Cruise Saudi welcomed MSC Cruises’ flagship MSC Virtuosa making it the line’s second vessel to visit Jeddah Islamic Port. The newly launched cruise ship, part of the world’s third largest cruise line, spent around 17 hours at the port before continuing its voyage along the Red Sea. MSC Virtuosa joined MSC Bellissima at Saudi’s largest and busiest port, where the latter ship has been homeporting throughout the 2021/2022 Summer and Winter Seasons. The visits are part of Cruise Saudi’s efforts to build a fully integrated, world-class cruise industry in the country, elevating tourism in line with Vision 2030 – the Saudi leadership’s transformation plan to diversify the economy. MSC Virtuosa entered into service in May 2021 and is one of the two largest ships in MSC Cruises’ fleet. It features the longest LED dome and largest shopping area at sea. Featuring the very latest in environmental technology, MSC Virtuosa is a modern and innovative ship with an incredible choice of onboard features including 11 boutiques, five swimming pools and a waterpark on board. Commenting on MSC Virtuosa’s visit, Lars Clasen, Chief Executive Officer of Cruise Saudi, said: “We are proud to host the flagship of one of the world’s most established and popular cruise lines. MSC Virtuosa’s visit highlights Saudi as an exciting cruise destination for international cruise lines and travelers. At Cruise Saudi, we look forward to welcoming more guests and operators to experience the glistening waters of the Red Sea as the tourism industry gathers pace. “By supporting Saudi’s tourism industry, we are not only enabling the world to experience Saudi’s pristine islands and beaches as well as unique culture, heritage and hospitality – but we are also …

flydubai announced that flights to Taif in Saudi Arabia will commence on 15 April with a daily service. This brings the number of destinations served by the carrier in the Kingdom to seven. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are pleased to see our network grow to offer more than 95 unique destinations. The network expansion has been supported by our growing fleet as we continue to take delivery of more aircraft over the next few months. We look forward to welcoming passengers back on our flights to Taif and thank the authorities for their continuous support.” Taif is located less than 100 kilometres east of Mecca in a valley on the eastern side of the Hejaz mountains. The millennia-old city is a favourite summer destination for those looking for the pleasant weather offered by the altitude. Due to its cooler climate and fertile land, the region earned its title of “Garden of the Hejaz”. Known as the City of Roses, more than 900 rose farms produce over 300 million flowers every spring. flydubai has built a network of more than 95 destination in 50 countries served by a young fleet of 63 Boeing 737 aircraft. With the resumption of daily flights to Taif, flydubai’s network in Saudi Arabia has now grown to seven destinations including AlUla, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh and Yanbu. flydubai’s passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact and offers passengers confidence to travel at every step of their journey. Passengers are required to make sure that they are up to date with the regulations from the IATA Travel Centre and the …

Vibe  announced its partnership with ground transport experts CMAC Group, enabling its clients on demand or planned access to taxis, executive cars, minibuses and coaches. Accessed through its online booking tool, Vibe’s clients – including TMCs and leisure intermediaries – can now provide timely transportation options, allowing the end user to search, book and report on all of their transfer needs, as necessary. Supplemented by a unique 24-hour support hotline, this latest service enables Vibe’s clients to enhance the end-to-end travel experience, add value to their customer proposition and unlock new revenue opportunities. Matthew Chapman, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Co-founder of Vibe comments: “At a time when many travellers are still concerned about using public transport and travel intermediaries are looking to find new products to cross-sell to increase revenues, selling ground transportation as part of travel packages is proving more popular than ever. But finding a reliable provider who can manage everything end-to-end, around the globe, is not easy. CMAC goes above and beyond many suppliers, offering a manned support line alongside access to transport solutions which made them the partner of choice for us.” Peter Slater, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CMAC Group adds: “Combining the individual strengths of Vibe and CMAC will undoubtedly provide significant benefits to clients and their customers. Vibe’s strong platform and CMAC’s unrivalled supply chain makes this a one-stop shop for all ground transportation needs, improving efficiency and ensuring that users have access to a reliable managed transport experience whenever they need it.”

