As the region busies itself with winter visitors, iconic sporting events, UAE National Day and the upcoming festive season, Emirates is highlighting a busy travel period for both inbound and outbound travel through Dubai for the next month, and recommending passengers arrive to the airport 3 hours in advance of their flight, as well as taking advantage of multiple services that enhance seamless travel. From the 19th of November onwards, Dubai will begin to see a surge in inbound traffic, including visitors for the myriad of winter events like those attending the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, travellers headed to Doha for football matches, and those arriving for the Emirates Dubai 7s which is set to welcome 5,500 athletes from 32 countries. UAE National Day will also see a high level of outbound travel as UAE residents enjoy the long weekend, and from December 16 onwards, Emirates is expecting the seasonal super outbound peak for the festive period. In addition to arriving to the airport up to 3 hours before a flight, passengers are advised to take advantage of digital check-in, home and remote check-in options, smart gates and handy luggage drop services. Passengers are encouraged to download the Emirates app on their mobile phone to get all their flight details at their fingertips. Users can book and change flights, download a digital boarding pass for most destinations, check what meals will be served onboard, book their chauffeur drive service and even pre-select and plan movies to watch via the ice inflight entertainment. All passengers can check-in online 48 hours ahead of their flight using the online check-in option on www.emirates.com. In a few clicks, they can select …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), with the Royal Commission for AlUla and the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA) has announced the resumption of a weekly direct flight between Paris CDG airport and AlUla international airport every Sunday from December 4, 2022 to March 12, 2023. The route will allow French travelers to reach AlUla in only 5 hours, with all the comfort provided by the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner”. Announced as part of AlUla’s participating in the World Travel Market, London this week, the route represents an incomparable opportunity for French travelers to immerse themselves in the desert city of AlUla, an ancient oasis located on the incense route with 7000 years of successive civilisations. AlUla is a unique site that was home to some of the most important civilisations of the region – the Dadanites, the Lihyanites, the Nabataeans, and the Romans. Among the must-see, UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra, the southern capital of the Nabatean Empire, are many other archaeological sites dating back to the first millennium BCE. Beyond its rich heritage, AlUla also offers stunning natural landscapes, ochre sandstone canyons and amazing rock formations, basaltic plateaus and golden sands, and a lush green oasis stretching for miles running through the city. French connections to AlUla are strong. The Dominican fathers and exploders Antonin Jaussen and Raphaël Savignac produced some of the earliest pictures of the region in 1909. Today teams of French archaeologists are working to uncover more AlUla’s mysteries. French artists and musicians have also left their marks in the region in recent years with exceptional concerts and performances or unique art projects. AFALULA was set up as an inter-governmental partnership to support the …

The Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Falcons Club (SFC). The MoU, signed by Jerry Inzerillo, Group Chief Executive Officer of DGDA, and Hosam Al-Huzaimi, CEO of the SFC, aims to preserve and promote the proud tradition of falconry, highlighting its significance to national culture and heritage through a series of joint projects and initiatives. According to Mr. Inzerillo, the joint cooperation will prove integral to DGDA’s drive for greater educational and cultural activity, while also paving the way to develop and operate a falconry center within Diriyah that would offer inspiring insights and information on falcons, falconry, and the rich culture that has developed around them. Mr. Huzaimi said that the agreement would facilitate falconry culture conservation efforts through educational, cultural, and heritage programs and events across both Diriyah and the Kingdom. Both sides will also work to further popularize the hobby amongst the youth through programs that promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise.

At the recently concluded Switzerland tourism roadshow where they hosted over 100 trade partners recently as the final of their GCC roadshow with 18 key partners that showcased their offerings from tourism boards, hotels, Railways, cablecars, airline and DMCs, it was shared that they had achieved 20% more in terms of visitors than pre pandemic or 2019. Matthias Albrecht, Director Switzerland tourism stated, “This is the last roadshow for the year. Roadshows are very important as we meet people directly in their own home ground. As we all know there are many possibilities to book online and its important to speak to people on digital channels but we all know the big families, VIPs don’t want to stay online for many hours and compare they want the travel agents to organise, add additional rooms or connecting doors, especially in this region this will stay, these contacts are able to arrange everything for them, we are here to meet these contacts.” Speaking on the year that was, “it was a fantastic year, we had a great start, there was a survey conducted early 2022, it was asking many UAE residents and nationals about their favourite travel destination and Switzerland became third after Dubai and Abu Dhabi which are both within UAE which means Switzerland the most prominent and most popular destination outside the UAE which is a fantastic result and of course helped us a lot to advertise Switzerland throughout the year.” This summer proved to be good for most destinations, Albrecht shared, “there is one figure which we received from September comparing now to 2019, pre pandemic and we are 20 percent plus from the whole of GCC which is …

Marriott International, Inc. announced it has signed a deal with RDK Tourism Investment LLC to open four properties in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The signings are expected to further enhance the company’s footprint in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with the addition of more than 700 rooms across its Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Executive Apartments and Autograph Collection Hotels brands.  All four properties are expected to be converted from existing properties operated by RDK Tourism Investment. “We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with RDK Tourism Investment and expand our portfolio of properties in the UAE,” said Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Marriott International. “We look forward to building on this relationship and supporting the overall growth of the tourism sector in the UAE.” Rashid Darwish Ahmed Saif Al Ketbi, Chairman of RDK Group commented, “We look forward to further cementing our relationship with Marriott International as part of our aim to expand our hospitality portfolio in the region. The four properties aim to contribute to the local economic development of upcoming tourism destinations in the UAE, in line with our investment ambitions as a company to develop landmark projects that cater to guests at the highest international standards.” Marriott Mirfa Resort, Abu Dhabi The company’s flagship brand, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, is anticipated to open its first resort in Abu Dhabi with the Marriott Mirfa Resort, Abu Dhabi.  Situated on the coast of the Al Dhafra region in the historic fishing town of Mirfa, the resort will exemplify the brand’s continued evolution and feature contemporary and intuitive spaces. Projected to be completed in 2025, the 114-room beachfront resort is anticipated to feature views of the Arabian …

