Emirates Group Security (EGS) has signed an agreement with the University of Arizona (UA) located in Tucson, Arizona, USA, to promote collaboration in tertiary education and research on general and security-specific subjects from certificate to postgraduate courses. This new dimension comes in the Customized Degree Paths Programme (CDP). The World Campus Experience Program is delivered online by UA with supplemental on-site services and courses provided by EGS. Through the agreement, UA and EGS will jointly offer 60 programmes, to be delivered entirely online in English by appointed and qualified faculty members at the University of Arizona. Students will have access to the course materials and virtual lectures through the EGS Centre of Aviation Security Studies’ (CASS) campus in Dubai (UAE). They will be able to use the facilities and services of the campus to experience a unique in-person college experience with the convenience of online education.   Mutual collaboration between the two organisations enables incoming students to earn up to two years of direct, undergraduate credits from the University of Arizona through a mix of in-person and online courses offered through EGS and on EGS’s campus in collaboration with the University of Arizona. The programme includes multiple academic pathways which will enable students to take courses that will satisfy University of Arizona degree requirements or transfer to other US universities.   Dr Abdulla Al Hashimi, Divisional Senior Vice President of Emirates Group Security, said: “We are delighted to partner with one of the top 100 global universities, repeatedly recognised for its outstanding academic programs and exceptional value, the University of Arizona. This agreement marks another step forward towards our vision of strengthening the global aviation community by providing AVSEC industry …

Emirates progressed on its recovery path in 2021, rebuilding its passenger network to 128 cities by December including a new route to Miami launched in July. At the end of 2021, all of Emirates’ 133 Boeing 777 aircraft and nearly 60 of its A380 fleet are in active service, connecting people to their loved ones and businesses to global opportunities. In addition, over 120 Emirates Lounges and partner facilities have re-opened to serve Emirates’ premium customers and frequent flyers. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive said: “Despite the recent rise of the Omicron variant and the slight slowdown it brought to our network, we are going into 2022 with optimism. We’ve built up some great momentum this year and expect business growth pick up speed in 2022. Aviation has always been resilient, and we will continue to work with our industry partners to build back better for our customers and communities.” Here’s highlighting 7 ways Emirates has helped customers fly better, and support communities and the industry in 2021: 1- Travel ease and confidence: This year, Emirates extended its generous rebooking waivers, the expiry of frequent flyer miles and tier status, and complimentary COVID-19 medical cover for all customers. emirates.com remains a top reference site for the latest travel requirements, updated at least once daily with information verified by Emirates’ on-site teams across its network. Emirates also accelerated digital initiatives to provide customers with smoother and safer journeys – being the first airline to implement the IATA Travel Pass solution across its network on six continents; expanding its biometrics and contactless touchpoints at Dubai airport, and partnering with Al Hosn app to enable quick …

The Dubai Racing Club announced that its seventh race meeting at the Meydan Racecourse on January 1, 2022 dedicated to celebrate the #DubaiDestinations initiative that was launched recently to highlight the exceptional experiences, events and activities offered by the emirate. The move is part of the Dubai Racing Club’s efforts to support the initiative, which was launched in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance the UAE’s profile as a leading global destination and make Dubai the world’s best city to live and visit. The first race night of the new year featured a total of seven races including the ‘UAE 1000 Guineas Trial’, with the total value of all prizes exceeding AED800,000. Each of the day’s seven races will be named after one of Dubai’s iconic destinations, beginning with the ‘Etihad Museum’ maiden race followed by the second maiden race ‘Dubai Frame’, with both races being dedicated to Purebred Arabians horses. The Thoroughbred races will begin with the Al Jaddaf Mile presented by the ‘Museum of the Future’, followed by four races bearing the names of tourist destinations in Dubai such as ‘Ain Dubai’; ‘Burj Al Arab’; ‘Burj Khalifa’, and ‘The Palm Jumeirah’. Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Racing Club, said that Dubai Racing Club is keen to support the #DubaiDestinations initiative as part of its efforts to further raise Dubai’s profile as a leading global destination, in line with the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum added that Dubai’s leading position in the equestrian …

