Qatar Executive is set to introduce a new Air Ionisation System on its state-of-the-art G650ER aircraft. The active system is capable of eliminating potentially harmful pathogens and allergens, including bacteria, viruses, and mould spores. The eco-friendly technology has a minimum impact on the environment and adds an additional layer of hygiene onboard by eradicating volatile organic compounds (VOCs), visible smoke and undesirable odours. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Executive is always at the forefront when it comes to introducing the latest safety and hygiene innovations. Enhancing the comfort and well-being of our passengers throughout their journey is paramount, therefore, we are pleased to be retrofitting our G650ER fleet with this cutting-edge Air Ionisation System. Qatar Executive will continue to adopt and introduce meticulous on-board safety measures which offer an unparalleled private jet experience each time.” Qatar Executive has already retrofitted two of its G650ER jets with the pioneering Air Ionisation System, and will continue installing the new device across the fleet within the next three months. Qatar Executive is the world’s largest owner-operator of the Gulfstream G650ER, one of the most sought-after jets due to its exceptional range capabilities, industry-leading cabin technology, fuel efficiency, and unrivalled passenger comfort. The G650ER is the industry’s fastest ultra-long range business jet. The jet is known for its incredible 7,500 nautical mile range, cutting-edge cabin technology, and unrivalled passenger comfort. Last month, Qatar Executive’s flagship G650ER jet operated to and from Geneva, Switzerland using a high blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF); reflecting Qatar Airways Groups’ commitment to working on its environmental sustainability goals. The ultra-modern aircraft was on display for spectators to tour and experience …

As part of the continuous efforts to expand its network of destinations, Kuwait Airways announced the launch of its first scheduled commercial flight to the city of Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman, with two flights per week on Saturdays and Tuesdays, commencing from 7th June 2022. The Director of Corporate Communication and Public Relations at Kuwait Airways, Khalid Al-Bustan stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to launch its first direct flight to Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman, one of the new destinations launched by the Blue Bird, as part of its plans to expand its network around the world, in line with KAC’s objectives which are directed towards achieving the best levels of excellence in the quality of services provided to customers, and offering them comfortable and convenient facilities that meet their requirements.” Al-Bustan added that Kuwait Airways’ selection of Salalah as a destination came after comprehensive research of the feasibility of this destination in general and the extent of its demand, which is very high especially during the summer season, due to various attributes of Salalah, such as its moderate climate, touristic attractions, historical and cultural landmarks, as well as its greenery and picturesque nature.” Al-Bustan explained that Kuwait Airways had recently launched numerous destinations, which are in line with its objectives to launch short and medium haul routes such as Casablanca, Manchester, Alexandria, Sharm El Sheikh, Sohag, Trabzon, Bodrum and most recently Mykonos and Izmir, which will be followed shortly by operations to destinations such as Nice in France, Madrid and Malaga in Spain, Sarajevo in Bosnia, and Vienna in Austria. This is also in addition to commencing operations to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Kathmandu, Nepal in …

The Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has signed a strategic partnership with the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) to enable employees and key stakeholders to receive a specialised professional certification and benefit from SITE’s educational programme of global incentive travel industry best practices. Providing networking and destination awareness opportunities to key DCT Abu Dhabi stakeholders, the strategic partnership will provide year-round access to SITE’s dedicated incentive travel events and conferences. As the only international association that focusses on incentive travel, SITE allows leading incentive travel professionals from across the globe to connect and learn new practices, as well as discover how to draw upon new strategies to boost the sector further. The partnership was agreed to demonstrate how Abu Dhabi is the ideal destination to host incentive travel schemes and events for corporate groups. As a destination that offers the world in one place, Abu Dhabi provides an incentive trip with a difference – from its culture and entertainment to its amazing landmarks and natural landscapes- all within close proximity to one another. Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director of Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, which will help us to establish ourselves as a prime incentive travel destination and play a key role in crafting, co-curating, and delivering purposeful contributions to the SITE association, as well as to Abu Dhabi’s incentive travel market. We look forward to working closely with SITE over the coming year to deliver bigger and more impactful incentive travel events and schemes …

