The iconic Dubai Shopping Festival is all set to return for its 27th edition from 15 December 2021 to 29 January 2022, offering residents and visitors a diverse line-up of innovative events, world-class entertainment, mega raffles and array of promotions. Coinciding with EXPO 2020 and the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, the event further reinforces the city’s position as a multi-faceted must-visit destination and adds to the growing momentum of activity across its leisure, retail and entertainment sectors. Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the latest edition of Dubai’s flagship festival will highlight to the world the vibrancy that has returned to the city, Featuring an array of innovative events, lively concerts, incredible drone shows, fireworks displays, global brand collaborations, life-changing mega raffles, promotions and offers across a range of homegrown and global brands, the Festival will give residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy exceptional experiences throughout the 46-day extravaganza. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “Inspired by the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, the city has always exceeded expectations when organising festivals and events. With Dubai open to all travellers and visitors from across the globe, we will roll out an extraordinary Dubai Shopping Festival during this landmark year in which the city is hosting EXPO 2020 and celebrating the nation’s Golden Jubilee. As the longest running and most successful shopping festival of its kind, we extend our deepest gratitude to our retailers and partners for their continued support to DSF, as we work even more closely with them this year to ensure that the …

Emirates and TAP Air Portugal are further expanding their existing codeshare arrangement by adding 23 more destinations to the partnership from 2 November. This brings the total number of destinations where customers can enjoy seamless connectivity to over 90 points. TAP Air Portugal will place its code on popular Emirates flights to four additional Asian destinations – Hanoi and three Japanese gateways – Narita, Osaka and Haneda, subject to government approval. Emirates will place its code on TAP Air Portugal operated flights to 19 additional destinations via Lisbon. They include Belem, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Maceio, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador, Praia, Sal Island, Sao Vicente, Conakry, Ponta Delgada, Porto Santo, Terceira and Dakar. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said: “The further expansion of the Emirates – TAP Air Portugal partnership attests to the strong collaboration of both airlines and our shared commitment to provide customers with seamless connections to and from Portugal. By leveraging our mutual networks through codeshare flights, we enable our customers to travel to more places on a single ticket with a one baggage policy and fare conditions. We look forward to bringing more benefits to our customers through this partnership”. Silvia Mosquera, Chief Commercial & Revenue Officer of TAP Air Portugal said: “TAP Air Portugal is pleased to be able to implement this expanded partnership with Emirates, allowing our customers greater geographic access, with particular emphasis on destinations in the Middle East and Asia. TAP is eager to be able to take Emirates customers to more cities in Portugal and to our destinations in the Americas and North Africa, aboard our modern fleet of state-of-the-art aircraft, in an …

It was announced at WTM the previously managed five star hotel by Hilton Worldwide under the name of Hilton Dubai Creek will be rebranded as Golden Sands. The Dubai-based AA Al MOOSA Enterprises LLC, a dynamic and service-oriented conglomerate that includes a wide spectrum of business interests, announced the rebranding of one of its five star hotel properties located in a strategic area in the emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Previously managed by Hilton Worldwide under the name of Hilton Dubai Creek, the property’s rebranding to Golden Sands Hotel Creek comes in line with AA Al MOOSA Enterprises new strategy to strengthen its own local brand Golden Sands, which has been successfully present in the market for more than 30 years. Officially opened on 25th of October 2021 by His Excellency Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, Mr Khalid Al Naboodah, Mr. Faisal Al Moosa, Director of Al Moosa Enterprises; and Mr. Mohammad Khoori, General Manager of Golden Sands Hotels and Hotel Apartments. HE Dawoud Al Hajri expressed his fondness of the property and wished Golden Sands as a local operator the best throughout its new venture.” “There is no doubt that the UAE hospitality industry is constantly evolving, therefore we must be flexible and adapt our strategies to meet the ever-growing market needs,” Mr. Faisal Al Moosa said. “We maintain a productive and friendly relationship with Hilton Worldwide, and are confident that Golden Sands management will achieve our aspirations for this property.” For his part, Mr. Mohammad Khoori noted, “We strongly believe in this area as an essential tourism and business destination for Dubai, and we are delighted to be here to support the government’s vision …

TUI Cruise’s liners will dock on Sir Bani Yas Island, bring over 2000 German-speaking tourists to the country each day. One of its main flagships, Mein Schiff 6, docked for the first time at the port recently. Roula Jouny, Executive Director of Tourism 365, commented: “We are ecstatic to have been appointed by TUI Cruises to lead and manage the upcoming cruise season at Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.” Capital Experience, part of Tourism 365, owned by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), has been appointed ground handler by TUI Cruises. The strategic partnership sees Capital Experience manage the ground handling, sightseeing, excursions, tours and attractions experiences for cruise ships’ passengers during the winter cruise season until March 2022. Launched under Tourism 365, under the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, earlier this year, the company offers unique travel opportunities for tourists coming to Abu Dhabi, enhancing the emirate’s regional and global positioning in the wider tourism industry. Capital Experience works with key stakeholders across each emirate, partnering with key entities including hotels across the nation.