Air Arabia Egypt has announced the introduction of a new route from Cairo International Airport to Khartoum International Airport commencing January 2nd 2022. Customers can now book their flights between Cairo and Khartoum by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies. Schedule to Khartoum from Cairo, effective January 2nd, 2022 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency E5 785 Cairo 18:30 Khartoum 21:15 Airbus A320 Friday, Sunday E5 786 Khartoum 22:00 Cairo 00:40 +1 Airbus A320 Friday, Sunday Since COVID-19 outbreak, Air Arabia’s customer journey has been upgraded to include all safety measures that are in line with the highest international measures. Air Arabia’s entire fleet is fitted with HEPA cabin air filters, which help to provide a safer and healthier environment for passengers. Customers are always requested to comply with the conditions and requirements of the countries of departure and destination.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), once again hosted an Advisory Board Meeting at the Address Skyview, Downtown Dubai, bringing together travel and tourism leaders and experts to discuss trending opportunities and challenges facing the industry post-pandemic. ATM’s Advisory Board was set up to provide counsel on industry themes, challenges, growth opportunities and future strategies, while brainstorming other topics and issues for debate at ATM 2022, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 8-11 May. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, said: “We wanted to connect with a broad range of industry stakeholders to fully appreciate their key issues. More importantly, how those issues might impact the hospitality and the regional tourism landscape, as we work to build the agenda for ATM 2022, providing more business opportunities for our exhibitors and visitors.” Board attendees included Jamel Chandoul, SVP Retail ME&A, Amadeus; Gregory Fuller, Director of Brand Activation, Dubai Tourism; Mark Kirby, Head of Hospitality, Emaar Hospitality; Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, IHG; Ian Albert, CEO MENA, Colliers International; Jeff Strachan, Director, Dubai College of Tourism; Sandeep Walia, COO, Marriott International; Raki Phillips, CEO, RAKTDA; Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels; Mohammad Al Hashimi, VP Commercial, Emirates; Bilal Kabbani, Sector Lead Branding, MENA Google; Marloes Knippenburg, CEO, Kerten Hospitality; and Guy Hutchinson, President & CEO, Rotana. “During the debate which took place on 23rd November, three main topics came to the fore – innovation, attracting and retaining talent and sustainability, which will certainly feature in our seminar programme next year,” added Curtis. In terms of innovation, the board debated how the pandemic had accelerated the adoption of digital and technology in general and that companies were now focused more on innovating and …

The Honourable Minister Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri graced the occasion and officiated the launch of the Malaysian classic traditional trishaw, or locally known as beca, as well as several Malaysia packages highlighting new ecotourism products in various destinations in Malaysia. This week, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) through its agency Tourism Malaysia took over the Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) between 26th December 2021 until 31st December 2021. Promoting Malaysia as the next Top of the Mind Ecotourism Destination in the World, the Ecotourism Week at the Malaysia Pavilion takes the call from Malaysia’s National Tourism Policy 2020-2030 which highlights the practice of sustainable and responsible tourism. Malaysia is joined by 16 organisations, consisting of five (5) state tourism boards, three (3) associations, one (1) hotel chain, one (1) product owner, and six (6) tour operators. Throughout Tourism Malaysia’s Ecotourism Week, participants get to learn more about different perspectives of ecotourism in Malaysia by Malaysia’s renowned speakers at the Expert Talk series, namely: Andrew Sebastian – Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia, Syed Abd Rahman Syed Hassan – Diveheart Malaysia, Adj. Prof Anthony Wong Kim Hooi – Sustainability & Ecotourism Expert and Eric Sinnaya – Malaysia Nature Society. As part of her first Tourism Sales Mission to the Middle East, Dato’ Sri Nancy will also attend a networking dinner with members of the travel trade and media in UAE on 30 December 2021. The mission aims to reinstate and enhance the commitment to establishing good tourism cooperation, engaging future collaborations, and cooperation in the tourism industry. The Malaysian Government launched its first International Travel Bubble by reopening Langkawi Island to fully-vaccinated …

Gulf Air will resume its direct flights to Baku, with two weekly flights starting from 06 January 2022. On this occasion, Captain Waleed AlAlawi, Acting Chief Executive Officer, said “We have been operating direct flights between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2018, and it has been a popular destination within the Gulf Air network since its launch, offering the airline’s passengers numerous historic and cultural landmarks and tourist attractions to explore. We are extremely happy to see a much healthier trend in the travel industry and the resumption of some of our most popular destinations as the global vaccination program continues to bring a sense of normalcy back into our routine.” The airline currently operates its flights to over 80% of its pre-pandemic network; as Gulf Air continuously works closely with government authorities throughout destinations on its network to resume operations to those destinations. Gulf Air boasts a flexible and agile network by immediately adapting to government orders and civil aviation directives around its network and has been responsive to continuous changes and updates regarding operations to and from its network destinations. Recently, Gulf Air has received APEX’s Five Star Major Official Airline Rating; an award based solely on certified passengers’ feedback. the rating came as a testament to the success of Gulf Air’s boutique strategy and the major developments in its products and services since the launch of the recent brand refresh and fleet modernization programme. Last week, The airline also announced the activation of a number of unprecedented offers for its passengers, which will give them the opportunity to stop in Bahrain, obtain hotel reservations, and use tourist facilities through various tailored packages …