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has successfully hosted the Hegra Conference of Nobel Laureates & Friends, a three-day gathering of 35 Nobel Laureates and their eminent peers in AlUla to discuss the key issues facing humanity under the theme New Openings: Decisive Moments for a Decisive Decade. The first HEGRA Conference of Nobel Laureates & Friends was held in early 2020 as a gathering of Nobel Laureates. Following the success of the inaugural edition, the latest edition welcomed esteemed laureates from a range of prestigious awards. The conference brought together a diverse mix of intellectuals including: Guatemalan activist Rigoberta Menchu-Tum (Nobel Peace Prize, 1992), former Polish President Lech Walesa (Nobel Peace Prize, 1983), journalists Michael Moss (Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, 2010) and Jeff Gottlieb (Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, 2011); Prof. Omar M. Yaghi, The James and Neeltje Tretter Chair at the University of California Berkeley (King Faisal Prize); and Dominique Langevin, the research director at Europe’s largest fundamental science agency – Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS (UNESCO for Women in Science). HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, led a strong Saudi contingent at the conference that also included HH Princess Noura bint Turki Al Saud, founding partner of Aeon Strategy, and HE Eng. Ibrahim Muhammad Al Sultan, a member of the RCU board of directors. Also in attendance was a contingent of about 20 Saudi high-school and university students, many of whom had benefited from the Kingdom’s Mawhiba programme for gifted youths. The students contributed to several discussions at the conference, in particular a final-day forum on young people as the builders of …

With the aim of expanding their presence in Iraqi Kurdistan’s thriving hospitality sector, Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with over 100  properties across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey, announced today the soft opening of Slemani Rotana in the heart of Sulaymaniyah. The new 5-star property marks the company’s fourth hotel in the country after Erbil Rotana, Erbil Arjaan by Rotana and Babylon Rotana, Baghdad. Slemani Rotana features 240 spacious rooms and suites with a convenient location on Salim Street in the bustling heart of the city, just steps away from the area’s main attractions, making it the ideal destination for luxury stays inside the city. The hotel boasts stunning views of the cityscape and surrounding mountains as well as a wide range of services, amenities, wellness, and business facilities including one-bedroom spacious suites, a presidential suite, a state-of-the-art gym, spa, and a piano bar to ensure an enjoyable stay. Commenting on the soft opening, Hussein Hachem, General Manager of Slemani Rotana said: “We could not be prouder of this new project, Slemani Rotana represents a new level of hospitality and luxury in the city of Sulaymaniyah and as our third property in Kurdistan, we look forward to extending our reputation for quality and service in the region.” Hachem continued: “The hotel is set to incorporate a number of elegant, modern features, showcasing the latest developments in technology coupled with a dedicated and hardworking staff to offer guests an unmatched and memorable experience.” Tawfeeq Taeyb Hasan, President of the owning company, Qaiwan Group, said: “The Rotana brand is world-renowned and we have been privileged to work with the company to manage our …

Emirates and Airlink have officially activated their codeshare partnership. The Emirates and Airlink partnership makes it easier for customers to create their ideal itinerary and benefit from seamless connections and a single booking reference across eight domestic South African cities via the airline’s gateways Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Travel itineraries can now be booked on emirates.com, with travel agents as well as online travel agents (OTAs). Tickets booked from June 2022 are available for travel immediately. Emirates customers can now book a wide range of additional flights, including eight destinations from Johannesburg, five destinations from Cape Town and one point from Durban. Examples of some new route options include Bloemfontein, Hoedspruit, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley, George, and East London, amongst others. Emirates currently offers double daily flights to Dubai from Johannesburg, daily flights to Dubai from Cape Town and five weekly flights to and from Durban. The airline is also driving more connectivity options that provide value through a better experience for its customers. With the revival of its South African Airways partnership, as well as its codeshare agreement with Airlink, and interlines with Cemair and FlySafair, the airline has expanded its reach to 79 regional points in southern Africa.

WSP Middle East announced the next phase of The Red Sea Project’s Multimodal Operational Readiness Plan as momentum shifts gear towards embedding new mobility solutions within the regenerative tourism destination. With a view to inspiring uptake from the world’s and the region’s top mobility operators, this phase involves expressions of interest from operators to ultimately supply and operate transportation modes across three modal packages throughout the project – in addition to one package for a Mobility Operations Manager – as it prepares to open to guests in early 2023. The latest step of The Red Sea Project’s sustainable mobility journey follows the creation of a blueprint for decarbonized future mobility to help enable sustainable, seamless journeys for guests, employees and logistics to the flagship tourism destination. As a global leader in mobility, sustainability, digital-integration, and commercial advisory, WSP Middle East’s industry-leading advisory and mobility experts are engaged in helping The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) identify land, sea and air transport requirements for the development and its operations, underpinned by the latest advances in green mobility. Andreas Flourou, Executive Director, Operations – Mobility at The Red Sea Development Company, said: The Red Sea is the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism project. The destination is on track to be powered solely by 100 percent renewable solar energy, saving upwards of 500,000 tons of C02 entering the atmosphere every year. As such, we’ve set out to be equally ambitious in our mobility operations and are seeking the very best industry partners to help us in realising this vision. Our portfolio of projects on the Red Sea coast is expanding, least of all with the equally ground-breaking AMAALA, and as such, the partnership …

