Etihad Airways which has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and halving its 2019 emission levels by 2035, is one of only nine airlines globally to complete stage 2 of the assessment. Etihad Airways has successfully completed IATA Environmental Assessment stage 2 and received accreditation in four key operational areas: facilities management, flight operations, Etihad technical division, Etihad Catering Services. The IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme is a blueprint for airlines to achieve sustainability in all air and ground operations. It is an evaluation system designed to independently assess and improve the environmental management of an airline. Stage 2 represents the highest level of IEnvA compliance and requires an airline to demonstrate ongoing environmental performance improvement. Mariam Al Qubaisi, Head of Sustainability and Excellence Division, Etihad Airways, said: “Our world is becoming more environmentally conscious by the day. Etihad is proud to play a major part in reducing the carbon impact of the aviation industry, in the UAE and around the world. We have recorded many great achievements, from our first ecoFlight from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane in 2019, to the recent launch of our Sustainability-focused loyalty programme, Conscious Choices, to reward guests for making sustainable choices when they travel and in their everyday life.” Over the last two years, despite the challenges of Covid-19, Etihad has introduced significant CO2 reduction initiatives under its Greenliner sustainability programme. This includes adopting thousands of mangroves, using sustainable fuels, reducing contrails, flying optimised flight paths, operating electric vehicles and working with partners who share its vision for cleaner skies.

In keeping with its adventure and sports tourism activities, Ras Al Khaimah will be the venue for the DP World Tour from 3rd to 6th February. The UAE’s No.1 golfer, Ahmad Skaik, is relishing the prospect of another chance to tee it up alongside some of the best players in the world when he joins the field at this week’s inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital, taking place at Al Hamra Golf Club from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 February, followed by next week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic, set to be played over the same course. It will be the 24-year-old’s sixth time playing in a DP World Tour event and he revealed that he’s becoming more and more comfortable under the spot light in such a high-pressure environment. “The first time I played a DP World Tour event I just let the tournament get the better of me,” said Skaik of his DP World Tour debut at the 2020 Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World. “But as you start to play more, you realise that you’re hitting a golf shot, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing an event or practicing, it’s the same golf shot, it’s the same golf course. I know people are watching and want me to do well but you just have to focus on the shot in hand and let the training take over.” Last year’s AVIV Dubai Championship heralded a new era for golf in the UAE after Skaik carded the lowest DP World Tour round by an Emirati in history on the opening day with an impressive four under par 68 over the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf …

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia announced a three-year Digital Tourism Strategy, in the next step of the Kingdom’s continued reform of the sector. The announcement was made today at LEAP, Saudi’s largest-ever tech event held in Riyadh. The Ministry of Tourism is pioneering nine innovative programs consisting of 31 core initiatives by 2025 – positively impacting residents, visitors, investors and the public and private sectors. These programs will accelerate the Kingdom’s National Tourism Strategy and Vision 2030 targets, including 100 million new visits, tourism’s 10 percent GDP contribution and 1 million new tourism jobs. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia said: “The Digital Tourism Strategy will help us to redesign tourism in the Kingdom and achieve our ambitious Vision 2030 objectives of having Saudi Arabia become a world-leading tourist destination. The Kingdom’s execution of this strategy over the next three years will inspire the tourism sector globally.” The Digital Tourism Strategy aims to position the Kingdom as the global digital tourism leader. Application of the Strategy aims to provide tourists and stakeholders with a more seamless experience that enables a thriving tourism sector. The strategy focuses on a number of areas: Seamless Travel: Providing digital solutions to simplify travel procedures Ease of Doing Business: Launching a unified platform to connect tourism service providers and applications Innovation: Creating an experimental environment that will allow technology innovators to test new digital tourism solutions Digital Travel: Supporting tourism extended reality applications (e.g. virtual or augmented reality) Encouraging Sustainability: Rewarding tourists for eco-friendly behaviors Informed Decision Making: Building solutions that gather data and provide analytics for the tourism sector Skilled Digital Workforce: Creating …

