Category Archives: Govt

The Tourism Development Fund (TDF) has launched the AWN Tourism and Hospitality program to support small and micro tourism businesses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the resources they need to realize their objectives and aspirations within the tourism industry. The program aims to support new tourism establishments, in addition to remodeling the existing ones, by leveraging the flexible financing solutions provided by TDF, with allocations of up to 10 million Saudi Riyals, and a repayment period of up to 10 years. Along with commercial franchising, the initiative will provide the targeted projects the tools they need to meet their needs in the areas of accommodation, restaurants and cafes, and entertainment. CEO of TDF Qusai Al-Fakhri, said: “This program aims to unlock the potential of small and micro tourism businesses. Small business owners, too, have great business ideas; all they need from time to time is motivation and financial support to thrive. We are confident our new initiative will give them this opportunity while encouraging knowledge sharing, entrepreneurship, and job creation in the Kingdom.” TDF has previously launched several support programs and financing solutions to assist small and micro tourism development projects in meeting their needs and creating investment opportunities to maximize their long-term impact. The pre-financing program by the Tourism Development Center is the first innovative and free educational opportunity for entrepreneurs to support and transform their ideas into sustainable businesses. The AWN Tourism Experiences program, designed for tour operators, event organizers, and cultural tourism product providers, offers financing solutions and products with easier mechanisms.

Visitors to the Visa Application Centre submitting their applications can now learn more about the tourism offerings and highlights of India, guided by trained professionals from VFS Global, by visiting the kiosk at the time of their appointment. Mr. N. Ram Prasad, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia formally inaugurated the new India Tourism kiosk at the VFS Global Visa Application Centre in Riyadh recently. Mr. N. Ram Prasad, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia said, “I am pleased to launch the first India Tourism kiosk in association with VFS Global, who have been our partners in KSA for the last 14 years. In addition to best-in-class visa services, applicants will now also be able to learn about all the wondrous tourism offerings of India when they visit this centre.” Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer, VFS Global said, “We are excited to further strengthen our relationship with the Government of India with the launch of our India Tourism kiosk. I thank the Ministry of External Affairs for their constant and unwavering support and faith in our organisation and its services. As the service providers of visa and passport solutions here in Saudi Arabia, it is only fitting that we also provide informational services on all there is to offer in this bountiful country.” VFS Global caters to over 7 million Indians across 9 countries – Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Thailand, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, France, and Australia, offering passport and consular services on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The organisation has a long-standing association with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, offering visa application …

As the world’s longest running festival of its kind, Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is nothing short of iconic. The 28th edition of the festival, organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), showcases the very best that the city has to offer. In its third week, (29 December to 5 January) DSF delivers another spectacular line-up of events, experiences, offers and deals designed to surprise and delight. Take your pick from one of the many concerts from international artists including Kylie Minogue, Martin Garrix, and Rahat Fatah Ali Khan. Or, watch the stunning fireworks and drone shows to celebrate DSF as well as welcome in the New Year. Participate in a Murder Mystery at Al Seef Heritage Hotel and bring out your inner detective, shop for must-have items at Al Seef Market, visit The Spark Within and Sky Castle, part of Dubai LIghts at City Walk and Dubai Design District (d3), or walk down memory lane at Dubai 80’s, Last Exit Al Khawaneej. Dubai is the place to be when it comes to New Year’s Eve celebrations. From enchanting fireworks, drone shows, to hotel offers, curated food and beverage menus  and more, the city pulls out all the stops to ring in the new year. In the lead up to NYE celebrations, legendary performer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan brings a never–before-seen show to the Coca-Cola Arena on 29 December. And on 30 December, at the same venue, don’t miss Martin Garrix and his spectacular performance live in Dubai. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Dubai skyline as fireworks light up the city skies to bid farewell to this year, and welcome in the next. Iconic Dubai spots such as Atlantis …