Etihad Airways recently operated its most sustainable flight ever, leveraging the learnings and efficiencies developed over the last two years of its comprehensive sustainability programme to reduce carbon emissions (CO2) by 72% in absolute terms compared to the equivalent flight operated in 2019. The London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flight is part of the Etihad Greenliner Programme – a two-year partnership between Etihad and Boeing using Etihad’s Boeing 787 fleet as a test bed for sustainability improvements in partnership with organisations across the industry. It required huge collaboration across the aviation ecosystem to deliver a sustainable in-flight product, coordination with airspace management for optimised flight routing, new technology flight deck tools, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), contrail reduction and airport handling processes. In an industry-first, EY20 was the first commercial flight to explore contrail-avoidance. Working with UK-based SATAVIA, the team identified potential areas of ice super-saturated regions in the atmosphere where harmful contrails are likely to form, and the flight route was adjusted to avoid these areas. Based on the original and adjusted flight plan, the strategy avoided the production of approximately 64 tonnes of CO2e, with a fuel penalty of only 100kg, or 0.48 tonnes CO2. “These are noteworthy savings,” said Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “When Etihad committed to achieve net zero, it was acknowledged that it was only possible if the airline worked collaboratively and positively with our industry partners. That is exactly what Etihad has done with the Sustainable Flight. Of equal importance, Etihad, Boeing and its partners – airports, ANSP, and suppliers – used the flight to learn where further improvements could be made. Talking after the flight, Tony Douglas, Group Chief …

SLS Hotels & Residences, a brand from Ennismore, in collaboration with The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), which spearheads the development of The Red Sea Project, announced SLS Red Sea will open its doors in Q1 2023. The project will bring 150 hotel rooms including 12 suites and 15 villas spanning over 800,000 square feet of single story accommodation. The property will feature expansive one, two, three and four bedroom Pool Villas each with ample space and the privacy afforded with one’s own private swimming pool. Ennismore’s top culinary and mixology experiences including Seabird, Fi’lia and Floating World will ensure this phenomenal new property speaks to the most discerning guests. The Ciel Spa, a state of the art fitness center and Altitude Pool along with a ballroom for special occasions and meeting rooms complete this distinguished offering. SLS is part of Ennismore, a creative hospitality company rooted in culture and community, with a global collection of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Ennismore is a joint- venture with Accor, formed in 2021 Chadi Farhat, SLS Brand COO & Head of Middle East & Asia Pacific states, “We are happy to announce SLS Red Sea in collaboration with John Pagano and his team at The Red Sea Development Company. We are excited to be working with architect Piero Lissoni again to deliver our signature SLS experience at this stunning property. We truly believe that once open, the property will be a highly sought-after destination for global travelers and locals alike with its exclusive spa, lounge and culinary concepts.”   John Pagano, Group CEO, The Red Sea Development Company, “We are pleased to partner with Ennismore & Accor for …

Unitsky String Technologies Inc. (UST), the Belarusian-based eco-friendly, safe and comfortable transport solutions specialised, has completed the first stage of the uSky freight and passenger elevated string rail transport system for use in global logistics at its test facility in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Marking uSky’s first commercial project launch, the company has set plans to increase its portfolio to 10 projects by the end of 2022. The first commercial uSky project will now transit from the “innovation” and “venture capital” stages to the “investment business” stage. In parallel, Unitsky will continue testing the sustainable transport solution prior to widespread deployment next year. “This is a key milestone in our development,” said Anatoli Unitsky, Founder of Unitsky String Technologies and uSky Transport. “By leveraging our cutting-edge, proprietary technology, we are demonstrating the agility, versatility and capabilities that our cost-efficient, elevated string rail technology can bring to destinations. Tailored to support both cargo and passenger logistics, uSky delivers high speeds and performance of transportation (up to 150 km/h and up to 50,000 passengers per hour) and can be established at a fraction of the cost to other solutions with a minimal ecological impact.” Investment in the design, construction, and certification of uSky’s urban transport and freight facilities in the UAE has already totalled more than US$14 million. Stage 1. Urban freight and passenger complexes The first elevated string rail transport project implemented in the MENA region includes both passenger and freight transport options. The rolling stock includes unmanned electric rail vehicles – uCar passenger modules and uCont freight modules – designed to travel on a suspended string rail overpass at speeds of up to 150 km/h off the ground. The first …

