A night of glitter and glamour, as the fourth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards recognized the travel and hospitality industry stars. This year’s awards were extremely special as it was a salutation for all those overcoming the unprecedented challenges during the pandemic. His Excellency, Mohammad Tarid bin Sufian, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE, Her Excellency Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, Ambassador, The Republic of the Philippines, UAE and Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai graced the occasion with their presence.

The travel, tourism and hospitality leaders in the Middle East will witness a star studded & glamorous evening as the Arabian Travel Awards return with their fourth edition. Recognizing industry heroes and unsung warriors, the pandemic challenged all leadership and changed the landscape of the sector. Achieving success and striving against all odds is something to celebrate and further motivate brands and the players behind it. Resilience has been a key factor in the Middle East, which over the years, has shown great strength and agility to adapt and refocus on situations when the going gets tough.

Emirates has concluded the 2021 edition of the Dubai Airshow on a positive note, culminating a week of investment announcements, new partnerships forged, and the strengthening of established connections as key aviation players from around the world came together in Dubai to mark a turning point in the industry’s recovery. This year, Emirates’ presence at the show included participation in the opening flypast; aircraft static displays; an exhibition stand showcasing its latest cabin products, Emirates Flight Training Academy and the Emirates Aviation University; and offering its renowned hospitality for partners and invited guests in the Emirates Chalet. Emirates was honoured to welcome His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to its Emirates A380 static display. Emirates’ latest four-class configured A380 remained a popular draw, featuring the airline’s recently introduced Premium Economy Class cabin, and decorated with the ‘United Arab Emirates 50’ livery, celebrating the Golden jubilee of the UAE. The Cirrus SR 22 and Embraer Phenom 100 jets utilized for training flights by the Emirates Flight Training Academy were also on display to visitors. At the Dubai Airshow, the airline announced a significant investment to retrofit 105 of its Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft with its Premium Economy product, in addition to other cabin enhancements. The entire 18-month retrofit programme, starting in 2022, will take place in Dubai and reinforces the UAE’s status as a centre of aviation excellence. Emirates also signed an agreement with Panasonic to deliver a suite of in-flight …

Gulf Air and EGYPTAIR, signed a letter of intent for studying cooperation expansion between the two airlines and the initiatives for cooperation in air freight, maintenance, training and frequent flyer programmes. This cooperation is intended for the enhancement of networks of the two national carriers and the services provided to their customers. In this regard, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed AlAlawi commented: “As the region’s leading boutique carrier with a global footprint, Gulf Air is proud to further enhance commercial opportunities with our partner, EGYPTAIR. Signing this letter of intent demonstrates our continued focus to provide our passengers with new destinations, grow our cargo capabilities and importantly enhance customer experience. Likewise, this agreement represents the strong existing commercial cooperation that Gulf Air enjoys with EGYPTAIR, that we will look to build on.” EgyptAir Holding Chairman & CEO, Captain Amr Abul El Enein stated “We are glad of this cooperation, as EGYPTAIR and Gulf Air are two of the deep-rooted national airlines in the region backed with great experiences, technical and professional capabilities that qualify them to cater for the needs of our travellers. This cooperation comes at a time of remarkable developments in the aviation industry that requires the partners to cope with the new and developing requirements of the industry and to enhance the relations for better services to the customers.” Last year in December, Gulf Air and EGYPTAIR announced the expansion of their codeshare partnership, bringing more travel opportunities for their customers.

The much-anticipated Dubai EDITION opened recently, marking a significant expansion for the brand into the Middle East’s most popular travel destination. Based in the heart of Downtown Dubai, opposite the world-famous Dubai Mall, the one-of-a-kind hotel will showcase EDITION’s signature blend of modern luxury and local influence. Destined to become Dubai’s cultural and social milieu, the hotel will boast unique dining experiences, exciting entertainment, and world-class services and amenities. Designed by LW Design Group LLC, the hotel features 275 exquisite guestrooms including 45 suites. Restaurants featured at the hotel include an Italian restaurant, DUOMO, with an outdoor fresco terrace; Jolie – a French restaurant inspired by Mediterranean coastal flavors; a poolside bar and lounge with uninterrupted views of the Burj Khalifa, Thia; and a speakeasy style bar, Leon. The hotel will also feature a spa with three treatment rooms, a pool, and a state-of-the-art gym. Additionally, the property will boast meeting rooms and a flexible event space that can be uniquely transformed to fit any concept or theme.

As part of Kuwait Airways’ preparations for full operation of Terminal 4 (T4) and resuming to full capacity, Kuwait Airways Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Maen Razouqi, accompanied by the Chief Operations Officer, Captain Eisa Al-Haddad and Operational Department Directors of the Company toured the Terminal 4 (T4) and inspected the latest developments and preparations of the Company’s operational sectors, and following the recent decision of the Council of Ministers to commission the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to implement the third phase of Kuwait International Airport’s operating plan and full operation of the Airport from November 2021. During the visit, Razouqi observed the progress of the working mechanism at different sectors of Terminal 4 (T4), the most important of which is the itinerary of passengers and the services provided to them from their arrival at the terminal, completing their travel procedures at the baggage weighing area until reaching the departure gate. The tour also included inspecting the security measures implemented for passengers and their baggage, in addition to other measures. On the sidelines of the tour, the Chief Executive Officer, Maen Razouqi commended on the progress of work at Terminal 4 (T4) and the procedures undertaken, whether for security or related to completing all travel measures, in addition to the efficiency of services provided to valued customers and the expertise of Kuwait Airways employees in dealing with passengers in order to ensure convenient travel, starting from entering the airport until boarding the aircraft and for enjoying a safe and enjoyable trip, pointing that the Company seeks to provide all services that meet the requirements of dear passengers and extend efforts to overcome all obstacles ahead, in a manner befitting the …

