IHG Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of Holiday Inn & Suites Taif and Staybridge Suites Taif, in partnership with Al Jumaiah Group. Both properties are set to open in Q4 2025 in the Al Shafa, Taif, a relaxing destination located 2,500 meters above sea level and known for its historical sites, panoramic scenic views, pleasant weather, and fragrant rose gardens. The new resorts will play a vital role in supporting Taif’s growing hospitality scene and further cementing IHG’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Taif, as of the 10 strategic destinations under Vision 2030, is playing a key role in contributing to achieving Saudi Arabia’s ambitions for the tourism and hospitality sector with substantial government investments in infrastructure and its emergence as a prominent tourism destination. With its all year round leisure demand appeal, the dual signing of IHG hotels will add 280 rooms, catering to the high demand for world-class hospitality offering in the city. Haitham Mattar, Managing Director – India, Middle East and Africa, IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented: “We are pleased to strenghten relationship with our existing partner, Al Jumaiah Group and bring two brands from our essential and suits offering to the beautiful city of Taif. Having opened first internationally branded hotel in Taif – InterContinental Taif decades ago, we are proud to continue to strenghen our footprint and bring new brands to the city as it grows into a prominent tourims destination in the country. He added: “Saudi Arabia is a priority market for IHG – the continuous growth of our global portfolio within the Kingdom reflects our unwavering commitment to the vision of the leadership of the country and emphasizes our dedication to …

Emirates and Condor announced the activation of their reciprocal interline agreement which will boost connectivity for customers to 70 routes operated by both airlines across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East, with a single ticket fare and hassle-free baggage policy. The two carriers also signed a frequent flyer programme agreement enabling Emirates Skywards members to earn and redeem Miles on all Condor-operated flights. The agreements were signed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates Chief Commercial Officer and Jens Boyd, Condor Commercial Director at the Dubai Airshow. Starting from today, Emirates’ passengers will enjoy seamless access to new and exciting European and Caribbean destinations operated by Condor including 24 regional points via Frankfurt, 12 regional points via Dusseldorf, 9 regional points via Hamburg and 12 regional points via Munich. Some of the most popular cities available for Emirates’ customers include Malaga, Ibiza, Cancun and Havana, among others, all with a single ticket and convenient baggage check-through to the final destination. The interline agreement will also provide Condor’s customers convenient additional access to Emirates-operated flights between Frankfurt and Dubai, as well as beyond Dubai to 12 points across Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Middle East including Auckland, Bangkok, Male, Muscat and Mauritius, among others. Tickets are now on sale for travel immediately, itineraries can be booked on www.emirates.com, www.condor.com, with Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) and all major GDS’ via travel agents. The new partnership will expand Emirates’ footprint in Europe by an additional 57 points via its existing four gateways in Germany, providing more options and connectivity for the airline’s customers to popular destinations in Europe and the Caribbean for both business and leisure travel. Emirates has been serving Germany since 1987 …

A significant amount of orders and deals were announced, including a multi-billion dollar commercial order from Emirates, backed by air travel demand returning strongly to reach pre-pandemic levels. Emirates announced an order of 95 wide-body aircraft, committing to additional Boeing 777-9s, 777-8s, and 787s, worth US$ 52 billion. Low-cost carrier FlyDubai also confirmed an $11 billion order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, the first wide-body aircraft in its fleet, SunExpress, the Turkey-based low-cost carrier, placed a firm order for 45 narrow-body 737 MAX jets to be delivered between 2029 and 2035, with options or purchase rights for another 45, and EgyptAir ordered its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, as the airline will take delivery of a total of 18 737 MAXs as part of a lease agreement with Air Lease Corporation (ALC). Another milestone order was made by airBaltic, the Latvian national airline, which will see it become the largest Airbus A220 customer in Europe, following the confirmation of an incremental order for an additional 30 A220-300s, taking the airline’s total firm orderbook to 80 aircraft. Timothy Hawes, Managing Director of Tarsus Middle East, said: “Today was a true testament to the continued growth we have seen across the industry and serves as the perfect platform to showcase the next-generation features and innovative technologies that will ensure an efficient and sustainable future. Day one has seen a series of landmark orders, deals and launches take place, and we look forward to seeing more over the coming days as industry players from across the world continue to gather in Dubai and collaborate to define the future for aerospace.” With an increased focus on Space at this edition of Dubai Airshow, the …