The world’s first “Museum in the Sky” is a joint collaboration between AlUla and SAUDIA Airlines, to highlight the significance of AlUla as a living museum, with only a small fraction of archaeological sites identified currently being investigated. The flight will take off from Riyadh to AlUla on the 4th of November 2021. Onboard the flying museum, a replica collection of artefacts discovered in AlUla during excavations by archaeologists reveal some of the mysteries of AlUla’s ancient civilizations. SAUDIA is also using the opportunity to launch their new In-Flight Entertainment System (IFE), Discover Saudi Arabia, on which passengers will be encouraged to watch the Discovery Channel documentary movie – Architects of Ancient Arabia – a 2021 release full-length documentary movie produced by PowderHouse revealing that some of human civilization’s first building blocks were set in place in AlUla. An introduction to the documentary will be provided by Archaeologist, Dr. Rebecca Foote, the Director of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Research at The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). As well as introducing the documentary that she appears in, Rebecca will offer an explanation about the artefact museum pieces and passengers will have an opportunity to ask questions. Dr. Rebecca Foote said: “There is an extraordinary volume of work ongoing in AlUla by both local and international archaeological teams, and yet we are only just beginning to understand the complexity of AlUla’s past. AlUla is a true hidden gem in the Arabian Peninsula, and we are slowly revealing its secrets. I am looking forward to sharing more about our work to the passengers onboard SAUDIA’s Museum in the Sky.” Kerrie McEvoy, Channel Director, Discovery Channel, Europe, Middle East & Africa said: “We are …

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has announced its participation in the World Travel Market (WTM) Expo 2021, which is being held at Excel London in the British capital from November 1-3, 2021. WTM 2021 aims to explore the profound changes that global tourism has witnessed over the past two years. The WTM agenda includes enhancing international communication in order to establish ways to rebuild, innovate, and take advantage of the current opportunities to reshape the global travel and tourism system as the pandemic progressively recedes. SCTDA is heading the Sharjah delegation, which includes representatives from Sharjah International Airport, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (SHUROOQ), Expo Centre Sharjah, Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Sharjah Sports Council, Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA), Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, Sharjah Collection, TravTalk, Golden Sands Hotel Sharjah and Adventure Activities Platform Mughamer.com. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, stressed the importance of this year’s edition of the WTM, the first to take place as the travel and hospitality sector begins the return to a pre-pandemic footing, commenting that the Sharjah delegation intends to leverage the opportunity to highlight the travel and tourism objectives of the Emirate of Sharjah. “Sharjah’s participation at this year’s World Travel Market comes within the framework of achieving the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, which is to consolidate the position of the Emirate of Sharjah globally, through launching qualitative development and infrastructure projects and intensifying efforts to restore momentum to the tourism sector, considering that it is one of the most important pillars of the national economy. Our participation this year will …

Marriott International, Inc. has signed an agreement with The Red Sea Development Company to develop two luxury hotels as part of the highly-anticipated Red Sea Project in Saudi Arabia. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort and The Red Sea EDITION are expected to further enhance Marriott International’s footprint across the Kingdom where it currently has a portfolio of over 30 properties with more than 9,000 rooms across ten brands.   “We are excited to be working with The Red Sea Development Company to introduce St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and EDITION to one of Saudi Arabia’s most-anticipated projects,” said Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “These milestone signings illustrate Marriott International’s commitment to the growth of the tourism sector in the Kingdom and highlight increased demand for lifestyle and luxury accommodations and experiences.”   The St. Regis Red Sea Resort Solidifying St. Regis’ position as a global leader in luxury, The St. Regis Red Sea Resort marks the brand’s introduction in Saudi Arabia and the continued growth of its portfolio in the Middle East. Situated on a private island, the resort is expected to feature 90 villas, two signature restaurants, an outdoor pool, fitness centre, and spa, in addition to a Children’s Club. Expected to open in 2023, the exclusive resort will offer the brand’s visionary spirit, avant-garde style and bespoke service.   The Red Sea EDITION EDITION Hotels redefine the concept of luxury by offering an unexpected collection of one-of-a-kind hotels. Located on the Red Sea Project’s main island, Shaura, The Red Sea EDITION is slated to open in 2023 with 240 guestrooms, including one-, two- and three-bedroom suites. The property is set …