In its efforts of enhancing customer experience and travel experience in terms of international connectivity, India’s leading carrier, IndiGo, announced a shift of its flight operations to terminal 2 of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. IndiGo has moved its daily scheduled flights to Terminal-2 of King Khalid International Airport from Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi effective December 12, 2022. The terminal change will offer better customer service and flyer footfall. These flights are being introduced in response to increasing demand and to improve accessibility between these regions during the peak season. With this move, IndiGo took a step forward in improving the travel experience of its customers by offering better international connectivity. Currently, IndiGo operates in 3 cities of Saudi Arabia including Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. These flights are designed to cater to business and leisure travellers who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options to access destinations which help in building businesses and are known for their tourist attractions. Customers who wish to plan their travel can book tickets via our official website https://www.goindigo.in/. The introduction of these flights will further bolster the airline’s international connectivity. Flight schedule:   Flight No. Origin Destination Frequency Effective Departure Arrival 6E 1804 Hyderabad Riyadh Mon December 12, 2022 00:55 07:45 6E 1825 Mumbai Riyadh Daily December 12, 2022 04:30 06:45 6E 1826 Riyadh Mumbai Daily December 12, 2022 07:45 14:05 6E 1839 Delhi Riyadh Daily December 12, 2022 18:40 21:45 6E 1841 Riyadh Delhi Daily December 12, 2022 22:45 05:30 6E 1803 Hyderabad Riyadh Fri, Sun December 16, 2022 21:00 23:55 6E 1804 Riyadh Hyderabad Mon, Sat December 17, 2022 00:55 08:00

Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), responsible for the transformation of Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, into one of the greatest gathering places in the world, today announces adding 16 new global hotel brands to its already impressive hospitality portfolio which includes 16 additional global brands. Bringing the total to 32 hotel management agreements with the world’s most prestigious hotel brands, with our first hotel planned to open in 2023. The signing of these new hotel brands is testament to the pace of development being witnessed in Diriyah, which will be the first giga project in the world to simultaneously open, ground-break and announce world class assets every year from 2022 until completion. To this end, Diriyah has just announced the opening of two of its most significant locations: At-Turaif, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country’s most important historical sites and a symbol of Saudi identity, as well as Bujairi Terrace, the Kingdom’s most anticipated premium dining destination overlooking the majestic At-Turaif. The 16 hotel brands slated to open will be situated across two of DGDA’s masterplan areas – Diriyah and Wadi Safar. The infrastructure of Diriyah’s first phase of hotel construction will feature an interpretation of the local landscape and traditional Najdi design themes, whereas the next phase will offer visitors a more evolved Najdi design experience. Both phases of Diriyah’s hospitality development plans will see a variety of luxury hotels open, characterized by their cutting-edge design, top-class amenities, and superb customer service. Thai-rooted brand Anantara, part of Minor Hotels, will provide a window into the destination through its authentic experience-led hospitality. Corinthia Hotels seeks to build upon its hospitality legacy by …

From 24 April 2023, the airline will fly twice a day, seven days a week, on the Abu Dhabi – New York route, providing a total of 14 weekly nonstop services to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The flights will be operated with both Airbus A350 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, two of the most efficient in the world, with significantly less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous-generation twin aisle aircraft. Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo, Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad is responding to customer demand for increased frequency to New York and our well-known reputation for high-quality customer experience. Boosting our flights to New York gives our guests even greater options across key business and leisure destinations in our expanding global network. “Our guests travelling to the US can use our US pre-clearance facility, the only United States Customs and Border Protection facility in the Middle East. This allows passengers bound for the United States to process all immigration, customs and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi before they board, avoiding immigration queues on arrival in the US.” The increased frequency gives customers going to the US access to connections beyond New York, to and from 47 destinations throughout the Americas, with Etihad’s codeshare partner — and New York’s Hometown Airline® — JetBlue. The news comes as Etihad unveils further growth in its global network with the relaunch of flights to Kolkata as well as offering travellers improved access to the Indian Subcontinent and GCC region. Travelling with the Environmental Airline of the Year, Etihad guests can offset their flights with the airline’s green loyalty programme. Conscious Choices gives travellers Tier Miles and additional benefits in …