Gulf Air announces that it has added an additional daily flight from London Heathrow to Bahrain on March 16, 17, 21 and 22 to operate three daily services during the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend taking place on March 18 – 20. Gulf Air currently operates double daily flights to London Heathrow, a direct route that has been part of the airlines network since 1970 and these additional special flights will take off from London Heathrow at 1510 local and land in the Bahrain at 0050 local, and the flight from Bahrain will take off at 0830 local and land in London Heathrow at 1255 local. Passengers with a valid Formula One ticket and flying on Gulf Air flights to Bahrain from London Heathrow during this period will receive free lounge access at London Heathrow and at Bahrain International Airport. On this occasion, Captain Waleed Abdulhameed AlAlawi, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer commented: “The demand for attendance to the season opener has definitely been significant and we are excited to welcome our global visitors to the Kingdom of Bahrain to witness the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix race. The race has always been an important global event for the Kingdom of Bahrain, Gulf Air and our partners the Bahrain International Circuit and adding an extra flight with our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to match the demand for the race as spectator prepare their visits to attend.” On behalf of the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority, Dr Nasser Qaedi, Chief Executive Officer commented: “2022 is proving to be an exciting year for tourism in Bahrain and the great reception we have been receiving from international travelers …

Travelport announced a multi-year agreement with Europe’s leading online rail and coach ticket provider, Trainline. As part of the strategic agreement, Trainline’s vast range of aggregated content from major rail operators in Europe will be integrated into Travelport+ through Travelport’s desktop user interface Smartpoint, and next-generation API’s. The new collaboration comes as multinational rail options become an increasingly popular mode of transport across Europe for both leisure and business travelers. As demand for environmentally efficient modes of travel grows, global agents connected to Travelport’s next-generation platform, Travelport+, will now be able to manage and book cross-European rail offers as seamlessly as they do with airline and hotel content. Supported by Travelport+, Trainline will strengthen its commitment to making every journey greener by helping its travelers make smarter choices through simplified and enhanced content distribution. “Our collaboration with Trainline Partner Solutions builds upon a common objective of being game changers in the travel industry by providing customers with trusted and agile solutions that remove complexity and enhance the overall travel experience,” said Jason Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Travel Partners at Travelport. “Our Travelport+ capability will rapidly integrate Trainline’s technology platform leading to improved retailing capabilities for our global network of travel agents and the most compelling range of European rail content for travelers today.” Champa Magesh, President of Trainline Partner Solutions said, “We are pleased to reach this monumental milestone with Travelport. Making our rail content accessible across the Travelport platform will further enhance our global reach and enable our unique offering to be searched and booked in conjunction with relevant air and hotel content, encouraging greener journeys. Travelport’s technology complements our industry-leading tech offering and we look forward to working …

Dubai Calendar, the official listing platform for events in the city, has revealed a spectacular range of sporting and lifestyle events, as well as live entertainment that will take place across the city in February and March, including the much-awaited Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, a concert by Pakistani music icon Atif Aslam and a number of theatrical performances. Strict adherence to safety measures such as contactless payments, wearing of masks and social distancing will be followed across all events to ensure the safety of all guests, performers and staff. The Dubai World Cup will take place at Meydan Racecourse on 26 March and provides a truly global stage upon which the best racehorses in the world come to compete every year. A highlight in the sporting and social calendar, this tournament is considered the world’s richest day of horse racing. One of the region’s biggest cycling challenges, the UAE Tour returns to Dubai for its fourth edition. Gear up for seven days of nail-biting action and the only WorldTour race competition in the Middle East as it commences on 20 February taking riders through 1,081km of scenic routes across five emirates and finishes on 26 February. The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships returns to the city from 14- 26 February with top tennis players from across the globe making their way to Dubai to battle it out for honours at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Get your helmets on and bikes ready for the 11th edition of the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge. Whether you are looking to race to the finish line for the winning spot or beat your own personal …

The View at The Palm, Nakheel’s 360-degree observation at the top of The Palm Tower, announces the opening of The Next Level, a stunning private viewing space featuring unobstructed, barrierless, panoramic vistas of Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Gulf and Dubai’s skyline. Breathe in the fresh air at this new extension to The View which, at 250 metres above ground, becomes the highest vantage point on Palm Jumeirah.            Embark on a completely new experience, with general tickets starting at AED175 for adults and AED120 for juniors aged four to 12, featuring fast track access to Levels 52 and 54 as well as a self-tour Or, take things a notch higher and with an upscaled, VIP experience, starting at AED325 for adults and AED145 for juniors aged four to 12. This package includes fast track access to The View on Level 52 and The Next Level, a guided tour and VIP lounge access where a house beverage or a bubbly drink, Arabic sweets and snacks are served. Omar Khoory, Chief Assets Officer at Nakheel, said: “Nakheel continues to push boundaries and introduce unique, record-breaking concepts that set Dubai apart as a world-famous destination. Following the overwhelming success of The View at The Palm, launched in April last year, we are delighted to take this experience to new heights by introducing The Next Level, adding a new dimension to what is already a highly popular, ‘must-see’ attraction. We look forward to welcoming visitors for an unrivalled experience that celebrates the spectacular feat of engineering that is Palm Jumeirah.” The ground-breaking launch was inaugurated by a unique collaboration with Zahra Lari, Emirati figure skater and the Middle East’s first international competitor, where the …