The doors to Dubai Sports World, the UAE’s largest indoor sporting venue, are officially open. The annual multi-sports initiative, in its 12th edition, returns bigger and better this year: 42 courts and pitches spread across 20,000sqm and running for almost six months. His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, in the presence of Mahir Julfar, Executive Vice President – Venue Services Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, declared the venue open and explained the reasoning behind the extended period of operations. “Running for 23 weeks through the summer, the 12th edition of Dubai Sports World offers a broad range of sports and physical activities in line with the UAE leadership’s vision to cultivate a healthier, fitness-oriented lifestyle,” he said. “This unique sporting facility encourages all ages and standards to continue practising sport and socialising as part of an active lifestyle, aligned to our vision of promoting the health, happiness, and vitality of our Dubai community. “This year’s edition is the longest yet, which reflects the increased interest and engagement in sporting activities we have seen throughout the emirate, in line with the UAE leadership’s emphasis on promoting sports and physical activity for all members of society.” To make the 23-week initiative a reality, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has transformed Za’abeel Halls 3-6 into the UAE’s largest indoor sports destination, spread across 20,000 square-metres and set up for an array of sports and academic coaching. Running from 8am until 1am every day during Ramadan and 8am to midnight every day thereafter until September 21, the venue offers facilities to play badminton, basketball, cricket, football, padel, tennis, table tennis, and volleyball. The interconnecting halls serve as a self-contained and …

Dedicated on sports and wellness this special cruise line is slated to kick off by mid 2023. This gives you a rare opportunity not just to book a cruise but also to own it. One can travel the world in your own spectacular ocean-going residence on a luxury vessel designed exclusively for active, wellness-focused adults. Whether you are a passenger or pampered resident, you’ll be able to take advantage of features and amenities that simply don’t exist on any other ship in the cruise industry. “Wellness is not an afterthought to us, it’s in our DNA” says Gene Meehan, Blue World Co-founder and chairman. “Now more than ever, people recognize that they need to take ownership of their health. Blue World Voyages is setting the precedent. Our attention to sports and wellness is the core of the overall travel experience – and not just options or add-ons. It is embedded in the design of the ship, the onboard programs, dining options, shore-side programs, even the itineraries. We offer the opportunity for everyone onboard to shape their life and take control of their overall wellbeing, creating healthy habits and supporting longevity.” On the sports deck, you’ll find the largest athletic and fitness conditioning facility at sea, a fully equipped functional training gym, several private studios for spinning, yoga & meditation, TRX training, plus a full assortment of cardio equipment, swimmers treadmill, golf training facility including multi-sport simulators, bike fitting station and comprehensive physical therapy lab. Add to that a first-in-the-industry sea water lap pool and marina deck, plus an impressive array of professional-style water sports equipment. Blue World also features two entire decks dedicated to spa amenities and boasts the largest …

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the 78th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit will take place 19-21 June 2022 in Doha, Qatar, hosted by Qatar Airways. This will be the second time that the global gathering of aviation’s top leaders will be held in Qatar; the first being in 2014. Originally, the 78th IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit were planned for the same dates in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, hosted by China Eastern Airlines. The decision to change the venue reflects continuing COVID-19 related restrictions on travel to China. “It is deeply disappointing that we are not able to meet in Shanghai as planned. In the meantime, we are pleased to be returning to the dynamic aviation hub of Doha and the warm hospitality for which Qatar Airways, our host airline, has become famous. This year’s AGM will be an important opportunity for aviation’s leaders to reflect on the shifting political, economic, and technological realities facing air travel as the industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gathers pace,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.  

Marriott International has reinforced its commitment to developing local talent in Saudi Arabia by launching its fourth iteration of the Tahseen leadership programme. The 12-month programme, designed in partnership with Cornell University, aims to develop the next generation of hospitality leaders. This year’s programme in Saudi Arabia, which also includes Bahraini nationals, will feature more than 37 new participants. Francisca Martinez, Chief Human Resources Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International, said, “Our commitment to investing in young local talent to ensure the success of the Kingdom’s travel and tourism sector is unwavering. We are excited to launch the fourth edition of Tahseen in Saudi Arabia and look forward to developing the next group of hospitality leaders in the Kingdom. We are also delighted to see the continuous career advancement of those leaders who previously graduated from the program in the Kingdom despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.” In partnership with Cornell University, the fourth year of Tahseen in the Kingdom will see 37 participants go through a unique and highly individualized 12-month programme focused on practical application across all departments as well as an in-depth understanding of leadership skills led by teams across Marriott’s participating hotels. Tahseen provides candidates with operational experience and theoretical training, empowering them with the knowledge, skills and expertise to accelerate in leadership roles within the industry. Tahseen recently celebrated the graduation of its 2021 class, which saw 46 graduates, of which nearly half were women, step into leadership within their respective hotels and in the department of their choice. Since its inception in 2018, more than 110 candidates have graduated from the Tahseen programme in Saudi Arabia and moved into roles …