As the advisory arm of Ras Al Khaimah Hospitality Holding (RAKHH), in the past 5 years, Stirling Hospitality Advisors (SHA) has consulted on close to 30 projects in the northern emirate, including hotels, luxury resorts, experiential camps and more. According to the latest data from Ras Al Khaimah’s municipality, the emirate experienced a 45 per cent increase in overall real estate transactions in the first half of 2022, compared to H1 2021. In that period alone, it recorded more than AED 4 billion worth of real estate transactions, further cementing its position as an attractive real estate and hospitality investment hub for hotel groups and investors. With a series of recent hotel openings and tourism activations, the northern emirate has been leading the region’s tourism sector thanks to its diverse offerings that cater to guests across all age groups and interests. The latest announcement from Wynn Resorts marks the first integrated resort in the GCC, bringing another unique hospitality offering to the region. Additionally, the emirate was also selected by Time magazine as one of its World’s Greatest Places of 2022 for its stunning geodiversity and superlative outdoor adventure offerings. Amongst the various destinations SHA currently oversees projects in, the consultancy played an instrumental role in developing the Northern Emirate into a world-renowned tourist destination for active and family tourism. Over the past 5 years, SHA has participated in the pre-opening and opening of 10 hotel projects across its portfolio, showcasing its superlative industry experience in successfully transitioning hotels from concept development to operational. Tatiana Veller, Managing Director of Stirling Hospitality Advisors said: “Ras Al Khaimah is an increasingly attractive market for investors and real estate owners at the moment. …

His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the NEOM Company Board of Directors, announced the development of Sindalah, the first luxury island destination in NEOM and one of the most important projects supporting Saudi Arabia’s national tourism strategy. A main gateway to the Red Sea offering bespoke nautical experiences, Sindalah is expected to start welcoming guests to enjoy its exquisite facilities and exclusive offerings from early 2024. It is anticipated that the development will create 3,500 jobs for the tourism sector and hospitality and leisure services. Extending over an area of approximately 840,000 square meters, Sindalah, is one of a group of islands that will be developed in NEOM, each according to its unique vision and design. His Royal Highness said: “This is another significant moment for NEOM and a major step in the Kingdom realizing its tourism ambitions under Vision 2030. Sindalah will be NEOM’s first luxury island and yacht club destination in the Red Sea, providing a scenic gateway to the Red Sea that will become the region’s most exciting and attractive tourism location. It will be a destination where travelers can experience the true beauty of NEOM and Saudi Arabia, above and below the water, making Sindalah the future of luxury travel.” Adding to NEOM’s growing tourism offerings, Sindalah will reshape the luxury international yachting calendar offering a new season for visitors and guests to enjoy. It will feature a prestigious 86-berth marina, an ideal destination for accommodating luxury vessels, while offshore buoys will house superyachts. Providing one-of-a-kind nautical experiences, Sindalah will offer 413 ultra-premium hotel rooms, in addition to 333 top-end serviced apartments. A luxe beach club, glamorous yacht club, …

The Tourism Development Fund (TDF) which entered into a tripartite partnership with Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company in the world, and Al Rajhi Capital, one of the leading Asset Managers in Saudi Arabia, has identified multiple sites to develop exciting lifestyle developments across the Kingdom, including urban beachfront sites. The projects to be developed are part of the newly formed Lifestyle Hospitality Fund, which has recently received approval by the Saudi market regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA). The fund aims at advancing Ennismore’s lifestyle hotels in the Kingdom with a targeted fund size of USD 400 million (SAR 1.5 billion). In 2021, during the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, TDF and Ennismore signed an MOU to commence the discussions for launching an investment fund. This was followed by TDF, Ennismore, and Al Rajhi Capital signing a tripartite agreement in July this year to establish the now approved lifestyle hospitality fund. Furthermore,  MOUs were signed with selected investors who expressed interest in coming into the fund with their respective assets. TDF will be the anchor investor in the newly established investment fund, while Ennismore will lead on the operation of these assets post completion under the umbrella of its lifestyle brands. Al Rajhi Capital will manage the development fund and attract investments. Ennismore is a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with creativity and purpose at their heart, bringing together a lifestyle powerhouse of 14 brands with 103 operating properties and 144 in the pipeline. Ennismore’s globally recognized brands include: 25hours Hotels, Mama Shelter, Mondrian, The Hoxton, TRIBE, SLS, SO/ and coworking brand, Working From_. The fund will have significant impact on the tourism offering in the KSA as …

