within the AIDA fleet. The ship hosts a range of exciting experiences and features including a Fun Park, children’s pool, water slide, an outdoor sports deck, as well as 17 restaurants and 23 lounges, serving a wide variety of cuisines from around the world. As the homeport for AIDAcosma, Dubai Harbour will pave the way for green cruising by becoming the first to host a brand-new LNG powered cruise ship. LNG is one of the cleanest-burning, non-electric marine fuels in the industry and can reduce emissions by up to 30 per cent. Alexander Ewig, Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales at AIDA Cruises commented: “We are excited to return to Dubai Harbour – this time round with the maiden call of our youngest fleet member AIDAcosma. Through AIDAcosma, we are continuing on our path to green cruising and are elated to be collaborating with Dubai Harbour to do so. We are sure our guests will have a great time, as they …

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, announced the opening of The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl Qatar. Perched in the heart of Porto Arabia and exclusively accessed by a private bridge, this new Mediterranean-style island seamlessly blends exquisite design, exceptional amenities, and the brand’s legendary Butler Service to create a majestic escape for local luminaries and global tastemakers. “We are thrilled to welcome The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl Qatar to our highly curated global portfolio of hotels and resorts. The opening ushers in a new benchmark for luxury hospitality and as our second St. Regis property in Doha, underlines the brand’s expansion and interest in this dynamic region,” said Satya Anand, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “A new luxury landmark, guests can expect the modern glamour, cherished traditions and timeless legacy that St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is famed for globally. With this milestone opening, we are also delighted to strengthen our relationship with the Alfardan Group and thank them for their ongoing support and collaboration.” “The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island offers a distinct point of view in one of the most coveted cities in the region. We look forward to offering guests impeccable service, outstanding culinary venues and the exquisite experiences synonymous with the iconic St. Regis brand.” said Wissam Suleiman, Multi-Property General Manager for St. Regis Hotels Doha. The 193 all-suite hotel features a range of lavishly appointed accommodations in one-, two- and three-bedroom formats and private townhouses, each featuring large balconies boasting glorious views overlooking the glistening Arabian Gulf. The spacious suites offer large open bathrooms, walk-in wardrobes, living …

Amadeus signed technology partnership agreement with Safe Travel & Services, one of leading travel agencies in UAE. The travel company provides comprehensive range of services for individual travelers, corporate clients, and groups from and to the UAE, including customized packages and visa services. Under the agreement, Safe Travel & Services and its customers will benefit from various Amadeus products and solutions. These include Amadeus Online Suite, an omni -channel e-commerce solution to expand online presence and deliver a wealth of quality tailored content; Business Management Platform, incorporating various solutions such as robotic ticketing tools and sales data management systems to support pricing, analysis, and ticketing automation through a single platform. Also included in portfolio is Amadeus All Fares Plus, which helps agents find best air deals by comparing multiple content sources, including NDC-enabled content, and Amadeus B2B Wallet to offer payment options. Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, said: “With travel gaining momentum as more countries open their doors to travelers, we are committed to supporting Safe Travel & Services in rapidly finding the best air deals for its customers and providing a seamless end-to-end travel payments solution offering greater choice, reach, and orchestration.” Raed Baidas, General Manager of Safe Travel & Services, said: “To address challenges of the modern tourism industry, we know that planning, developing, and adapting to evolving needs of the market is key to our success. Adopting Amadeus’ latest technology solutions will help us realise our ambitions and position us strategically as we strengthen our customer relationships and take our value-offering to the next level.” As the travel ecosystem evolves, the industry is ready to upgrade and enhance systems and processes and have in place …

Hilton celebrates the opening of Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa, a beautiful beachfront resort with breath-taking views of the Atlantic Ocean. Located in Taghazout Bay, 14 kilometres from the centre of Agadir, the resort offers the perfect escape for guests wanting to enjoy a stay in paradise filled with sun, sea, and sand. Named after the legendary Amazigh village of Taghazout, the resort is a fusion of contemporary style and Moroccan inspired design, with each of the 170-guest rooms featuring private balconies and ocean views. Families can book and confirm reservations with  Confirmed Connecting Rooms by Hilton and the resort’s prime location provides access to local tourist attractions, including CrocoParc, the Argan Tree Museum – as well as the Paradise Valley Tazegzout Golf Course. Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa is part of Morocco’s new sustainable Taghazout Bay Resort complex. The spectacular resort contributes to the Moroccan government’s ambitions to establish the country as one of the top 20 tourist destinations in the world, through the ‘Plan Azur Initiative’ and the Taghazout Resort Development & Promotion Strategy. The new Hilton property implements various initiatives to improve its environmental footprint including water efficiency and energy saving, tracked via Hilton’s LightStay technology. Hilton has a strong heritage of hospitality in Morocco and has operated across the African continent for more than six decades,” said Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, President, Middle East, Africa and Türkiye, Hilton. “We are excited to open Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa as we enter new destinations across Morocco – providing world-class hospitality and incredible guest experiences whilst supporting local communities with our Travel with Purpose programme.” Accompanying the resort’s unique architecture is a broad range …