Brown Hotels announced an official partnership with Israir Airlines. The partnership is based around an investment worth approximately €40million for Brown Hotels and Israir to co-purchase and co-own properties throughout mainland Greece and the Greek Islands, as well as the launch of new packages combining hotel stays and flights at attractive rates. As part of the new partnership, Brown Hotels will provide unique vacation packages in Greece combining direct flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport to Athens International Airport via Israir Airlines with stays at Brown Hotel’s new collection of properties in Greece. Israir will also have airline exclusivity over the sale of vacation packages and Brown Hotels rooms. After the crisis that the global tourism industry endured during the Coronavirus pandemic, with Greece particularly hard-hit, both sides are anticipating that the rapid recovery of the industry will help promote the Brown Hotels collection and Israir through strategic marketing and sales initiatives by both sides. The hotels are located in strategic tourist destinations throughout Greece, with various facilities for guests, including restaurants and bars, all in the modern design aesthetic of the Brown Hotels brand. The partnership marks the first time that a real estate investment collaboration has taken place between Israir and a hotel brand. The joint investment will include the purchase, renovation, improvement, operation and marketing of the properties that will be operated by Brown Hotels. Amongst the first property to be opened under the partnership is a new Brown Hotel in Chania, Crete, one of the most coveted and sought-after destinations in the Mediterranean. The hotel, aptly named “Isla Brown Chania,” will open at the end of 2022 under the Brown Hotels Resorts label, and …

Kuwait Airways announced the signing of an agreement with Qatar Airways, enabling match ticket holders to attend the World Cup 2022, by providing direct, daily match day shuttle service to and from Doha within 24 hours, to attend the match on the same day and enjoy an exceptional experience. Kuwait Airways Chairman, Captain Ali Al-Dukhan said, “We are pleased that Kuwait Airways is part of this monumental global event, especially since it is being held in Qatar and we are proud to facilitate the travel of fans to and from the State of Qatar for this event. Not only does this agreement enhance the connectivity among the countries of the GCC, but also facilitates the social and economic growth emphasized by the government of the State of Kuwait.” Al-Dukhan was confident that Kuwait Airways would play a prominent role as a distinguished carrier in linking Kuwait to the world, providing comfort and convenience for fans in Kuwait and the GCC countries, as they choose the Blue Bird for their flights to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. On his part, Kuwait Airways CEO, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “The historic bilateral agreement between Kuwait Airways and Qatar Airways is part of an ongoing partnership between the State of Kuwait and the State of Qatar, who share numerous common goals at all levels. Football fans from Kuwait will have plenty of options and choices to travel between the countries at any hour of the day, during the FIFA World Cup 2022 season in Qatar.” Razouqi added, “This agreement with Kuwait Airways is in accordance with KAC’s transformation program to provide comfort to our valued customers and achieve their aspirations to attend …

To coincide with World Environment Day, Anantara announced its signing of all its resorts and hotels with the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge. Launched in 2019 in Thailand, The UNESCO Pledge in partnership with Expedia has since expanded to create a globe-spanning travel ecosystem which supports sustainable tourism. An award-winning luxury hotel brand developed by Minor Hotels, Anantara has focused its efforts on social, economic and environmental areas of priority since the brand’s foundation in 2001, changing the definition of purposeful travel for generations of holidaymakers along the way. By signing up to the pledge, Anantara is adding a portfolio of over 45 hotels across the world to the roster of over 4,200 properties committed to concrete, transparent and achievable climate action. “As the world moves towards climate resilience, the role of inclusive partnerships, such as Expedia Group and UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge, will only grow,” said John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability and Conservation for Anantara. “At every Anantara property sustainable tourism drives our choices, and over the years we have compiled a blueprint of best practices that we now hope to share in a streamlined manner with other pledge signatories to encourage the adoption of an ever-more sustainable business model.” “The UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge aims to promote sustainable travel, community resilience and heritage conservation globally,” said Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture. “By signing the Pledge, we are pleased that Anantara Hotels and Resorts publicly commit to actions that will reduce the environmental impact of their businesses, raising awareness to travelers and helping them make more sustainable travel choices.” In each country where the brand operates, Anantara teams and guests contribute to social and environmental projects …