At the Dubai Airshow 2021 Emirates announced that it will retrofit 105 of its modern wide-body aircraft with its Premium Economy product, in addition to other cabin enhancements. The 18-month retrofit programme, scheduled to begin at the end of 2022, will be entirely conducted at Emirates’ state-of-the-art Engineering Centre in Dubai. It will see 52 Emirates A380s and 53 Boeing 777s fitted with a new cabin class – the airline’s highly lauded Premium Economy. The airline is also considering installing a brand new Business Class product on its Boeing 777 aircraft, with customised seats in a 1-2-1 layout. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said: “Emirates is investing in this retrofit programme to ensure that we continue to serve our customers’ needs, and provide the best experiences in the sky. Since we introduced our Premium Economy seats a year back, we’ve received a hugely positive response. Customers have been amazed by the quality and comfort. As Emirates has done with our signature First, Business and full-service Economy travel experiences, we intend to further develop our Premium Economy into a distinctive Emirates experience that is unmatched in the industry. We are also considering a brand new Business Class product. More details will be revealed in due course.” Sir Tim added: “It is also a source of pride that the entire retrofit project will be conducted at our home base in Dubai. It demonstrates the strong aviation capabilities that has been built up within Emirates airline and the broader UAE ecosystem to support such a highly specialised and technical programme.” At the end of the retrofit programme, Emirates will have a total of 111 Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft offering Premium …

Kech Mahal, the new entertainment and fine dining restaurant club in Dubai, opens its doors to welcome guests this week. Aiming to be among the finest up-scale dining destination, Kech Mahal serves to its guests a wide variety of international palates with Moroccan touches. Located in Jumeirah Beach Residence, the most vibrant neighbourhood in Dubai, in Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort, Kech Mahal boasts one of the most glamorous shows in town. From the impressive waist movements of its belly dancers, the dramatic acrobatic play to the up beating live music, Kech Mahal’s show delivers a unique mix of entertainment and raise the bar for extravagant nightlife standards. While the entertainment show captivates the eyes of Kech Mahal’s guests, the restaurant provides food gourmet with an exceptional chance to experience authentic Moroccan delicacies such Couscous (Chicken, Veal, Vegetables), Tagine (Chicken, Seafood, Veal), Pastilla (Seafood, Chicken) and Harira Soup. Likewise, seafood lovers can enjoy their favourite international dishes such as Sushi Platter, Burrata Cheese, Lobster Pasta, and Mix Grill Platter. Hailing from Morocco, Amine El Mesbahi, has been appointed the restaurant manager of Kech Mahal. El Mesbahi graduated from the hospitality management school – Institut Superieur International de Tourisme de Tanger ISITT in 2007. He has 10 years of experience in hospitality and worked with local international brands such as Bab Al Mansour, Aubaine, Guylian, Sheraton- Morocco. Commenting on his appointment, El Mesbahi, highlighted, “We are extremely excited to welcome our guests for the first time at Kech Mahal, and we aim to be the number one choice for those seeking the next level hospitality and entertainment.” He also added, “Hospitality and tourism sectors in Dubai are witnessing a phenomenal growth with …

Mohamed Khater has committed his career to the tourism industry for over two decades. He has become one of the greatest proponents for tourist development in the Middle East, having worked with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority for over seven years. Mohamed’s unwavering enthusiasm for tourism has made him an expert in his trade, and he is well-known in the business for his professionalism and pleasant demeanour. Mohamed has honed his skills in destination promotion and marketing, negotiating, budgeting, and leisure sales during his years working with government administrations and international organisations to promote tourism in the Middle East. He has also had the honour of being a member of the team that opened and promoted the world’s longest zipline. He will oversee all UAE business in his new role as Regional General Manager and Managing Partner for Flash Horizon under the ageist of Flash Group. He will also be responsible for commercial and business development within the group. One of the key areas he will focus on will be to expand the business operations to Bahrain, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Africa.

Sanad by Mubadala Investment Company PJSC (Mubadala), has partnered with the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) to provide the association’s 27 carrier members with access to Sanad’s world-class industrial service capabilities. The affiliation, which sees Sanad appointed as AACO’s Industry Partner, provides a strategic platform for extensive knowledge exchange and access for the AACO members, with Sanad expecting to leverage the tie-up to expand regional service partnerships and build on its industry-leading expertise in servicing global OEMs and airlines. “Our partnership with AACO provides its members and Sanad with a mutually beneficial platform to explore greater collaborative opportunities and share knowledge and experience to drive excellence across the aviation sector,” said Mansoor Janahi, Deputy Group CEO, Sanad. “With more than three decades’ experience across MRO and leasing, we look forward to working with AACO and its members to further our collective ambitions.” Since its inception 25 years ago, AACO’s Industry Partnership Program has fostered a mutually beneficial environment where partners benefit from AACO events and activities designed to strengthen their relations with member airlines, while AACO members benefit from the partners’ diverse product offerings, and numerous other benefits. Mr. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, AACO Secretary General, said: “We are pleased to welcome Sanad to the extended AACO family of industry partners, and we are confident that the framework we provide for our members and industry partners will create synergies and opportunities for all parties. Sanad’s innovative solutions and services offer specialist choices to our member airlines, and we look forward to a fruitful and successful collaboration and partnership”.