Adding to its lists of giga projects in keeping with the Saudi Vision 2030, is Trojena which will offer year-round outdoor skiing and adventure sports to be completed in 2026, an unrivalled experience and a global landmark for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Highlights include a stunning man-made freshwater lake and ‘The Vault’. It is a folded village fusing technology, entertainment and hospitality – as the main gateway into Trojena. On completion, the development will also contain a broad range of homes. Including apartments, chalets and mansions plus hotels ranging from the ultra-luxury and experiential to wellness and family resorts. In addition, there will be a wide range of retail, leisure and dining options. Activities including year-round skiing, water sports, hiking and mountain biking will sit side by side with an interactive nature reserve. Trojena will become one of the most dazzling destinations in NEOM and across the world. Infused with the ethos of NEOM with its bold ambition, built around technology and innovation. It will follow the principles of sustainability, state-of-the-art technology and astonishing design. It will provide extraordinary opportunities for residents and visitors looking for luxury, adventure, entertainment, livability and escape from the everyday. “Trojena will redefine mountain tourism for the world by creating a place based on the principles of ecotourism, highlighting our efforts to preserve nature and enhance the community’s quality of life, which is aligned with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. It also confirms our commitment to be part of the global effort to protect the environment. Trojena will be an important addition to tourism in the region, a unique example of how Saudi Arabia is creating destinations based on its geographical and …

Qatar Tourism (QT) data reveals that a suite of events, new launches and impending football fever drove visitor numbers during the month to nearly 180,000 – a six year high. Throughout 2022, visitors have steadily increased month on month, and the latest October figures exceeded pre-pandemic numbers by nearly a third (32% more than October 2017).Qatar continues to offer attractions and family-friendly entertainment for visitors from the region, making visitors from the GCC the leading source of all international visitors (over a third at 33%) to the country in October. At the same time, October saw a 10% increase from the prior month on the number of non-GCC tourists, at 66% of the total, an increase of 10%. Non-GCC arrivals hailed mainly from India (13%), the UK (4%) and the USA (3%). This month, 70% of visitors chose to arrive by air, followed by land (29%), and sea (1%).  A packed schedule of launches and openings greeted Qatar’s visitors in October, including the reopening of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), luxury malls (Printemps), and a spate of world-leading luxury hotels. Towards the end of the month, the Darb Lusail Festival officially inaugurated the pedestrian friendly Lusail Boulevard, the country’s latest open-air shopping and dining destination. The three-day celebration of Lusail City and the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region featured concerts and DJ performances, roaming shows and a spectacular nightly drone show. Commenting on the latest arrival figures, Haya Al-Noaimi, Head of Promotion Sector at Qatar Tourism, said: “As we welcome the world’s football fans, we are delighted to see so many people from around the globe keen to experience all that Qatar has to offer. …

China is an important source market to the UAE, already the travel between UAE and China has been on the rise especially business travel. At a recent interview with Marcus Lee Chief Executive Officer China Travel Online shared, “I think UAE has a very clear advantage, one of the ten factors that Chinese look into number one is covid safety and vaccination rate. I believe the UAE tops the rank and this could be one of the first destinations that Chinese will prefer to travel.” At the press conference held on 27th December 2022 by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin it was revealed that, “following the latest decision to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class-B infectious diseases, relevant departments under the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism have, after full assessment, formulated provisional measures on cross-border travel. I will now briefly go over these measures.” Addressing international media Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated, “First, inbound travelers will need to show a negative nucleic acid test taken within 48 hours prior to departure. The test result will need to be noted in the customs health declaration form. Inbound travelers no longer need to apply for a health code from Chinese embassies or consulates. Those who test positive need to postpone their travel until they have a negative test result. Second, nucleic acid tests will no longer be conducted on inbound travelers upon arrival. Those with no issues to report in their health declaration who have been given regular customs inspection and quarantine clearance can enter China without being subject to quarantine. Those with issues to report in their health declaration or symptoms such as fever shall receive antigen …

At the annual ‘city briefing’ His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Inspired by our visionary leadership, 2022 has been a transformative year for developing and broadening Dubai’s global appeal, designed to keep the destination top-of-mind and to cater to the varied needs and tastes of international travellers. With the world on the move again, our ability to quickly react, adapt, evolve and tap into existing and new segments of travellers is key to Dubai’s efforts to leverage and benefit from a rapidly and radically evolving global tourism landscape. We have ensured a steady influx of international visitors by offering more value than any comparable destination. We will maintain our competitive edge through our strong public-private partnerships, expansion of the diverse destination offering and constant launching of innovative initiatives and international campaigns to showcase Dubai as a ‘must-visit’ destination, as well as cement its position as one of the most accessible and liveable cities in the world.” Data showed that Dubai welcomed 11.4 million international overnight visitors between January and October, an impressive year-on-year increase of 134%, taking the city further on its journey to becoming the world’s most visited destination. 11.4 million international overnight visitors who arrived in Dubai between January and October 2022 represented a quantum leap over the 4.88 million visitors that the city welcomed for the same period in 2021. The numbers are close to the pre-pandemic record of 13.50 million international visitors in the first ten months of 2019. Dubai’s international tourism arrivals significantly outperformed other major global destinations, giving Dubai a head start on post-pandemic recovery. Average hotel occupancy in Dubai between January-October 2022 stood at …