flydubai, and Boeing announced flydubai’s commitment to purchase 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as the airline diversifies its fleet with the introduction of wide-body aircraft. The signing ceremony was attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai; Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO, Stan Deal and Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow 2023. Commenting on the milestone announcement, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, said: “in 2008 when we placed our first ever order for 50 Boeing 737 aircraft, we were confident of the vital role flydubai would play in supporting Dubai’s aviation hub. I am proud today to see flydubai evolve further, surpassing labels and challenging the traditional conventions around travel. Today’s order reaffirms flydubai’s commitment to enabling more people to travel across its expanding network. The highly fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner will allow flydubai to expand its horizon and cater to the growing demand on existing routes.” Commenting on the choice of aircraft, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive officer at flydubai, said: “innovation is at the heart of everything we do at flydubai. We are committed to offering the right product at the right time to cater to the changing market and customer needs. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner offers a perfect combination of operational excellence, fuel efficiency as well as passenger appeal.” flydubai …

Emirates opened the Dubai Airshow 2023 with a significant order for 95 additional wide-body aircraft, taking its total order book to 295 aircraft. Already the world’s biggest operator of wide-body passenger aircraft, Emirates has committed to additional Boeing 777-9s, 777-8s, and 787s, worth US$ 52 billion, to power its growth plans, maintain a modern efficient fleet, and deliver the best flying experience to its customers. In the presence of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and Deputy Ruler of Dubai and HH Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council; the orders were signed by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group; with Stan Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes; and Larry Culp, Chairman and CEO for GE, and CEO of GE Aerospace. HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “From day 1, Emirates’ business model has been to operate modern and efficient wide-body aircraft capable of carrying large numbers of travellers comfortably and safely, over long distances to and via Dubai. Today’s aircraft orders reflect that strategy. “These additional aircraft will enable Emirates to connect even more cities, supporting the Dubai economic agenda D33 set out by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to add 400 cities to Dubai’s foreign trade map over the next decade. By the early 2030s, we expect the Emirates fleet to be around 350-strong, connecting Dubai to even more cities around the world.” Emirates, already the world’s largest operator …

Speaking with TravelTV Middle East, Vincent Coste Chief Commercial Officer Riyadh Air shared that after decades Riyadh Air is the biggest start up airline in the region and scheduled to launch operations by Q2 2025. Coste stated, “we are planning to operate to over 100 destinations by 2030, it will be the G20 capitals of the world as well as a good balance of destinations from all across the world, from Americas to Middle East to Far East. When it comes to our business model, we don’t want to be a mega connector as we already have the connection from Saudia but just to connect the Kingdom to the rest of the world to the Kingdom. We are the second national carrier for Saudi Arabia, we will have two hubs both Riyadh and Jeddah. We will be working very closely with Saudia.” He reiterated the importance of travel agents for Riyadh Air as well as other channels of connection. On the first day of the Dubai Airshow Riyadh Air unveiled the second of its permanent dual-livery designs. The latest livery continues Riyadh Air’s indigo theme with striking lines inspired by the twisting canopies of traditional Bedouin tents and elegant curves of Arabic calligraphy. The bold new look features a sweeping cockpit window design, with the indigo signature theme contrasted beautifully against a light unique iridescent fuselage that reflects purity and the future-focused vision of Saudi Arabia. With a vision to shape the future of air travel, Riyadh Air unveiled its first livery at the Paris Airshow in June this year having previously received its IATA Airline Designator Code (RX) as well as signing a major deal for 90 GEnx engines …

The ACI World Expert Group on Slots (EGS) convened in Dubai. This gathering of industry leaders was dedicated to exploring a multitude of crucial topics related to slot allocation. Among the top priorities was determining the most effective approach for incorporating the latest additions to the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG), ensuring that global aviation operates smoothly and efficiently. The group held discussions on some of the challenges and opportunities related to slot allocation as well as on the most recent version of the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines. The meeting was characterised by dynamic discussions and engaging exchanges as experts from around the world shared their insights and experiences. ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East delegation, comprising Ilia Lioutov, Senior Expert-Economics & ESG, and Ryusuke Uemura, Special Project Officer, presented key insights into slot allocation practices tailored to the two respective regions. This offered a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by airports in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East within a broader global context. The ACI World Expert Group on Slots in Dubai One resounding theme that resonated throughout the discussions was the critical importance of managing airport capacity to maximise the utilisation of infrastructure at congested airports. With air travel on the rise and airports becoming increasingly congested, finding innovative solutions to optimise airport resources has become more pressing than ever. The meeting venue itself, hosted by Dubai Airports, added an extra layer of significance to the event. Dubai, renowned for its world-class aviation infrastructure and forward-thinking approach, served as a fitting backdrop for this gathering of minds. The city’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the aviation sector set the tone for the discussions, inspiring participants to …