As part of Kuwait Airways’ strategic objectives and in an effort to provide various options to its valued customers, the company announced the commencement of its scheduled flights to the cities of Kathmandu and Maldives. Operations to these destinations includes four flights a week to Kathmandu on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 30 October 2022, and two flights a week to Maldives on Monday and Thursday, commencing from 31 October 2022.​ Speaking on this occasion, the Director of KAC’s Network Planning and Distribution department, Mrs Shorouk Al-Awadhi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the launch of its operations to Kathmandu and Maldives, which are among the latest destinations to be introduced and is within the company’s strategic objectives to expand its network to new and diverse destinations, thereby linking Kuwait to the world. The selection of these destinations is a result of systematic and detailed research of the feasibility of these two routes and the extent of the demand for them from passengers. In addition, both these destinations are popular among tourists due to their historical and touristic attractions, as well as their rich and diverse cultures.” Al-Awadhi added, “The launch of these two destinations comes within the framework of Kuwait Airways’ plans to expand its network and operate to new destinations as part of its winter schedule. Moreover, the company had recently launched various new destinations such as Medina, Taif, Hyderabad and Kuala Lumpur. Furthermore, Kuwait Airways continues to operate to Madrid and Izmir throughout the year as permanent destinations, which had been previously launched as part of its summer schedule of 2022, due to the increasing requirements for these two destinations and their significance to our …

Emirates has announced an exclusive partnership with Uplift, the leading enterprise Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) solution serving the world’s top travel and retail brands, to benefit its U.S. and Canadian customers. Passengers booking flights on Emirates can now spread the cost of their travel over time with simple, affordable monthly installments through Uplift. The Emirates story started in 1985 offering customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies. Emirates inspires travelers around the world with its growing network of worldwide destinations, industry leading inflight entertainment, regionally inspired cuisine, and world-class service. Connecting the world to its global hub in Dubai, Emirates offers award-winning service to customers across six continents every day. Available now, Emirates passengers can make their getaway dreams a reality by utilizing Uplift’s pay over time monthly installments, rather than paying in full at booking.  Customers will see the total cost of their trip upfront allowing customers to see how an upgraded travel experience in Emirates’ Business class, for example, can be accessible for only a slight increase to the monthly payment. With Uplift there are no fees including no late fees or prepayment penalties and travel can happen before customers complete their payments. “As the world’s largest international airline, we are thrilled to offer flexible payment solutions, making worldwide travel available to more customers. Providing convenient payment options is one of the ways we are delivering on our customer-centric approach in everything we do,” said Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President for USA and Canada. “Through our research and discovery, we selected Uplift as our BNPL solution provider in North America due to their deep knowledge of travel and …

Elaf Travel and Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Sabre Corporation cemented a long-standing relationship,  signing an exclusive agreement to drive the agency’s growth through advanced technology.  The agreement was signed at a ceremony attended by management and executives from both companies to celebrate a decade of successful collaboration. The agreement provides Elaf Travel and Tourism continued access to Sabre’s portfolio of innovative technology across the region, including its industry-leading workflow Sabre Red 360 and the latest mobile, data analytics, personalization and automation capabilities. “We are excited to confirm our relationship with Sabre, which will continue support our growth and technology plans,” said Dr. Adel Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elaf Group. “We are working together to deploy the latest solutions and capabilities, transform our business, and advance our offerings to enrich our customers’ experiences – particularly online.” Using SR360, the agency will have access to Sabre’s marketplace of more than 420 airlines, 750,000 hotel properties, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car and cruise providers, enabling it to sell personalized travel packages from suppliers all around the world. “We are happy the Elaf Travel and Tourism recognizes the value of our technology and trusts the dedication and expertise of our local team,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “Elaf Travel and Tourism has a wide range of services catering to the online, offline, and corporate travel sectors and we are committed to deliver products and solutions that meet their diverse customer needs and help the company to scale and expand its business to meet the high expectations of the tech-savvy Saudi travelers.”  

Winter in the UAE begins with the Hatta season, this area is the latest developed tourist area with expectations of greater visitor numbers this year. Last year Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved six new tourism projects in Hatta as part of the Hatta development plan. The projects announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum include the establishment of 504km-long chairlifts, Dubai mountain peak at an altitude of 1,300 metres, Hatta sustainable waterfalls, a world-class hotel, in addition to Hiking trails to the highest peak in Dubai (Jebel Umm Al Nisour, at 1,300 metres). Hatta residents will also be allowed to build 200 holiday homes to support domestic tourism in district. “In 2016, we started our development project in Hatta. Tourists doubled from 60,000 to one million in 2020, and the new projects by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority will provide 500 jobs for young people of Hatta. The new holiday homes will provide an annual income of more than Dh100 million for the people of the region. A decent life for our citizens will remain our goal in all our projects,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “Hatta is a model for small cities in the region. It has turned within a short period of time into one of the most important tourist destinations in the emirate, thanks to its different lifestyle. The development and tourism projects in Hatta will have a significant impact on promoting national tourism and providing a distinctive tourism and cultural experience for visitors and the community,” Sheikh Mohammed added. The ‘Dubai Mountain Peak’ and ‘Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls’ project, which will …

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 …