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the emirate’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has announced precautionary measures for New Year’s Eve celebrations in the emirate. Urging members of the public to continue abiding by COVID-19 precautionary measures to protect themselves and the community, the Committee said that stringent observance of preventive guidelines is vital to maintain the progress Dubai has achieved in combating the pandemic. During a meeting held, the Supreme Committee further said the community’s stringent adherence to COVID-19 precautionary guidelines has been key to Dubai’s exceptional success in containing the pandemic. The emirate’s ongoing awareness campaigns and the public’s continued cooperation will help ensure the wellbeing of all citizens, residents and visitors. The Committee’s latest meeting reviewed the preparations for New Year’s Eve celebrations and the roles of various task forces. The meeting also approved preventive measures and guidelines for the celebrations. His Highness Sheikh Mansoor said the concerted efforts of frontline authorities and the integrated plan to curb the pandemic combined with the steadfast cooperation of the public has enabled Dubai to curb the spread of the virus. Strong preventive protocols continue to be enforced as part of the Government of Dubai’s efforts to protect citizens, residents and visitors, His Highness said. “Dubai has continuously monitored local and global developments to take the decisive action necessary to protect the community and implement precautionary measures outlined by local and international health authorities. Every member of the community should stringently observe the preventive guidelines in …

Visits to Expo 2020 Dubai continue to climb substantially, increasing to 8,067,012 in the period up to 27 December as the most significant global gathering of 2021 continues to welcome visitors safely and responsibly. Expo’s stringent COVID-19 safety measures are designed to protect everyone on site, and include mandatory mask-wearing – indoors and outdoors – for visitors, as well as all staff and participants. Venues may also close temporarily for deep cleaning and sanitisation in response to positive cases detected by extensive workforce testing protocols, as well as for maintenance, private events and staff shortages. During the past week, Expo 2020 celebrated Christmas with a series of special events, with thousands of visitors safely enjoying the festivities, with many taking advantage of the AED 95 festive pass valid until the end of December. Visitors and performers have shown collective responsibility in the face of heightened health concerns. Academy and Grammy award-winning composer A.R. Rahman, during a special concert on 22 December, thanked audiences for being responsible and encouraged everyone to wear masks – a message echoed on Christmas Day by award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga and internationally acclaimed singer and pianist Joe Stilgoe. On 24 December, The Holy See held a prayer service for humanity, award-winning Lebanese singer Tania Kassis and the Festival Chorus performed a special carol service, while the UK’s most successful gospel choir group, the London Community Gospel Choir and American soul artist Naia Izumi delighted audiences. The next seven days promise another host of events to dazzle, entertain and educate, with a special focus on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Helping visitors ring in 2022 will be two of the world’s biggest DJs …

Mohammed Hanif Al Qassim  an Emirati hotelier and the Managing Partner at The Manor by JA hotel, has been appointed as one of the youngest global advisory council members at the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) organization. Al Qassim, who is also the only Arab member, will serve in a three year term commencing on 2022 at the advisory council of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®). HITEC event has been produced by HFTP organization to serve as a forum for hospitality professionals to exchange information and ideas on the latest products and services. The council will produce international education programs that leverage the skills-set of the hospitality professionals and help them to be ready to run successful hotel operations in the future. In addition, HITEC council members will engage in identifying the current and the most important hospitality topics. The advisory council is also mandated to focus on the capacity building side of the hospitality industry and evaluating the relevant programs for the hoteliers and professionals around the globe. Commenting on the appointment, Frank Wolfe, CAE, FIH; CEO at HFTP said: “since 2016, our activities in the UAE have been largely regional with the HFTP Dubai Chapter and HITEC Dubai. Now with Mohammed Al Qassim joining the HITEC Advisory Council, we are fostering an increasingly international perspective for a global industry event. This is the real definition of what HFTP is about.” “As the network expands internationally, like-minded professionals have a broader source of information to draw from. And now, as HFTP grows in the UAE there is the opportunity to hear from the experiences of members in the region, considering that the UAE have a …