As visitors begin flying for the winter break and the many spectacular events taking place in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways looks forward to welcoming over 1.5 million travellers at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Shaeb Al Najjar, General Manager Hub Operations, Etihad Airways, said “There has never been a better time to experience Abu Dhabi, with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix taking place this weekend and many more attractions to be enjoyed over the winter season. Football fans from around the world will also be flocking to the region ahead of the most exciting football event of the year. As a result, Etihad with its partners, is geared up and ready to host 1.5 million expected guests over the next six weeks. Visitors flying via Abu Dhabi will enjoy the experience from the moment they take off with Etihad’s award-winning Cabin Crew and hospitality.” Guests flying with Etihad Airways can expect to fly with total peace of mind with services like its quick self-service bag drop facility. The service provides a faster check-in experience and can accommodate a greater number of guests who will then be able to skip the queues. Once checked-in online, the self-service facilities allow travellers to seamlessly retrieve their booking, print the bag-tag and process their bags in less than two minutes. Etihad Airways, has been awarded Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The accolade recognises the care and attention to detail the airline’s teams give to customers’ needs throughout their journeys. The airline is preparing to welcome over 1.5 million passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport between 21 November and 08 January …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced the launch of its new route from Abu Dhabi to Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital. The new direct flights will connect Abu Dhabi International Airport to Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport with a frequency of two flights weekly, starting from December 7, 2022. Schedule to Tashkent, effective December 7, 2022 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency 3L 763 Abu Dhabi 08:15 Tashkent 12:45 Airbus 320 Wednesday/Saturday 3L 764 Tashkent 14:05 Abu Dhabi 17:00 Airbus 320 Wednesday/Saturday Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “We are glad to add Tashkent to our growing network with direct flights from Abu Dhabi. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi continues its expansion strategy to further strengthen the connectivity of UAE’s capital with many destinations while contributing to the growth of both travel and tourism of the UAE. The new route allows our customers the opportunity to discover the historic city and reflects our commitment to continuously offer our customers affordable and value driven air travel from our different hubs.” As part of its ongoing expansion plan, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi continues to add more connectivity to and from the capital city. The new route to Tashkent is considered the 26th destination after Alexandria, Sohag, Cairo, Dhaka, Khartoum, Chittagong, Kathmandu, Muscat, Salalah, Sarajevo, Trabzon, Tbilisi, Faisalabad, Multan, Cochin, Calicut, Trivandrum, Sabiha, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bahrain, Beirut, Kuwait, and Moscow. 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 …

Four Seasons and Bahrain-based real estate development firm Bayside Developments announce plans for what will soon be the address of choice for discerning homeowners in the city with Four Seasons Private Residences Bahrain Bay. Ushering in a new standard of luxury waterfront living, the collection of 112 bespoke homes will be set within the capital city and at the heart of its most sought-after neighbourhood, Bahrain Bay. Residents will enjoy access to the neighbouring Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay as a remarkable extension of their homes with resort-style amenities, multiple restaurants, and a pristine beach just a short walk or chauffeured golf cart journey away via private bridge. The property will also be a short distance from The Avenues and MODA Mall, each offering the finest selections of shopping, dining and more. “As we expand our Private Residences portfolio globally, we seek locations where our luxury lifestyle offering can be thoughtfully integrated and where we can build upon the success of existing hotels and resorts,” explains Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development and Portfolio Management, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “Following the complete sell-out of our Private Residences in Dubai and our extensive residential expansion in Egypt, I am confident that the upcoming Four Seasons Private Residences Bahrain Bay will give homeowners another opportunity to embrace this destination through its vibrant culture, history and lifestyle.” In addition to having access to the full spectrum of services and amenities from the neighbouring Hotel, Four Seasons Privates Residences Bahrain Bay will feature a wide array of dedicated offerings for residents to enjoy while at home with Four Seasons. Most notably, the development will include manicured gardens for entertaining or relaxing; a sunlit …

Dubai International (DXB) added a new connection to its growing list of destinations with the launch of SunExpress’ direct flights between Dubai and the Turkish city of Izmir recently. This is the second Turkish route the carrier now operates into DXB after it launched scheduled operations to Antalya in September earlier this year. SunExpress is operating three weekly flights to both the tourist hotspots on a B737-800 aircraft with a 189-seat capacity. Turkey is among the top 10 destination countries for DXB with more than 680,000 passengers recorded during the first half of 2022.

Known for his dynamic work in the hospitality sector, Khoori is Chairman of Hilton Salalah, Oman and Board Director of Golden Sands Hotels L.L.C, the owning company of several hotels in the U.A.E holding around 5000 keys, of which recent highlighted projects of hotel openings are Taj Exotica the Palm, Hilton the Palm and the upcoming Marriott the Palm. With a hospitality experience of over 26 years managing and heading the well-established local brand Golden Sands which was able to prove during the recent years being a strong competitor to worldwide chains by demonstrating innovative thinking which was validated unmistakably in its latest opening of its 5 stars hotel, one of a few true boutique hotels in Dubai. He demonstrates strong work ethic and creative, innovative thinking and a continuous commitment to further developing the hospitality industry with a focus on Excellence- a true representation of what the U.A.E. embodies.    

Jaal Shah, Group Managing Director, Travel Designer Group, Founder – RezLive.com was recognised as the DDP Gamechanger. Jaal Shah has been instrumental in the empowerment of travel partners globally. His company Travel Designer Group, which started out as a small business, is today considered as one of the leading and fastest growing wholesale travel company globally. Shah began his tryst with the travel industry in 1999, as an outbound tour operator offering short haul destinations. Early in 2001, his company, The Travel Designer Inc., started its first outbound consolidation division Designer Packages, which offered Middle East and South East Asia as core destinations to travel partners. After gaining a few years of hands-on experience in the trade, Shah diversified his business by launching RezLive.com, Designer Indya, RezLive Thailand and RezLive Dubai. Shah, a staunch believer in promoting new ventures in high technology businesses, was solely responsible for transforming the Travel Designer Group into a strategic think-tank. He is also the founder of XMLHUB.COM, a global travel network providing access to the extensive global content and excellent negotiated rates to OTA’s, Hotel booking portals, Travel agents/ tour operators, Wholesale travel companies and Travel Technology companies.