Kuwait Airways announced the operation of three new summer destinations to the Republic of Turkey. The Company will launch its scheduled commercial flights to Trabzon with three flights per week on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, commencing from 28th April 2022. This is followed by launching three flights per week to Bodrum on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, starting from 30th April 2022. KAC will also be launching two flights to Izmir on Mondays and Wednesdays, commencing from 5th June 2022. In this regard, the Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is in preparation to launch operations for the summer season of 2022 with numerous new destinations for the summer and is proceeding according to its planned objectives to expand its network of operations around the world. We are expecting significant recovery for this season in particular and in the progress of travel, followed by the growth of the tourism, travel and hospitality sectors and the commercial air transport in general.” Razouqi added, “Kuwait Airways’ focus on launching new destinations to Turkey came as a result of increasing demand from our valued customers, especially in the summer, along with the feasibility and benefit of these destinations for the Company. Therefore, the Blue Bird will operate to five destinations in the Republic of Turkey, consisting of Sabiha, Istanbul, Trabzon, Bodrum and Izmir.” Razouqi concluded and said, “Kuwait Airways is relentlessly striving to assist its customers and provide them with all means of comfort during their travel, from the check-in at Terminal 4, until they board the National Carrier’s latest aircraft, in addition to receiving comfortable and distinguished services and reaching their destination safely.”  

Sofitel Dubai The Palm has recently opened doors to the Laguna Lounge, a Mediterranean-inspired beach destination that effortlessly captures the coming together of ancient Greek agora and the French Riviera. The newest venue welcomes guests to indulge in private luxury cabanas, dine al fresco in the lounge area or bask under the golden sun. Located within Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeirah stretch, Sofitel Dubai The Palm’s latest offering is the perfect draw for party lovers, corporates looking for the most exquisite spot in the city to unwind amidst unparalleled luxury and elegance. Laguna Lounge will offer a lively atmosphere with breathtaking views, packed with the best entertainment and culinary delights. The lounge is open from 12pm to 2am daily. For bookings and more information, visit the website: https://www.sofitel-dubai-thepalm.com/bars-lounges/laguna-lounge/.

It was announced that Palace Beach Resort is slated to open by Q2 in 2022 in Fujairah. The resort will feature 167 rooms and suites set by the beachfront featuring contemporary architecture and Arabesque patterns, testament to a city embracing the future while staying true to its heritage. The hotel will be set on prime piece of coastline on the Gulf of Oman, known for its beautiful sands, vibrant sea-life and the serene mountainous environment. A palatial beachfront oasis where contemporary grandeur, natural beauty and Arabian heritage blend between the cityscape and Indian Ocean, where the City meets the Sea. Designed with a majestic sense of style and developed by Eagle Hills, Palace Resort Fujairah is set to become the brand’s ultimate beach getaway guaranteeing an unforgettable stay at their beachfront oasis enjoying outstanding array of world-class facilities and exceptional amenities. Sit back, relax, and unwind on a beach lounger nestled among the pristine sands of the private beach, where the city meets the sea, and every view is one to savour. “Emaar Hospitality Group is setting its sights on the leading destinations within the UAE and this resort will mark its second opening in this Emirate. This is an important milestone in our journey, as we further expand our luxury portfolio with the country to cater to international visitors and residents of the UAE who have grown to know and love our brand.” – Mark Kirby, Head of Emaar Hospitality Group “With its majestic landscape combined with a rich heritage, Fujairah is fast emerging as a tourist haven that lures the most discerning travellers. We look forward to welcoming guests to experience premium luxury at Palace Beach Resort Fujairah.” …