The Tourism Development Fund (TDF) which entered into a tripartite partnership with Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company in the world, and Al Rajhi Capital, one of the leading Asset Managers in Saudi Arabia, has identified multiple sites to develop exciting lifestyle developments across the Kingdom, including urban beachfront sites. The projects to be developed are part of the newly formed Lifestyle Hospitality Fund, which has recently received approval by the Saudi market regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA). The fund aims at advancing Ennismore’s lifestyle hotels in the Kingdom with a targeted fund size of USD 400 million (SAR 1.5 billion). In 2021, during the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, TDF and Ennismore signed an MOU to commence the discussions for launching an investment fund. This was followed by TDF, Ennismore, and Al Rajhi Capital signing a tripartite agreement in July this year to establish the now approved lifestyle hospitality fund. Furthermore,  MOUs were signed with selected investors who expressed interest in coming into the fund with their respective assets. TDF will be the anchor investor in the newly established investment fund, while Ennismore will lead on the operation of these assets post completion under the umbrella of its lifestyle brands. Al Rajhi Capital will manage the development fund and attract investments. Ennismore is a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with creativity and purpose at their heart, bringing together a lifestyle powerhouse of 14 brands with 103 operating properties and 144 in the pipeline. Ennismore’s globally recognized brands include: 25hours Hotels, Mama Shelter, Mondrian, The Hoxton, TRIBE, SLS, SO/ and coworking brand, Working From_. The fund will have significant impact on the tourism offering in the KSA as …

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, the #DubaiDestinations winter campaign returns this year to showcase the attractions and experiences that make the emirate a top pick among global destinations in the cooler months of the year. The collaborative campaign, implemented by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), highlights an array of activities and experiences that people can enjoy amidst the wonderful winter weather. This season, Dubai offers residents and visitors amazing adventure, entertainment, food, art, culture, sports and fitness experiences and more. Featuring engaging content from diverse stakeholders, the campaign tells the story of Dubai’s emergence as one of the world’s best winter destinations. To mark the launch of the campaign, Brand Dubai hosted an event for the media, influencers and content creators at the Government of Dubai Media Office to showcase the activations and experiences the latest campaign will be highlighting to local and global audiences. Brand Dubai also announced the launch of the #DubaiDestinations website www.dubaidestinations.ae, which will share content, videos and guides related to the campaign.   Vindicating Dubai’s strengths, a global study released late last month named the emirate the “world’s best winter-sun destination”. According to The Winter Sun Index issued by travel package provider ParkSleepFly, Dubai has been tagged on Instagram more than 111 million times and has the most winter-related ‘things to do’ Google searches in the world, reaching 55,000. The iconic city is also blessed with more than eight hours of sunlight daily and a pleasant average temperature of 20.4 degree centigrade in the winter. Another study by Remote, a global talent …

Under the patronage of His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and in cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO), hosted the 23rd session of the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers on, Wednesday (December 7, 2022) in the city of Riyadh. Ministers and officials from 20 Arab countries, as well as representatives of the League of Arab States and international and regional organisations were present at the event. His Highness the Minister of Culture said: “This year’s session, centred around the main theme, ‘Culture for a Green Future,’ aims to make the cultural sector more sustainable. We seek to be a launchpad for global efforts that include culture in all its forms and extend it to cover all elements of its value chain. His Highness added: “Employing culture towards a green future contributes to its consolidation in the global development debate, which is something that the Saudi leadership give their full attention to. The main theme of the conference, ‘Culture for a Green Future’, is also in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Hence, the Kingdom supports collective efforts to enhance knowledge, skills, and practices related to making the cultural sector more sustainable and environmentally friendly.” During the conference, the Arab Culture Ministers stressed the importance of giving new impetus to the role of culture in achieving sustainable development, while working to develop effective policies for sectors that provide added value in the collective efforts to shift towards a more creative and sustainable future. Four memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were also signed to further …