Saudi Tourism Authority announced its two year partnership with RX Global – following a formal signing after WTM London – which will see STA become the first-ever ‘Global Travel Partner’ of the World Travel Market (WTM) tradeshow events. The two-year partnership, which is scheduled to run from November 2023 – September 2025 and is designed to cover the global remit of the WTM brand (including  WTM London, WTM Africa, WTM Latin America and Arabian Travel Market), was announced on 8th November 2023, at the closing day of World Travel Market London. The agreement to partner was reached on the Saudi stand between the STA and RX Global on the final day at this year’s WTM, where the STA has led the largest-ever Saudi tourism delegation, with over 75 stakeholders in attendance – a 48% increase from last year. The STA stand this year brings to life the diverse and dynamic offering of what visitors can experience in the authentic home of Arabia, and the scale of progress of the most ambitious transformation in the world. The STA level of attendance and participation truly demonstrates the significance of WTM 2023 in charting the future of the global tourism sector’s growth. Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority said: “Saudi is the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination, outperforming every expectation and setting the pace globally. Thanks to Saudi’s tourism leadership, each year our presence at WTM London continues to grow, and we are welcoming more visitors than ever, well on track to reach our targets for 2030. “This partnership will highlight Saudi’s progress at WTM London and inspire more visits to Saudi through a series of engaging promotional …

Turning Point Tourism clinched the ‘Fastest Growing DMC – UAE’ title at the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards. Ali Asgar Hussain – Managing Director – Turning Point shared, “The event was meticulously organized and radiated a highly positive atmosphere. From the moment we arrived, Mr. Sanjeet, an exceptional host, personally welcomed and attended to every guest, ensuring that each of us felt truly cherished. We must express our sincere gratitude to him for his tireless dedication and exceptional hospitality.  It was as if I had won an Oscar, and I thoroughly enjoyed mingling with industry veterans. Moreover, I had the privilege of interacting with renowned figures and market leaders who have played pivotal roles in shaping the tourism industry. This award will undoubtedly serve as a valuable asset for us to showcase our achievements to our dedicated trade partners who have steadfastly supported us. It is with deep gratitude that we dedicate this award to them, as well as to my hardworking team who have put in tireless efforts day and night. This award rightfully belongs to them, and it will act as a powerful source of motivation, inspiring them to strive even harder to achieve such accolades every year.”  

The Abu Dhabi International Boat Show (ADIBS), the United Arab Emirates capital boating, leisure marine and fishing exhibition, concluded at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre Marina and Canal Hall, where industry professionals, decision makers and local and international companies arrived in Abu Dhabi to showcase their latest offerings and trends in luxury yachts, leisure marine, fishing equipment industries and water sports. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, ADIBS 2023 opened its doors at 3PM on November 9, with a diverse group of international and local visitors touring the exhibition grounds before experiencing a ceremonial flyover, signifying the launch of ADIBS 2023 of the four-day maritime exhibition. This year, the 65,000 square meter Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre Marina and Canal Hall venue welcomed thousands of attendees, who were able to explore the 137 exhibits from 711 leading regional and international brands. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of ADNEC Group, said: “We are proud to launch the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show 2023, a pivotal event that not only showcases the latest in luxury yachting, marine technology, and fishing equipment but also reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a global leader in maritime innovation and sustainability. This year’s exhibition, marked by significant launches, engaging discussions on marine sustainability, and the unveiling of world records, has set a new standard in the industry.” There were several regional launches that occurred on day one of ADIBS 2023, with brands such as Fast Marine Boats launching the Brabus Marine, Class Marine Boats launching the Nimbus, and Waldorf Astoria launching the Private Island Ithaafushi (Waldorf Astoria). The Dubai based yacht …