With Qatar aiming to attract 1.2 million fans to FIFA World Cup 2022, Swiss-Belhotel International expects strong demand at its hotel in the capital Swiss-Belinn Doha. Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President – Operations & Development, EMEA & India; Senior Vice President – Group Human Resources & Talent Development, Swiss-Belhotel International, stated, “In the run up to FIFA World Cup 2022 and during the tournament, we expect an unprecedented level of demand at our properties in Qatar. We are already receiving an extraordinary interest from travellers and advance bookings for the Middle East’s first World Cup and look forward to welcoming the visitors many of whom will fly across the world to witness the event. Our goal is to ensure a comfortable and safe stay for all in the country.” Termed as the global festival of football, the FIFA World Cup will take place from November 21 to Dec 18, 2022. Organisers had expected to offer up to 130,000 rooms, however, not all hotel rooms are ready. The most recent figures from Qatar Tourism Authority show there are 33,208 rooms in Qatar but that number is likely to go up significantly with the high-pace of construction in the country. Swiss-Belhotel International is well-positioned in Qatar and is known to deliver world-class service and memorable experiences with great value. Laurent stressed, “The World Cup will undoubtedly have a profound and lasting long-term impact on Qatar’s hospitality and tourism industry. The country is enjoying one of its best moments in history and has a lot of potential for growth. We have seen a dramatic development of infrastructure projects including the massive expansion of the airport all of which will positively contribute to …

The new event, launched as Saudi Arabia embarks on a multi-billion dollar infrastructure boom, will take place at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center from 6-8 September 2022. “We’re creating an opportunity for the most important suppliers, contractors and government officials involved in the Kingdom’s infrastructure development to connect,” said Matt Denton, President dmg events. “Their networking and the business they conduct will contribute to industry thought leadership and drive projects crucial to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.” Vision 2030’s bold plan to boost and diversify the nation’s economic activity is sparking an unprecedented infrastructure drive. In October last year the government established a $53.4bn infrastructure investment fund to catalyse private sector involvement in major infrastructure projects. This follows the announcement in January 2019 of the $425bn National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, aimed at transforming the Kingdom into a leading industrial powerhouse and a global logistics hub. “These significant sums are just a portion of the government funding being allocated to infrastructure projects across the Kingdom,” said Denton. “Continued investment will attract more private sector funding, creating even more opportunities for exhibitors at Saudi Infrastructure Expo.” With offices in Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as other centres across the Middle East and Africa, dmg events is ideally placed to deliver Saudi Infrastructure Expo. The company has spent a decade successfully staging events in the Kingdom, including The Big 5 Saudi, the country’s largest construction event. The Saudi Infrastructure Expo event features will draw on this pool of experience and include a strategic conference where leading figures from across the industry will share valuable insights into how new projects will progress and where new opportunities will emerge.  

Oman Air announced that its award-winning First and Business Class Lounge at Muscat International Airport has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Management Systems Standards, which certifies that the Management System has been fully audited and found to be in accordance with the provision of First and Business Class Lounge services for Oman Air customers. Delivering an exceptional customer experience remains a priority for Oman Air, and that priority extends to the airline’s First and Business Class Lounge at its hub in Muscat. Luxuriously appointed and presenting a decisively Omani-themed ambience, the lounge offers Oman Air’s First and Business class passengers welcome respite from airport crowds and features among others our attentive service and care, a diverse buffet offering, elevated à la carte dining, and an exclusive spa with a variety of treatments. Last year, the lounge was awarded Skytrax’s Five-Star COVID-19 Safety Rating for implementing appropriate coronavirus protection measures, both in terms of product and service standards, while ensuring optimal passenger health and safety at all times. “We’re delighted that our First and Business Class Lounge has been granted ISO 9001:2015 certification, said Mr. Saleem Amanulla Abdulhussain, Senior Vice President of Service Delivery at Oman Air. “Our guests travelling from Muscat deserve an exceptional lounge experience in terms of the quality of product and the high level of service they receive. Enhancing the customer experience for our First and Business class passengers in Muscat is a promise we continue to uphold, and one that reflects the excellent management systems and standards throughout the lounge. The ISO certification is an attestation of the well-defined measures in place which guide our operational practices so that we consistently live up to our …