SAUDIA has launched a new version of Alfursan loyalty program offering multiple advantages and greater miles value for members. The upgrade is part of a complete transformation of the program which aims to increase the competitiveness of SAUDIA as it seeks to deliver world-class levels of guest experience. This reflects the national carrier’s efforts to improve guests’ travel experience and is part of an ambitious, organisation-wide, transformation the group is currently undergoing. The new edition of Alfursan includes unprecedented benefits for more than 7.5 million members, in addition to motivating more guests to join and enjoy the benefits and rewards of the program through the marketing campaign launched today. Under the slogan “Enjoy More”, Alfursan now partners with several new parties, most notably credit card providers. One of the most important new features of the program is that there is no longer a specific period to redeem miles. Members can use their miles as long as their membership remains active by earning or redeeming them at least once in 24 months regardless of the date of earning. Previously, reward miles expired three years after the date of earning. The new edition also introduces several benefits and policies aimed at increasing the chances of redeeming miles through the introduction of the “Reward” and “Reward Plus” categories. Members can issue reward tickets at a discount of up to 50% of the required miles. For example: the Jeddah-Riyadh-Jeddah flight now requires only 9,000 miles compared to 18,000 miles previously, while the (Riyadh-London-Riyadh) flight now requires 24,000 miles compared to 40,000 miles previously. The launch of the “Reward Plus” category is aimed at providing more reward seats on multiple flights to more destinations, where …

Air Arabia resumed its direct flights to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. The direct flights will connect Sharjah International Airport with Kuala Lumpur International Airport with a frequency of three weekly flights starting from March 20, 2023 which will increase to daily flights in June 2023. Schedule to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, effective March 20, 2023 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency  G9 802 Sharjah 14:50 Kuala Lumpur 02:00 Airbus A321 Mon/ Wed/ Fri G9 803 Kuala Lumpur 03:00 Sharjah 06:50 Airbus A321 Tue/Thu/Sat G9 800 Sharjah 21:40 Kuala Lumpur 09:10 Airbus A321 Thu/Fri/Sat G9 801 Kuala Lumpur 10:10 Sharjah 13:25 Airbus A321 Fri/Sat/Sun Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia said: “We are glad to resume our direct flights between Sharjah and Kuala Lumpur, and we consider it a significant route in terms of our expansion plans within the Asian market. We look forward to welcoming customers on our direct flights, falling in line with our commitment to provide travellers with affordable and value driven air services to various destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, which is one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in Southeast Asia.”   Customers can now book their direct flights between the two cities by visiting Air Arabia’s website, or by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.   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.   In addition to ‘SkyTime’, the free in-flight streaming service that will allows passengers …

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts continues its growth trajectory across Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), reaching over 550 hotels across the region through a number of important openings in the year, and a strong line-up of property launches expected in the coming months. In the Middle East, Wyndham continued to bring more accommodation options to Dubai, with the launch of Wyndham Residences on Palm Jumeirah, one of the most popular landmarks in the emirate. In the first half of 2022, the total number of guests within the overall UAE hotel industry increased 42% year-on-year to reach 12 million, driven by The Expo 2020 Dubai and sustained by football’s biggest sporting event in Qatar, where Wyndham opened the 278-key beachfront Wyndham Grand Doha West Bay Beach, as well as Ramada by Wyndham Doha Old Town. Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said: “Travel continues to bounce back and our continued expansion across EMEA is testament to the strength and the resilience of our industry. Our latest expansion marks a key step in our quest to make hotel travel possible for all, which is particularly relevant in a diverse region like the EMEA, where we see strong potential to expand our foothold in both new and existing destinations.” In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Wyndham further cemented its presence with the opening of the 189-key Ramada by Wyndham Riyadh King Fahd Road, offering easy access to the capital’s businesses and commercial districts, an array of F&B outlets, a pool, an indoor sauna, a banquet facility, as well as a business centre with versatile meeting rooms. The latest opening represents the Company’s 13th hotel in KSA. In Turkey, Wyndham …

Emirates’ flagship A380 made a landmark touchdown at Auckland Airport. This is first time the Emirates double-decker has landed in Auckland since February 2020, demonstrating increasing travel demand in and out of New Zealand. The special non-stop daily service from Dubai to Auckland was greeted at Auckland Airport ahead of the country’s first fully open summer since the pandemic. Emirates flight EK448 takes off from Dubai International Airport at 10:05 am and lands in Auckland at 11:05 am local time. The flight has reclaimed the title of Emirates’ longest route on its network, clocking in 14,200 km, with an estimated flight time of just under 16 hours from Dubai to New Zealand and 17 hours, 15 minutes in the other direction. This makes it one of the world’s longest non-stop scheduled commercial flights. Emirates has been flying to New Zealand for 19 years, a sign of its ongoing commitment to the market. Throughout the pandemic, Emirates continued to serve the country, both through connecting New Zealand and the world with daily flights, as well as its SkyCargo services bringing essential goods in and out of the nation. The latest update to its services will offer customers greater levels of flexibility and choice when making travel plans and provide seamless connectivity and reduced transit time when travelling to other destinations in its global network, including destinations in Europe and the Middle East. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers offering 14 First Class suites and 76 lie-flat seats in Business Class. Customers travelling to and from Auckland can look forward to enjoying its spacious and comfortable cabins, signature products that offer travellers the best experiences in the sky …